For the love of Yoga Props
We were so spoiled at Raw. The prop shelf was truly something out of a yoga studio dream.
Big ups to our friend Thomas Swarts (emver.co.nz), who made this on the fly — absolute legend!
As I transition into a more nomadic life of teaching — moving between spaces and teaching online — I find myself surrounded by fewer props. It’s quite a shift.
Yoga props are something I’ve known and loved for years. My initial 500RYT training used copious amounts of them — purpose-built chairs, benches, wedges, wall bars, ropes, blocks in every size. The list could go on. Those tools taught me precision, alignment, and creativity. It’s fair to say that yoga props hold a special place in my heart, and what was created at Raw 2.0 was truly something special.
And yet — we don’t need a mountain of props to have a deep, rewarding, or nourishing yoga experience. Yes, props can open up whole new dimensions of support, comfort, and adaptability for different bodies and needs. But I’ve come to see that this is as much about mindset as it is about equipment.
Offering ourselves more grace and understanding in our practice can be the very same gift a prop provides. Learning when to pull back, when to soften, and when to lean in — that’s the essence of embodied self-awareness.
The truth is, this awareness becomes its own inner prop.
It’s the self-knowledge that tells us when to regress in postures, to create space for the body to truly integrate and progress over time.
So while I may be leaving behind shelves of beautiful props, what I carry with me is the deeper knowing they taught me:
that support can come from outside or from within — and the practice is learning to listen for which one we need.
While Raw/Hōm may no longer have a physical home, the heart of this community continues. You’ll still find me teaching, sharing, and moving — in new spaces, online, and my wee home office space. Thank you for being part of this journey and for reminding me, always, that the real prop is the support we offer each other.
