12 At-Home Yoga Props You Should Be Using

You finally made the time and floor space to unroll your mat at home so you could practice along with that YouTube video you bookmarked weeks ago. But then, through your laptop, the instructor says the words that extinguish any initial flickers of relaxation: “Grab a couple blocks.” Or maybe “Use a strap.”

Although you’ve been practicing yoga for years, you don’t have any at-home yoga props.

Yes, you could use a stack of books or a towel in place of blocks or a strap. But getting up breaks the yoga bubble you’ve worked so hard to create. Not to mention it almost guarantees you’ll get distracted by anything from the ping of your laptop to the sound of an ice cream truck and forget to return to the mat.

In moments like this, there are probably a dozen or more items within arm’s reach that could double as supportive yoga props—you just haven’t noticed their practice-saving potential. Yet.

12 Random At-Home Yoga Props You Should Be Using

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and those of us on staff at Yoga Journal  constantly find that to be true. Here are the not-so-obvious, at-home yoga props we’ve reached for in desperate moments—only to find ourselves using them again and again.

1. Grocery Bags 

Whether reusable or plastic, shopping bags can easily ake the place of a strap or belt. Roll one into a rope-like shape to wrap around your shin in a knee-to-chest stretch. Or literally stick your foot into the bag and hold onto the straps during a hamstring stretch.

2. Sports Bra

An excellent sub for a strap or belt, a bra that you’re planning to retire (with worn-out elastic) works great.

3. Backpack

Purses, pieces of luggage, and backpacks are seriously underrated at-home yoga props. Place one under the hip of your bent leg in Pigeon or beneath each of your knees in Bound Angle Pose. When using backpacks or bags in symmetrical poses, just be sure they’re approximately the same size so you’re more balanced on each side.

4. Kitchen Table 

Ever rest your entire upper body on a sturdy kitchen table in Standing Forward Bend? If not, you’re missing out. It allows for a less-intense stretch—plus, you’ll earn a new appreciation for your furniture.

5. Dirty Laundry

Sounds gross but hear us out! That pile of clothes you discarded on the floor starts to look really useful when you want to keep your knees bent in Wide-Legged Forward Bend. Simply shove as many articles of clothing as you need into spaces where you need support.

6. Books

A common option you’ll hear yoga teachers recommend in lieu of blocks are books, whether  individual or stacked. One Reddit user mentions they zip-tie their stacks of books to keep them in place while they practice.

7. Sweatshirt 

Think of a sweatshirt as a foldable cushion to sit on, a bolster to use as support, or a strap to lengthen your reach. Sweatpants work the same!

8. Water Bottle 

A sturdy water bottle can stand in for a block when you need a little height, such as in Warrior 3 or Half Moon).  A clunky Stanley or similar stainless steel bottle might be extra sturdy. And if it topples, at least you’re the only one who will be subjected to hearing it clang against the floor.

9. Cushions or Pillows

Toss a couch cushion or bed pillow on the floor when attempting Crow Pose if you don’t have a block to place beneath your forehead. You can also rely on it as a makeshift bolster underneath your body in Reclining Bound Angle Pose.

10. Sturdy Cardboard Box

Setting up for a restorative pose? Prop a cushion or bolster against that perfectly good box you couldn’t bear to toss. Or use it as a block in any pose.

11. Coffee Table 

Come into a version of Legs Up the Wall with your knees bent and your calves resting on a coffee table. (An ottoman also works well!) It’s super supportive and restorative for your lower back.

12. A Cuddly Dog

Some dogs love lying on yoga mats, simply will not budge no matter what you do, and willingly act as a bolster underneath your knees in Savasana. Other doggos, not so much. It’s up to the pup.