Yoga bolsters were made popular in the 1960s to help students find better alignment in poses that were otherwise inaccessible to them. And while it started out as a tool to help students, a bolster can benefit anyone—even advanced yogis.
Yoga bolsters are most commonly used in Restorative and Yin Yoga practices but can be used creatively in any practice and as part of your at-home self-care routine.
A yoga bolster is one of the best tools for providing extra support and comfort during certain poses. They allow for deeper stretching and release while encouraging more mindful movement.
Today, we’ll take a look at some creative ways to enhance your practice using a yoga bolster and discuss how they help:
- Support your body during poses
- Open, release, and relax your body
- Enhance your stability and flexibility
- Achieve the proper posture and form for your body
- Encourage mindful movement
1 - Supported Balasana (Child’s Pose)
Child's pose is highly effective at calming your mind and reducing stress and anxiety. It’s a known antidote for fatigue, and it lengthens and decompresses your spine and lower back.
It is a pose for introspection and quieting the mind.
However, the flexibility needed to pull off this pose correctly doesn't come easily to everyone since it requires you to rest your hips on your heels and your forehead on the ground.
Using a yoga bolster during this asana yoga pose provides a soft, supportive surface that brings the ground closer to you. It helps relax your body so you can breathe calmly, sink deeper into the fold, and really enjoy it!
To incorporate a bolster into balasana:
Lay it on the ground between your knees and place your torso over it. If you have limited mobility, you can stack two bolsters on top of one another for greater comfort.
Whilst in balasana, be mindful to rest and let go, surrendering your weight over to the bolster. Rest your attention inwards, and breathe into any points of tension. Take time to notice the journey of the breath as it moves in and out of the body. Direct the breath to any points that need nourishment, healing or to reduce tension present.
Stay in this pose for 2-10 minutes, turning your head at the halfway point.
2 - Supported Bharadvajasana (Seated Spinal Twist)
The bharadvaja twist is a key pose in grounding and restorative practices that can be used to decompress the spine, massage your internal organs, relax, and release muscular tension. It stretches the muscles between the ribs (intercostals) and can reduce stress in the lower back.
To practice this pose with a bolster:
Sit on your mat and bring the bolster to your side, next to your hip.
Slowly turn your upper body over the yoga bolster and lay your head and torso on it. Rest your elbows and forearms on either side of the bolster for gentle support. If needed, you can place a folded blanket between your knees for additional comfort.
Readjust your legs to stack, or stagger them, depending on how much of a stretch you'd like, then close your eyes and breath.
Remember to relax the space between your shoulders and breathe into any tension points on the inhale. Use the exhale to relax and release into the pose even more.
Stay in the pose for an equal amount on each side. We recommend 1-2 minutes on each side. As you come out of the pose, slowly move the head and body to avoid strain.
Repeat the process on the other side.
3 - Salamba Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Supported Bridge Pose)
Salamba setu bandha sarvangasana (supported bridge pose) is one of the best asana yoga poses to do towards the end of your practice or after a day at your desk, driving or cooking.
This pose is a heart opener as well as an inversion that allows your abdomen, chest and shoulders to expand and relax through a relieving stretch. It opens up a different section of the spine, right where we desk dwellers need it, and also supports the legs to relax by strapping them together. It has been known to reduce tension headaches and calm the mind.
Using a yoga bolster during this pose can help keep you feel well-supported and fully relaxed. It can help decompress hard-to-access parts of the spine and provide relief, especially if you spend your days typing away at a computer or looking down at your phone.
To perform a supported bridge pose:
1. Sit on your bolster, bending the knees with your feet on either side of the end of the bolster.
2. Take your yoga strap and secure your thighs using the D Ring strap. This will help your legs to relax rather than using your leg muscles to stay in the position
3. Lay back onto your bolster, having the top edge directly beneath the heart space allowing your neck and head to lie flat on the floor.
2. Ensure that the back of your neck is long, flat and level, leaving space between your chin and chest.
3. Keep your chest high and let your arms drop to the side with your palms open to the sky.
4. Keep your shoulders fully relaxed, your ankles and knees aligned and your feet evenly pressed to the ground.
5. Enhance the pose by adding a blanket to soften the ground beneath you, a strap around the thighs to relax the legs, and an eye pillow to rest the eyes
4 - Supported Viparita Karani (Legs up the Wall Pose)
Viparita Karani is usually practiced towards the end of a yoga class but is great asana to practice independently.
Practice this asana to soothe the nervous system and reduce body aches, when recovering from a cold, after traveling or for those who suffer from fluid retention in the lower limbs, after a long day on our feet and when going through phases of sleeplessness.
When our mind and body are relaxed in unison, it provides the optimal conditions for sleep and healing.
