Date Updated: March 27, 2019
What is a Yoga Blanket?
A yoga blanket is an excellent prop with many benefits. They are usually made of wool and have beautiful colors and patterns.
It’s thicker, bulkier and sturdier than a typical throw blanket making it easier to get comfortable during difficult floor poses or to use as a weighted blanket in savasana.
Popular yoga blanket choices are Mexican and Navajo inspired blankets due to their durability and high-quality construction.
How is a Yoga Blanket Different From a Normal Blanket?
A normal blanket like a throw or knit blanket is great for relaxing at home, but they are not ideal for yoga practice.
Like other yoga props, a blanket specifically made for yoga practice should be sturdy to hold up body weight and durable to endure regular exercise and being stepped on.
Most yoga blankets on the market are made with tightly woven cotton, wool, or a mix of polyester and acrylic materials to provide firm support.
Sometimes you may find that the blankets are woven with recycled wool making the blankets plush and soft to the touch, great to cover yourself during savasana or meditation.
They also come in various thicknesses so you can choose the one that is best for you.
The Best Yoga Blanket
We have many of these blankets at our home. We use them for yoga and just as seats when a lot of guests come over to have a kick back with us.
They are comfortable & soft as well as durable. We’ve had them for over 5 years and they are still as robust as the day we bought them.
[amazon box=”B000MPC5WO” title=”YogaAccessories Extra Heavy Recycled Mexican Blanket in Various Colors”]
- Item Weight: 5 pounds
- Material: 100% recycled fibers
- Heavy duty for extra padding
- Oversized for extra support & comfort
- 80” long by 62” wide
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Benefits of Using a Yoga Blanket
A yoga blanket is one of our favorite yoga props to use because of its versatility and sturdiness. We feel it is just as important as a yoga mat!
Here are the reasons to consider grabbing a blanket during your next yoga practice.
Additional Cushion and Support
Floor Poses: When you’re getting into floor poses that you will hold for an extended period of time, a blanket can be used as a seated cushion or something to prop up your body with.
Cushion boney feet & tight knees: Having boney feet or tight knees is common, so consider tucking a blanket between your thigh and calf for knee support or tucking it under your feet when sitting on the heels.
Cushion and lift for inversions: Inversions can put a lot of pressure on your spine, shoulders, and head, so use a blanket as padding to lessen the strain.
Alternative to Other Yoga Props
Use instead of a meditation cushion: Sometimes we don’t have meditation cushions available, so rolling a blanket is a quick and reliable alternative.
I like this method because it gives a soft cushion for your tailbone and the fringes is a nice cushion for the top of your feet. This means you can sit in meditation a bit longer with less pain to distract you.
Yoga Blanket Encourages Relaxation and Comfort
Restorative Poses: During restorative yoga classes you may get into poses that require you to twist and hold your arms and legs for a long time, so a yoga blanket helps keep your body steady and sustained during the practice.
Savasana: When laying on your back in savasana at the end of class, the weight of a high-quality yoga blanket can bring you more comfort and even some warmth during those cold winter classes!
You can also tuck the blanket under your knees to provide some lift for the legs which can help release lower back tensions.
How to Use a Yoga Blanket
Yoga blankets are primarily used to support the knees and back, but there are many different ways to a yoga blanket.
Use Yoga Blankets as a Prop
During some yoga poses it may be painful to keep your legs straight, so you can use the blanket to prop your knees up or even your chest.
Use a Yoga Blanket to Improve Meditation Posture
To sit up for an extended period of time in lotus meditation posture, you will need to keep your hips higher than your knees. By rolling up the yoga blanket, you now have a comfortable meditation seat.
Also, you can use the blanket in Savasana which you can see in the picture above with Amanda lying on her back and the blanket under her knees. You can also lay the blanket on your body for some weight or warmth.
Yoga Blankets For Alignment
When you get down into the pigeon pose, your hip that is on the tucked leg can start to come down and throw off your balance.
Try this: Tuck a blanket under that hip for added support which will allow your hips to slowly release instead one big drop. This is especially helpful during a yin yoga class where you will hold the poses for 2-5 minutes each!
Get Extra Cushion for Your Sensitive Joints
If you have arthritis in your knees, wrists or hands, then you can use the blanket as an additional cushion during floor yoga poses.
Simply spread the blanket out so that you can kneel on it, or even lay back on it to comfort your spine and head.
How to Fold a Yoga Blanket
There are many ways to fold your blanket to optimize your personal comfort.
For meditation, I like to fold it down a few times, then roll it up for added cushion and a higher lift for my hips above my knees.
For restorative yoga poses, there are many different configurations that work for various poses, so do what works best for each yoga pose you get into.
Compare Yoga Blankets
[amazon table=”2331″]
