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3 Ways to Use Yoga Straps

August 18, 2022 2 min read

Any yoga practitioner can benefit from a little extra help to deepen a stretch or to correct alignment. Whether it’s learning exactly how wide to open your arms or supporting your legs in a stretch, yoga straps can be your best allies.

Deepen leg stretches

Any pose in the hand/head to knee/toe family will benefit from a little assistance if your legs are tight. Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Big Toe), Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Fold), Janu Sirsasana (Head to Knee Forward Bend), and Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose) can be more accessible if you simply place a strap around your foot and pull gently.

Whenever you do this, prioritize straightening your leg even if you are unable to increase the angle of your stretch. Make sure your foot is in flex and tighten the leg you’re stretching instead of putting extra pressure on your hands by pulling tight.

Correcting shoulder-width hand placements

Chaturanga is almost impossible to do unless you open your arms exactly shoulder width apart. It sounds simple, but it’s not always easy to tell if you are doing it right.

Take a strap and tie a loop. Use it to measure the distance between your shoulders and adjust it accordingly. Next, put your arms through the loop, just above your elbows. Go to plank and lower yourself to Chaturanga. Can you feel how the strap holds your weight and emphasizes the position of your arms?

Improve your balance poses

Two great examples of how to use a strap to access more complex poses are Boat Pose and Crow Pose.

For Boat Pose, take a long strap and make a long loop. Sit in Dandasana and put the loop around your upper back, just under your armpits. Lean forward and put the other end around the soles of your feet. Adjust the size of the loop so that it’s taut. Slowly lean back, keeping your back straight, engaging your core and activating your legs. Try to get into a “V” shape and extend your arms parallel to your legs.

For Crow Pose, use the straps in the same way you learned to use it for Chaturanga (strap just above the elbow, shoulder-width apart). Slowly and carefully enter the pose, and enjoy!