5 Fabulous Props For Super-Restorative Yoga
The Peanut Balance Ball
Okay, so the product description calls this, “Gaiam Kids Peanut Balance Ball,” but don’t let that fool you! This product is not just for children, though it is widely used in the delivering of children into this world. True fact. You can check it on the Google or your favorite search engine. It is also used in physical therapy, therapeutic yoga, and is oh so good for a restorative yoga session.
It provides a bolster with give like a medicine ball, but has a little nook for stabilized support too so you don’t just go rolling off to one side if you’re the slightest bit off center. Click the pic to check it out! (We’re not an affiliate.)
The Edgeless Block
It may not look like much, but this, friends, is the block without edges you never knew you needed. Amazing to lay over for a shoulder opener, fabulous to prop your legs in a supine butterfly pose. This baby’s uses span as far as your imagination. There are a number of half-rounds out there, but we like this one because the foam is high density, which means it won’t lose its shape under body weight like others. It is also nice and sturdy for sustained support in a restorative, yin, or any kind of body practice!
The Best Weighted Blanket
Weighted blankets are finally catching on. When we first bought ours, there were hardly any to choose from. Now there are so many it is hard to choose. They were initially used more as a grounding tool for individuals on the Autism Spectrum, but they can be incredibly grounding for anyone. You can use it to blanket the whole body, fold it up and lay it over the hips in Savasana, drape it over any body part to use in place of sandbags, so many options! This one is also good because it is designed to keep you from getting too hot, which can be an issue with weighted blankets.
The BackJack
O BackJacks!
We love BackJacks in general because they come in handy constantly at home—extra seating for a laid-back book club meeting, camping chairs, a little beach seat, you name it. But we use them even more often in restorative practices and yoga therapy sessions. You can use it as a traditional floor chair to support any seated pose to make it more restful, or you can flip it over and lie belly-down on it for a gentler supported back bend like Cobra or Sphinx.
The Weighted Eye Pillow
This. Eye mask. Is. Amazing.
It’s like a weighted blanket for your eyes. We have used this eye pillow after a particularly difficult bout of eye-strain, and oh my goodness did it ever help. We’ve also used it at the end of a morning practice, and never have had a more restful Savasana—gentle lavender scent and soft silky weight on the eyes for total light blocking . . . AND it came with a freezable gel pack for headaches or puffiness! Can’t beat two in one :D It has an elastic strap so you can strap it on for sleep, or just lay it loose over your eyes.