Props help beginner yoga students hold poses they are not flexible enough yet to do. A tie works as a prop as well as the yoga straps that you will find in a yoga studio. Grabbing a tie instead of touching hands allows for less range of motion in the shoulders, and lets a yoga practitioner adjust over time to get hands closer together as shoulder flexibility increases through practice.
Shoulder Stretches
Shoulder stretches can work on shoulder and upper back tension. This exercise is typically done in hero pose, but you can stand up straight instead. To do the exercise in hero pose, sit in a kneeling position on the floor with your buttocks resting on your heels. Grab the tie with your hands shoulders-width apart, your wrists neutral and your palms facing the floor. Hold the tie in front of you at chest level. Then, raise your arms above you and inhale through your nose. Exhale through your nose as you lower your arms behind you. Repeat as many times as you wish. If you cannot keep your arms straight and feel like you want to bend your elbows, hold your hands farther apart on the tie.
Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi, I
This is a forward bend yoga posture that stretches your shoulders and spine. Sit on the floor in staff pose with your legs straight and together in front of you and your toes pointed toward the ceiling. Bend your left knee and put your foot on the floor next to your right thigh. Then, hinge forward from the waist until your forehead touches your right shin. Hold the tie in your left hand and wrap your left arm around your left leg and then extend your arm behind you. Grab the other end of the band with your right hand so that both arms are behind your lower back. Pull your shoulders back and remain in the pose for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Full Boat Pose
Full boat pose is a challenging core exercise that can be made doable by beginners with the use of a tie. Sit on the floor with your knees bent. Lift your feet up and wrap the tie around the soles of your feet. Lean back with a straight spine and extend your legs straight at a 45- to 50-degree angle to the floor. Pull your shoulders back and adjust your hold on the tie to take up any slack. Stay in this pose for 10 to 60 seconds.
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