Your Yogi Note: The Essentials Of Yoga - And Why Props Are For Everyone

Your weekly dose of yoga wisdom & real talk

Hey lovely,

A while back, a student suggested a topic for my Yogi Notes, and I've finally gotten around to answering this question: what are the essentials of yoga, and do you actually need props?

It’s a wonderfully honest question, and it’s the kind we don’t ask often enough. After all the philosophy, the Sanskrit, the science and the sound baths, what is the heart of this thing? If you stripped it back to the bare bones, what would you keep? And if you’re new, or returning after a long break, or you’ve been coming for years and have always wondered whether that bolster is a bit of a cheat, what is all this equipment actually for and do I need it?

FIRST, WHAT DOES YOGA ACTUALLY MEAN?

The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning to yoke, to join, to unite. Body with breath. Attention with the present moment. The part of us that’s busy with the part of us that’s still. It was never really about touching your toes. It’s about the union. Mind, body, soul.

And when we boil practice down to its essentials, three things keep appearing again and again: prana, practice and postures. Add a fourth, the props that support all three, and you have a pretty complete picture of what happens in a class at The Yoga Pantry.

PRANA - Breath and life force: The thread that runs through everything. Without it, a pose is just a stretch.

PRACTICE - Abhyasa and sadhana: Showing up, again and again. This is where the change actually happens.

POSTURES - Asana: The shapes we make, and the quality of attention we bring to them.

ESSENTIAL ONE: PRANA

If you’ve been reading along, you’ll know we’ve already spent a whole issue on prana, the life force that moves through the body and rises with the seasons. Here’s the short version for the essentials: the breath is what turns movement into yoga.

You can do the same shape with a held breath and a clenched jaw, or with a slow, steady breath and a soft face. Only one of those is yoga. A simple test that works in every pose: if you can’t breathe smoothly, you’ve gone further than you need to. Back off a little, and let the breath set the limit. (If you’d like to go deeper, revisit our Prana issue and our Kumbhaka issue on the breath pause.)

ESSENTIAL TWO: PRACTICE

Patanjali, the sage who gathered yoga’s teachings into the Yoga Sutras, says the mind becomes steady through two partners: abhyasa, steady and sustained practice, and vairagya, the ability to let go of the outcome. Practice without attachment. Keep turning up, and stop grading yourself on it.

That’s a lovely reminder for anyone who has ever felt they “weren’t flexible enough” to do yoga. Flexibility isn’t a prerequisite. It’s one of the things that might change, slowly, as a side effect. The essential is the returning. (Our last Yogi Note, The Power of Ritual, is all about this, if you need a nudge back to the mat.)

ESSENTIAL THREE: POSTURES

Here’s something that surprises a lot of people: in the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali says remarkably little about postures. Asana is just one of eight limbs of yoga, and the entire instruction fits in a few words: the posture should be sthira (steady, stable) and sukha (comfortable, at ease).

That’s it. No ideal shape, no correct depth, no photo-worthy version. Steady and easy. Which means every pose, from the simplest to the most demanding, is really asking the same two questions: can I stay with this? And can I do it without fighting myself?

THE PRINCIPLES BEHIND EVERY POSE

• Let the breath lead. Move on an exhale or inhale, and use the breath as your guide to how far to go.
• Find effort and ease together. Enough effort to be awake in the pose, enough ease that you could stay.
• Tell intensity from pain. A stretch, a warmth, a working muscle are information. Sharp, pinching, electric or joint pain means back out and adjust.
• Your version is the real version. There is no ideal shape to copy. The right pose is the one your body, today, can do with a steady breath.

THE MAIN FAMILIES OF POSTURES

With those principles in your pocket, here’s a quick tour. Each family asks something different of you, and offers something different back.

STANDING POSES - Grounding and strengthening. Building strength in the legs, stability through the feet, and a sense of being rooted. These tend to wake us up and build heat.

SEATED POSES AND FORWARD FOLDS - Calming and turning inward. Folding forward tends to quieten the mind and invite the exhale. Often the first place we meet our tight hamstrings and tight hips.

BACKBENDS - Opening and energising. Opening the front of the body, chest and heart. Brightening, uplifting, and best entered gradually.

TWISTS - Wringing and releasing. Gentle rotation through the spine, often described as a reset for the body and a way to ease tension through the back.

INVERSIONS - Shifting perspective. Anything that brings the head below the heart, from a gentle legs-up-the-wall to more advanced poses. Entirely optional, and never a measure of how good you are at yoga.

