15 Uses for Bolsters
I recently bought a bolster. Just a regular, cotton covered bolster with a very useful handle at one end. Having never used one until a couple of months ago, I now find this cylindrical lump of fibre to be an indispensable part of my life; yes, as in it’s useful in my everyday living, not just during my daily yoga practice.
There are so many uses for bolsters that go beyond the yoga mat, here are a few examples:
1. Replacement sofa. This is much better for your spine than a regular sofa. Either sit in a straddle or use it as a low level chair. Legs can be crossed in butterfly pose, straight or bent with feet flat on the ground.
2. A fantastic footrest. Perfect if, in the end, you decide to stick to the sofa.
3. Draught excluder. Place it under your door and keep cold weather at bay.
4. Stool. Step on it to reach for something off the top shelf.
5. Baby prop. Place the bolster under the baby’s armpits whilst they are laying on their bellies to help strengthen their arms, neck and back. They usually like the slightly raised perspective as well.
6. Tummy winder. I get my four-year-old to lay on it lengthways. With one hand on his sacrum, I gently roll him from side to side to ease a gassy tummy. He thinks it’s a lot of fun too.
7. Leg strengthener. Place it on top of your flexed feet whilst seated, and raise it up and down several times.
8. Balance challenger. Lay on it lengthways and try Locust or [Bow](/article/upward-bow-pose-or-full-wheel-pose-urdhva-dhanurasana pose). Feels a little different.
9. Situps spotter. Lay it over your feet as a weight while you do your situps.
10. Face plant protector. Place it in front of you when trying an arm balance. Makes for a softer landing if you fall.
11. Back rest. Place it vertically against a wall. I find walls to be cold against bare skin, so this is a nice solution for keeping the back upright. It also allows your shoulders to roll back, opening the chest up more.
12. Pillow. Self explanatory.
13. Pretend horse. A fun toy for your kids.
14. Pretend space rocket. Another fun and imaginative prop for your kids.
15. Replacement bed fellow. You can give it a good hug, and it doesn’t snore.
How do you use yours?
About the Author
Go Softly: The Benefits of Gentle Yoga
Gentle yoga, I think, is the true yoga. We jumped, we did a million planks and down dogs, and we stayed in a pose for five minutes. Now we have arrived at a place where we are learning to be gentle with our body.
In my early teaching days, most people who came to gentle yoga were pregnant women and seniors with injuries. Nowadays I see more and more young people stepping in, wanting to be gentle with their body.
Our body is a living vehicle that we have abused and misused, and it shows wear and tear and all the experiences we have gone through. Gentle yoga helps you realize that you should not take your body for granted. It’s a gift, a costume that allows us to express ourselves and experience this world. It’s the main character in your life’s movie, creating a connection with the stories that make you YOU!
We all know of yoga’s numerous benefits. In gentle yoga, you take time to feel your body move. Breath and movement are pathways to keep the organs healthy and joints lubricated. Mostly, gentle yoga helps you have a sound mind to dictate and nurture the cells in the body. We are made of energy, and gentle yoga makes you listen to your own words and slow your pace a little. What thoughts do you tell your body?
Here’s a sample of a gentle hatha yoga practice.
Gentle yoga is a bridge between moving in flow and staying stationary. It is a midway, where there is equilibrium and bliss in every pose.
You stay in a pose long enough to enjoy that you are not pushing yourself. The body gets rid of toxins naturally. You sweat in a few poses and not at all in others, but the feeling of bliss is constant. Gentle yoga equally strengthens and stretches, increasing flexibility and repairing muscles that are in need of love. There is no hurry to finish a sequence. It’s all about relaxing and allowing yourself and your body to have as much relaxation as you want.
Gentle yoga keeps the atmosphere free of competition and comparison. There is no frustration of not doing a pose, no agitation of holding a pose. We all work within that unity to strengthen groups of muscles together. So the energy of the class is generally happy and calm.
I am very happy to see people take their time during the savasana. Everyone has to return to their own stories sooner or later, but surrendering to the body and waiting for the body to prepare to move is what gentle yoga helps with.
Most importantly, people are becoming aware of their body and how it works individually. And seeing them return for more every week is rewarding.
