Props and Modifications
Downward facing Dog, hands on a chair
When I broke my foot several years ago, I had to modify my yoga practice. Because I had a special boot on my foot, I could not step my foot up between my hands from Downward Facing Dog. I had to elevate my hands high enough so that I had enough clearance to swing my foot through without hitting the ground. I used a chair to support my hands. It worked like a charm. I could still participate in class and not just hang out in Child’s Pose. Check out this video here.
If you practice yoga long enough, you eventually will run into a situation where you might be injured or somewhat incapacitated in some way that makes a prop-less yoga practice impossible. Immediately after I broke my foot, I couldn’t and didn’t want to practice – except for restorative poses and Pranayama exercises. But after a little while, I felt like I wanted to practice and so I had to figure out a way to do it. Because I have always practiced with props, it wasn’t that hard to figure it out.
I’m at the age where a lot of my friends and students are having hip replacements. At some point they want to come back to yoga practice but they can’t step their foot up between their hands, yet. Using a chair is one way to help them ease back into their yoga practice.
If you are injured or recovering, give it a try and let me know what you think. If you’re healthy and able bodied, keep it in the back of your mind for a rainy day. If you know someone who might benefit from this modified practice, pass it along. Let me know what you think in the comments below.