RESTORATIVE POSES - Resting and recovering. Fully supported shapes held for a while, so the nervous system can finally let go. Often where the deepest change happens, and where props really shine.

SO, DO YOU NEED PROPS?

Here’s the honest answer: no, you don’t strictly need them, and yes, they’ll almost always help. You can practise yoga with nothing but your own body and a patch of floor. People have for thousands of years.

But the idea that props are a crutch, or something for beginners, or a sign you’re “not there yet”, is one of the most persistent myths in yoga. Props are not a lesser version of the pose. They’re a more intelligent one.

MYTH 1: “Props are for beginners.” Some of the most experienced teachers in the world use props every day. The great teacher B.K.S. Iyengar is widely credited with bringing props into mainstream yoga precisely so that people of every body and every level could experience a pose’s benefits. Props don’t lower the bar. They widen the door.

MYTH 2: “If I need a prop, I’m doing it wrong.” Remember sthira sukha: steady and at ease. If a block under your hand lets you keep your spine long and your breath smooth, that is the pose done well. If you’re collapsing, gripping or holding your breath without it, the prop is what gets you back to what the pose was asking for.

MYTH 3: “Props make it too easy.” Sometimes they make it harder, in the best way. A block between the thighs wakes up the inner legs. A strap in a reaching pose makes you work the shoulders properly. Props don’t make a pose easier or harder. They make it more accurate.

YOUR PROPS, AND WHAT THEY’RE FOR

THE MAT: Grip and cushioning. It marks out your space and stops your hands and feet from sliding so you can stay steady.

BLOCKS: They bring the floor closer. Under your hands in a forward fold or standing pose, or under your hips or back for support.

STRAPS: They extend your reach so you can keep a long spine and relaxed shoulders, instead of rounding and straining to get there.

BLANKETS: Fold one under your hips to sit tall, under your knees for comfort, or over you in rest. Endlessly versatile.

BOLSTERS: The ultimate supporter. Under your back, under your knees, under your chest in a fold. Bolsters let the body be held, which is exactly the signal the nervous system needs to switch from effort to rest. This is where restorative yoga lives.

AT THE YOGA PANTRY

Everything is here, and it’s here for you.

We provide all the props: mats, bolsters, blankets, blocks and straps, whether you’re in the studio or joining us on Zoom (it’s worth gathering a few cushions, a folded towel and a belt from home). You never need to bring anything or buy anything. And if you ever hear me cue a prop and think “that’s for someone else”, it isn’t. It’s for you, exactly as you are today.

A LITTLE ESSENTIALS PRACTICE FOR THIS WEEK

Here’s a gentle ten-minute practice that brings all four essentials together. Gather a blanket, two blocks and a bolster or a couple of firm cushions.

THE ESSENTIALS PRACTICE about 10 minutes

1. ARRIVE WITH THE BREATH. Sit on a folded blanket or bolster, so your hips are higher than your knees. You can even place a block under each knee for added support. Take five slow breaths (in and out through the nose), letting each exhale be a little longer than the inhale. That’s prana.
2. TABLE TOP POSITION. On all fours, stack hips over knees and shoulders over wrists; use a blanket under the knees for added comfort. Gently undulate the spine, rolling up and down and bending to each side in any way that feels nice; move the neck around too. Take your time; 5 to 10 breaths should do it.
3. SEATED TWIST. Sit tall on your blanket and turn gently to one side, one hand behind you on a block. Breathe for five rounds, then change sides.
4. SUPPORTED BRIDGE. Lie on your back, knees bent, and lift your hips. Slide a block or bolster under the sacrum, the flat bony part at the base of your spine, and let the weight go. Stay for a minute or two.
5. REST, FULLY HELD. Lie back with the bolster under your knees and a blanket over you. Close your eyes for three minutes or longer. Notice steadiness and comfort. That’s the whole practice.

A gentle note: if you’re pregnant, recovering from an injury or surgery, or have a health condition, check in with your teacher before trying anything new. We’d love to show you how props can adapt each of these for you in class.

THE ESSENTIALS, IN A NUTSHELL:

• Prana: let the breath lead, and if you can’t breathe smoothly, ease off
• Practice: show up often and lightly, and let go of the scorecard
• Postures: steady and at ease, in your version of the pose
• Props: tools for every body and every level, not a sign of anything except good sense
• The point of all of it is the joining, which is what yoga means

So to the student who asked: thank you. The essentials turn out to be simpler than we make them. Breathe, return, find steadiness and ease, and let yourself be supported. Everything else is detail.

