Yoga blocks have a reputation problem: a lot of people see them as training wheels, something you graduate away from once you’re “flexible enough.” In reality, experienced yoga teachers use blocks constantly — not because they can’t reach the floor, but because blocks let you build a pose with better alignment, which is the actual point of the pose in the first place.

The two ways to use a block

Blocks generally serve one of two purposes: bringing the floor closer to you, or adding height and support where your body needs it. Both are about improving alignment, not compensating for a lack of flexibility.

4 poses where blocks genuinely help

• Triangle pose (Trikonasana): Place a block outside your front foot and rest your lower hand on it instead of reaching for the floor or your shin. This keeps your torso long and your chest open instead of collapsing forward to reach further than your hamstrings allow.
• Half moon pose (Ardha Chandrasana): A block under your standing-side hand gives you a stable base to balance from, so you can focus on lifting through your top leg and opening your chest rather than wobbling.
• Supported bridge pose: Lift into bridge pose, then slide a block under your sacrum (the flat bone at the base of your spine, not your lower back) on its lowest height. This turns an active pose into a passive, restorative one.
• Seated forward folds: Sitting on the edge of a block tilts your pelvis slightly forward, which makes it easier to hinge from the hips with a long spine instead of rounding your back to reach your feet.

Foam, cork, or wood?

Foam blocks are lightest and most forgiving, which is useful for balance poses where you might need to adjust quickly. Cork blocks are heavier and more stable, which is often preferred for poses where you’re pressing into the block, like triangle pose. Either works well — the right choice usually comes down to feel.

Blocks help your alignment, but so does what you’re wearing while you use them. If your leggings ride up every time you fold forward or bend to reach a block, you’ll spend more time adjusting your clothes than your pose. Our leggings are cut to stay put through every range of motion, so the only thing you have to think about is your alignment.