When yoga was developed some 5,000 years ago as a system by which to achieve physical and mental excellence, it was an austere discipline. Ever since, and especially in the last 150 years, yoga has grown beyond its bounds to become an adaptable practice engineered to address every bodily concern. Modern yoga, thanks in part to B.K.S Iyengar, who introduced props into the practice of Hatha yoga, allows the practitioner to choose whether to train with or without the support of bolsters, yoga blocks, chairs or walls. Bolster poses in yoga allow you relax into a pose if you're a beginner or if you're not feeling up to a demanding session.
Half Frog Pose
Lie on your stomach on your yoga mat. Using your hands, press down into the floor and raise your upper torso off the floor. Slide a bolster underneath your lower ribs. Bend your left knee and support yourself with your right hand on the floor in front of you. Reach back with your left hand and grasp your left foot. Slowly pull your left foot toward your left buttock. Touch your foot to your buttock and if you feel you can go deeper into the stretch without hurting your knee, pull the left foot slightly ahead of the buttock and toward the floor. Adjust your shoulders so they're squared with the front of your mat. Spend up to two minutes in Half Frog pose and then switch sides.
Bridge Pose
Lie on your back on the floor or a yoga mat. Bend your knees and slide your feet toward your buttocks, placing them hip-width apart. Press into the floor with your heels and lift your torso off the floor, leaving only your feet, shoulders and head on the floor. Slide a bolster underneath your elevated lower back. Rest your arms by your sides and pull your chin toward your chest. Keep pressing into the floor with your heels as you maintain the lift through your torso. Breathe slowly and evenly and rest in Bridge pose for up to five minutes.
Reclined Bound Angle Pose
Come to a seated position on the floor. With your legs in an outstretched position, turn your feet outward and then bring the soles of your feet together. Slide your joined feet toward your pelvis stopping when they are about a foot away. Place a bolster under each of your knees. Lie back onto the floor, angling your tailbone down toward your feet and then slip a bolster under the back of your neck. Alternatively, maneuver the bolster lengthwise and let it support you from lower spine to head. Spend up to five minutes relaxing into Reclined Bound Angle pose.
Corpse Pose
Lie on the floor with your legs outstretched and your arms by your side. Angle your tailbone under and wiggle your hips down toward your feet to achieve a maximum stretch of your lower torso and legs. Slide a bolster lengthwise under your back, and if you're tall, another one under your head. Stretch your upper torso away from your waist and your head away from your shoulders. Turn your palms up and then, beginning with your feet and ending with the crown of your head, relax your body completely. Breathe deeply from your diaphragm and stay in Corpse pose for as long as you need.
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