I’ll see you on the mat, bolsters, blocks and blankets in hand. 😉

What's Happening In The Pantry 🧘‍♀️

On the subject of prop use, have you tried our Yin class with Kat at 7.15 pm on Tuesday nights, a perfect evening of delectable yoga, especially if you couple it with the Hatha Free Flow class beforehand :)

Return To Self: A Mini Retreat (one-off special, so don't miss out)

Join Karryn on the 15th of November for a blissful afternoon of self-care, the perfect way to refresh yourself for summer.

This 2.5-hour mini urban retreat is all about the feel-good stretches, physically and mentally, that will help you connect with your inner peaceful nature and feel more grounded and calm in body and mind. Designed as a mini-retreat, the afternoon session will include an opening circle, breathwork, slow flow yoga (suitable for all levels), journaling (for some introspection and to challenge intrusive thoughts) and a soothing yoga nidra (yogic sleep) practice, leaving you feeling refreshed and centred.

No need to bring anything, just yourself; we will provide the rest. You will also receive a journal and pen to jot down your thoughts and experiences. This will be a small, intimate group, celebrating you and weaving together a beautiful little community of like-minded souls.

Spaces are extremely limited, and it's already 50% sold!!!

​BOOK NOW to secure your spot on Sunday, November 15

3:00 PM - 5:30 PM

DO IT!!!! I dare ya 😉😁🎉

Did you miss out on our Melt and Restore Workshop in September?

Well, you are in luck my friend, because it's back, only a little different, so if you were the lucky few who participated last time, you get to experience a whole new level of awesome!

Back by popular demand, Melt, Release And Restore Take 2 is happening on the 6th of December, just a few weeks before Christmas, and exactly what you need to survive the holiday madness!

Join Tash for a unique workshop on releasing your tight connective tissues and long-held tensions using 3 balls a sock and a block😁 This was a huge success last time we ran it, so to unwind all the kinks, stress and tension that you may have nurtured in the lead-up to Christmas, we thought we'd squeeze in one last workshop to help you feel amazing again.

Your body holds onto more than you realise. Every long day at a desk, every tough workout, every moment of stress, it all accumulates somewhere in the body. In the muscles, the fascia, the joints. And over time, that stored tension starts to feel like just... the way you are.

This workshop is an invitation to let it go. In this 2-hour workshop, we combine two deeply complementary practices to help your body release tension from the inside out leaving you lighter, freer, and more at ease than you've felt in a long time.

FIRST: RELEASE - Using tennis balls, we'll gently work through the body's connective tissue, the fascia, to soften areas of held tension. This isn't about pain or pressure; it's about using targeted, mindful rolling to hydrate the tissue, ease restriction, and create a felt sense of release that no amount of stretching alone can achieve. Your neck, shoulders, back, hips and feet will thank you.

THEN: RESTORE - With the body now open and receptive, we move into a short but deeply supported restorative yoga practice. Using bolsters and blocks, you'll be guided into a series of held, effortless poses designed to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, your body's built-in rest and repair mode. This is where the real magic happens: deep rest, nervous system reset, and a profound sense of ease.

Suitable for all bodies and fitness levels, no experience needed.

A rare two hours of being completely looked after

Sunday, December 6, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

​Book Your Spot Today!​

Head here to book all your regular yoga classes and maybe even try some new ones!

Remember, you can join us online from anywhere in the world, live or at a time that suits you, with our instant 14-day on-demand Zoom recording!

Don't forget you can also join us for a FREE meditation session every Saturday morning, and even if you can't, you can book in via Zoom and do the meditation later in the day, or every day, until the next session :)

Your YouTube Class Of The Week...

Here's a little challenging class using two Yoga Blocks; see, it's not just to make things easier 😁

Feel free to share these vids far and wide because sharing is caring, and it helps me with the algorithm :D

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With so much love, and a blanket folded just for you 🌿

Tash & The Yoga Pantry Team

See you on the mat 😻

P.S If you wish to receive these amazing Yogi Notes straight to your inbox, sign up HERE​

You can also catch up on previous Yogi Notes right HERE​

P.P.S Don’t forget to share your Yoga insights on social media with the hashtag #TheYogaPantryLife #Yogaislife #theyogapantrywithtash

Let’s spread the yoga love far and wide!

I see you, and I appreciate you. You are awesome...and don't you forget it ;) x