When I walked into my first few yoga classes, I was intrigued by all the blocks neatly stacked against the wall next to the perfectly rolled-up mats. I soon came to realize that those different sized blocks had many useful purposes.

Blocks are often used by beginners and those with injuries to help them modify certain postures, but they are also used by experienced and flexible yogis as tools to get deeper into poses. I'm a huge fan of blocks, and here's why:

Blocks can be used when doing standing poses to bring the ground closer to your hands if you can't quite reach yet.
Blocks can also be used in restorative poses to support your bones and the weight of your body. Iyengar and Kripalu classes often use blocks to deeply open certain parts of the body, or for relaxation poses.

Want to see how else you can use yoga blocks? Then read more

Blocks can also make poses more comfortable, especially in seated poses. Sitting on a block will bring your hips above your knees, reducing pain if there is too much pressure on a certain muscle or joint.
Placing a block beyond your reach can help you stretch your muscles even further, increasing flexibility.
You can also use blocks to makes poses more challenging. I like to work on more advanced poses such as inversions, and the blocks help to keep my hands (my base) steady.

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