So the next thing I’d like to talk about regarding yoga props that you could use is the yoga strap. In the previous article, we talked about what blocks are for and which one is suitable for you. This article is not gonna elaborate a lot about the usage of yoga straps, as there is not that much to talk about really. Which doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good prop to use. There is just one way of looking at it.
Using yoga straps
In the beginning, I wasn’t really sure what yoga straps were for. I didn’t use them a lot as I am hyper-flexible. But during all my classes, I found it was very good for people who aren’t that flexible. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I’m too good to use them, I did use them but for me, it was more of a hazard than that it did me any good. So, the yoga straps are really for people who’d like to go into poses a little deeper and don’t have the flexibility yet to go too deep into the asana. These straps give you the feeling of accomplishment as well as sometimes you’d hear in a class: go with your hands behind your back, take both hands and bend over. Or something like that. When you can’t reach for your hands, sometimes it gives you the feeling of failure, which at the same time is also something you could reflect upon, or just use a strap every once in a while. Down below I’ve put some straps that I’d recommend.
But first, here’s a video that demonstrates what you can do with your yoga strap.
Hazards
Truth be told, there are some hazards when you are using a yoga strap. Not that I’m against using one, not at all, but there are also some things you should be careful about. But I’d give this advice also to people who are just getting into yoga. So first of all, don’t go too far. As I mentioned before I’m hyper-flexible and I don’t feel when I’m overstretching myself, which often resulted in an injury, like inflamed muscles. Which isn’t the nicest thing to have. Especially my hamstrings were very often inflamed as I just didn’t feel when I was overusing them. So this is not only a piece of advice for when you’re using the strap but also the advice for when you are just starting off with yoga. Never bend or overstretch yourself! I’d always say to my students to reach the point where you feel resistance and the moment it would hurt, that’s the point where you went to far! So be aware of that. With the strap, it’s quite easy to overstretch yourself as you’re literally pulling yourself into a pose. It’s good to feel a stretch, but you don’t have to torture yourself!
What yoga strap should I buy?
I’m gonna list a couple of yoga straps. I’ve picked my top three and I’ve put them here. Also, keep in mind, there aren’t always a lot of colors to choose from, but that’s okay, I’d just go with a gray or black one as that just fits with everyone. But then again, I’m a guy and maybe I don’t really care too much about having matching gear ;).
Manduka Align Yoga Strap
I love this brand. They really stand for high quality and they are really carefully finishing off their products. These straps are re-adjustable. But normally they all should be on this list as there is not one strap that will just be the perfect size for someone.
Gaiam Eco Conscious
I know that along the way I’ve also mentioned Gaiam a lot. I don’t really love their products, but they are really good to start off with. And when you’re considering a yoga strap this might be the right fit for you. They use organic cotton and therefore they’re raising awareness with their brand. They’re not very original when it comes down to colors you could choose from. But they’re very bland and basically fit in with everything, their colors also give it a more natural feeling which contributes to the ecological feeling of their straps.
Tumaz Yoga Strap
This one is for the people who’d like to have a wide range of colors to choose from. Tumaz has really created a couple of stylish types of straps. Well, there’s not a lot you could do with straps so it’s pretty impressive that they’ve just done it. It’s also the cheapest one regarding price/quality, which is quite nice for the beginning yogis.
Conclusion
This was it, for now, personally, I would go for the yoga strap from Gaiam as it gives a more natural look during your yoga practice and it basically fits with any kind of yoga mat or outfit that you are wearing. As I said before in the article, please be aware that you can overstretch with a yoga strap. Don’t push your body into positions you are not ready for and don’t beat yourself up for it as well!
If you have any more questions or you’d like to leave a comment, you can do that in the comment section below!
Nama-stay wonderful everyone!
I used to be really flexible but since I stopped exercising for a few years, unfortunately, I’m not as flexible anymore. These yoga straps look perfect for me, although injuring myself doesn’t tempt me quite as much. It is my type to overstretch and think it will be fine!
I think I will get the Gaiam strap, I like the colour and simplicity of it. Thanks for the great review.
Hi Hollie! Just listen to your body, that’s the main goal of yoga and it makes that you’ll feel whenever you are going to deep into a pose!
I practice yoga in a class and find that my quads, ham strings and the whole hip area are very tight . This means that the forward fold and the standing pose you illustrated on the video are somewhat challenging for me. In class we sometimes use straps and it helps, but I am thinking of getting straps to use at home. I always thought any strap is good enough, but based on your advice I now can buy a recommended brand. It will also be useful for my shoulders joints. thanks for the information.
Hi JJ, I’d also like to give you another recommendation regarding your hamstrings. When you’re doing forward folds, bend your knees. That releases the tension on the hamstrings AND it makes that you can reach the ground as well! It’s not a shame that you have to do it, I’ve been doing it very often too every time my hamstrings were inflamed.
I really like that you format the article as if part of a series since it creates a really nice continuity, but I recommend putting a link to the previous article where you mention what you talked about last time. I also like that you give a good situation in which yoga straps would be useful, but one thing to remember is that the reader is seeing everything in real time, so it feels odd when you say “I will add a video here about…” because it is already there. Instead, you could say, “Here’s a great video on ____” which makes you look more like an authority who knows what she’s doing and less like someone who just happened to stumble upon this useful video like the rest of us. I like that you have a header for every section, it makes it easier to read, but I recommend adding links to products you mention, and as a bonus for you, you can get Amazon affiliate links for each product so when people click, you’ll make a commission. Best of luck, keep up the good work!
Hi there, thank you very much for your feedback! Especially about the video is a very good hint! Never thought about it. Regarding the links… I always forget them somehow and add them in later, I really should just put them in at the time I’m writing the article. Considering the links to the products, I don’t like the banners which inlcude the amazon logo, so I try to keep them clean and neat. But you suggest now that it’s also good to put some links in the article itself, am I hearing you right?