Rest Better with Added Weight
We're all about encouraging rest around here. And for many people - weight is a really helpful tool in maximizing rest. We have lots of options to add weight to your body in poses and during regular daily activities.
How to Rest with Weight
Every body is unique and will benefit in a variety of ways from the different types of weighted props we offer here at Love My Mat. Below I look at some of our favourite ways to use Sandbags and Weighted Props in your practice.
How to Use 10Lbs Sandbags for Yoga
These sandbags are heavenly. They are a good size with lots of room to move the sand around and form it to your body. They have a handy carry handle and are covered in beautiful, upcycled fabrics. Love My Mat's Sandbags come pre-filled with sand and sealed to reduce messy leaks.
Some of our favourite restorative yoga poses that encourage rest with a 10Lbs sandbag are Childs Pose, Legs Up The Wall and Revolved Belly Twist.
Childs Pose - drape the sandbag over your low back/pelvis area to release tension from the back & hips.
Legs Up The Wall - put the sandbag on your feet to ground you further into the floor.
Revolved Belly Twist - place the sandbag on your top tight/hip in this twist to ground the hip and help you twist a little deeper.
How to Use 5Lbs Sandbags for Yoga
If 10 pounds of weight is a little too much for you in some yoga poses, you might want to try our smaller, 5Lbs sandbags. They have all the features of a 10Lbs sandbag - just smaller! A handle, room to move the sand around, sealed inner liner to prevent leakage and pretty fabrics made super sustainably from our upcycled fabric scraps.
Yoga Poses we like with 5Lbs sandbags include Reclined Butterfly Pose and Supported Savasana.
Reclined Butterfly Pose - place one 5Lbs sandbags on each of your inner thighs, just above the knees to gently open the hips.
Supported Savasana - Place a 5Lbs sandbag on your lower belly to be aware of the breath moving in and out of the belly.
How to Use 2.5Lbs Hand Weights for Yoga
Even less weight, these 2.5 pound sandbags were specifically designed to fit in your hands. Made with a washable, removable cover from upcycled fabric scraps and a sealed inner liner to reduce messy leaks.
We love these small sandbags on our hands in a variety of poses. They're also great to place on your shoulders, feet, head or thighs in poses like Savasana, 30 Degree Angle Pose and Seated Meditation.
Savasana - drape a hand weight on each shoulder. Or put one on your forehead to bring your attention to your third eye.
30 Degree Angle Pose - place a hand weight on each hand to soften them.
Seated Meditation - place a hand weight on each hand or your thighs to keep you present.
How to Use a Therapy Bag for Yoga
Therapy Bags can be heated, cooled or used at room temperature as added weight. Filled with wheat berries and covered in washable, upcycled fabric these weighted bags are easy to use in an assortment of ways.
Restorative yoga poses that you'll benefit from even more with an added Therapy Bag include Crocodile Pose, Half Frog Pose and Supported Bridge Pose. Read below for how it helps!
Crocodile Pose - heat it up and place the therapy bag along your spine or on your low back to warm and soften you.
Half Frog Pose - drape the therapy bag along your spine.
Supported Bridge Pose - fold the therapy bag in half and place it on your low belly to help you sink into the block below your pelvis.
How to Use a Mini Weighted Blanket for Yoga
Our Mini Weighted Blankets are made the same way as our Therapy Bags, only larger and heavier at approximately 7 pounds each. Sewn in lots of separate compartments so the wheat berries stay evenly weighted on your body.
Weighted Blankets are a staff favourite as a lap blanket when reading. But for a grounding yoga practice we use them in Savasana, Bananasana and Sphinx Pose.
Savasana - drape the blanket over your upper body to cover your chest and arms.
Bananasana - place the weighted blanket on the upper thigh of the top leg to ground your hip as your reach your arms & legs away from it.
Sphinx Pose - place weighted blanket on your bum to keep the pelvis planted as you extend your chest.
And that's how your body can benefit from rest when you add weighted props to your yoga practice.
Phew... that was a lot of info. Now I'm going to rest in Legs Up The Wall with a 10Lbs Sandbag on my feet, Weighted Blanket on my chest, 5Lbs Sandbags on each hand, a Hand Weight on my forehead and Therapy Bag on my belly.
Wishing you love and rest as always,
xo Shelley