By reversing the gravitational pump, we give the circulatory system a hand in moving stagnancies back up to the flushing glands of the lymphatic system and heart. It is a great support for your immunity and for sending newly oxygenated blood to the body.
To practice this pose using a bolster:
Place the length of the bolster near the wall. A palms width is a good measurement for most. Sit on the bolster with your side to the wall. Use your hands to support you to take your legs up the wall. Shift your hips as close as you can to the wall.
Lower down onto your forearms before lowering the upper back to the floor. Support your head with a blanket and relax even more with an eye pillow over the eyes. Bend your knees slightly if you feel any tension in the hamstrings.
Allow the arms to rest where you feel comfortable. Feel the body soften into the bolster and floor. Focus on the breath and stay in the pose for up to 10 minutes.
5 - Supported Matsyasana (Fish Pose)
Matsyasana is a key pose that is known to open the chest and stretch the intercostal (muscles between the ribs) and, when performed well with the right support, can relieve neck and shoulder tension. It is also known to fight fatigue and energise after an exhausting day.
When you have been sitting at your desk all day or even recovering from a respiratory illness, this pose can reduce the muscular tension that can occur following these activities and ailments.
To practice this pose using a bolster:
We like to use either a pillow or a bolster underneath the knees. This will help keep the heart opener directly at the heart space rather than your lower back.
Place the oval bolster so your bra strap is in the center and inline with the bolster. Gents, you can line up your bolster just under the lower tip of the shoulder blades.
Keeping a block close by, clasp your hands behind your head whilst gently allowing the oval bolster to take your full weight.
Mindfully allow your throat to open as the head descends towards the floor. Allow your elbows to drop down towards the floor if you're comfortable or place the block underneath your head for support.
Depending on your body, you may be able to rest the arms out to the side.
Stay in this pose for 10 mindful and slow breaths, feeling into the melting of the shoulders, opening of the heart and the expansive and open aspect of the pose.
To come out of the pose, clasp your hands behind your head to support the neck and mindfully ease your way out before resting in savasana.
6 - Supported Savasana (Corpse Pose)
Savasana refers to the point at which we experience the feeling of completely letting go of the physical body. It allows you to find stillness and let your mind and body relax.
While you can perform savasana without a bolster, lying on the ground can be uncomfortable and disrupt your relaxation.
To practice this pose with a bolster:
Place the bolster under your knees and let your legs and feet relax. The toes drop to the side, and the hands face up, opening the space of the heart. This allows your body to open up and soften into the asana.
Using a yoga bolster during savasana can be especially effective if you suffer from back pain. It also helps to create a sense of grounding by encouraging the lower back to the floor.
By placing this prop under your knees, you can relax the muscles in your back and spine, which can help improve your overall comfort. You can find more tips for creating the Ultimate Savasana here.
Practicing With Compassion and Care
Please consult with your yoga teacher if you have any physical ailments or are pregnant.
When practicing with yoga props, the intention is to find a comfortable and relaxing edge. Practice with self-kindness and compassion, modify where necessary and use as many props as you need to relax.
A good gauge for this is the breath which should be calm and relaxed as you hold in each shape.
If your breath shortens or you are holding your breath, pull back a little bit, modify, prop up or change the shape.
What Is the Best Yoga Bolster for Your Practice?
To determine which bolster is best for you, consider the type of yoga you practice and where you are in your yoga journey.
At Calm Buddhi, we have a vast collection of yoga bolsters and accessories for different practices, including:
OVAL YOGA BOLSTERS
Oval yoga bolsters are the most stable and supportive bolsters, thanks to their oblong shape. They’re ideal for providing comfort and support for poses and asanas that gently open the chest.
They provide a moderate lift that’s perfect for restorative backbends and inverted postures.
Note:
Note: Our 6 creative ways to use bolsters have been put in sequence as you would practice for a longer restorative session. Other handy yoga and meditation accessories for your creative yoga session include the Ultimate Yoga Bundle which includes everything you need to get started, the Yoga blankets, Yoga straps, Oval Yoga Bolsters, and Round Yoga Bolsters. You can also check out our line of Travel Yoga Bolsters, perfect for the yogi on the go.
Discover Calm Buddhi
Calm Buddhi is a sustainable, artisanal yoga accessories store. Our goal is to provide you with beautifully designed yoga accessories that are steeped in tradition and that will help you fall deeper in love with your yoga and meditation practice.
All of our products are hand-printed and ethically sourced from artisanal communities in India, then assembled and delivered from our headquarters here in Melbourne, Australia.
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Angela Knight
Calm Buddhi Ma
Yoga, Meditation and Yoga Nidra Teacher