Back in the Studio!

As of July 1, I am teaching again in studio at The Corner Studio Yoga in Medford, MA. It’s been over a year since I left the studio due to COVID-19, so I’m excited to return. I’ll be teaching a 60-minute Yin/Restorative class in person and livestreamed from the studio. Masks are optional for anyone who has been fully-vaccinated. If you’re interested, please sign up at the Corner Studio’s website.

How to Loop a Yoga Strap

Have you ever been in a class where a strap was used, and you didn’t know to loop it? Embarrassing, isn’t it? Even more so is when the teacher demonstrates to the class how to loop a strap, and everyone seems to get it… except you. Well today we’re going to fix that!

No Yoga Strap? No Problem!

Many of the classes I teach involve the use of a strap or a belt. While they’re easy to buy, sometimes you don’t have an “official” yoga strap handy. Maybe you have a rope or a belt or something similar. This works for something you grip with both hands, but what if you want to tie a loop into it – and be able to untie it when you’re done? This calls for a noose knot. My plan had been to add photos and a video of tying a noose knot, but the folks at AnimatedKnots.com did a better job than I would, so I’ll link to them instead: How to tie a Noose Knot using Step-by-Step Animations

How to Hold Your Foot in a Strap With Minimal Effort

I like to use a strap in leg extensions, especially in long-held Yin poses. The problem? Holding the strap gets tiring! Looping it around the fingers can hurt after a while, and even if you hold it around the meaty part of the hand, it still takes some muscle power.
The solution? Loop the strap around both wrists so that it holds itself in place. Start by making a loop.

Take the bottom of the loop and lift it toward its center so as to make two smaller loops toward the bottom.

Slide your hands through the small loops.

Grasping the strap, loop it over your foot, so that your hands rest lightly on the strap and are held in place by it.

Recline, extend, and relax!
Here’s a video where I walk through the process.