Why Yoga Blocks are Absolutely Necessary for Your Yoga Practice

Cork yoga blocks are an essential for beginner and seasoned yogis. By providing length and support in postures, they improve your body’s muscle alignment and increase your strength. The firmness of the cork beautifully supports your yoga practice. Because of the material’s ability to hold body weight, they prevent injury and alleviate the strain that often comes with advanced postures. Our Swami and YogaTribe cork blocks are an eco-friendly statement of durability and simplicity, and fast becoming the staple yoga blocks NZ practitioners reach for.

Bring the ground closer

The best yoga blocks create length and bring the ground closer to you. Consider the standing forward fold positions. A block that sits under your hand or the crown of your head can help tension in your neck and gives your hamstrings a proper workout, letting you to relax more deeply into your yoga posture. When you place a block under your hand in lateral fold positions, you lengthen the side of your body and allow absolute focus on your pranayama or breath control. Yoga blocks on either side are also the perfect companion for all lunging positions, as the support helps you go through a Twisted or Crescent Lunge without sinking your hips or losing your upwards-lifted chest.

Relaxing into poses

If you attend restorative classes, the best cork yoga block will allow your body to relax and gently open out to its fullest flexibility. This has multiple benefits – from mindfulness to improved body circulation. Our blocks cater to many yoga block exercises, from the Supported Fish, where placing one block at the chest line and the other underneath your head opens up the space between chest and shoulders, to smaller myofascial exercises that allow you to gently roll out your neck as it is placed on the cork block. Even in the seated Lotus, Easy Pose, and Hero postures, sitting on a Swami block would release the hips and protect your psoas. Both our Swami and YogaTribe branded blocks follow the most recommended proportions for yoga blocks, with the Swami block slightly taller and heavier for those of a taller stature. 

Preventing yoga injuries

With knees as one of the most vulnerable parts of your body, firm yoga blocks greatly ease the pressure on your joints in more complex poses. In the Camel pose, placing one block between your ankles and another block tilted sideways between your thighs strengthens your muscles. Visually pressing against the blocks also removes undue stress from your knees and lower back. Similarly, placing a block between your knees in the Bridge pose, and imagining yourself pressing into the block while lifting your chest and hips allows the best training of your muscles. Cork yoga blocks also prevent you from slipping as your class progresses, compared to softer foam options that absorb less sweat and hold less bodyweight. Firm blocks are a great investment for their stability and support in restorative and dynamic exercises.