The long and short of a great assistant.
Belts are excellent 'assistants' in yoga. They allow parts of the body to reach each another, even though physically they may not contact!
Beginners will inevitably find that their flexibility is restricted and thus, in order to enable the posture to be maintained, even in modified form, belts bridge the gap.
Examples of where belts are handy are:
* In the Sitting Forward bend (Paschimottasana). Unable to get the hands to meet the feet or even any way down the leg, the student can use a belt looped over the feet and held in each hand to assist the body toward the full position.
* In the Cow posture (Gomukhasana) - here it is often difficult for the hands to join at the back and a connecting belt allows the work in the posture to proceed with total support.
* Another excellent use for belts is to bring the shoulders together in parallel whilst in the Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana). This allows for a sturdy, solid and safe support when used alongside several Yoga Buddies
N.B.It is most important that you get proper direction from a qualified teacher when using yoga aids. Not only will you get the most benefit from them but you will find you won't end up hanging from the ceiling, tied up like a Christmas parcel or any other antic you may find yourself getting into!
Select your belts here