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february/march 2019yogajournal.com.auDECADES AGO, KEVIN GARDINER, one of my
Iyengar teachers, brought out short wooden
dowels as props for Salamba Sirsasana
(Supported Headstand). That immediately
sparked my interest in this tool and how it
might be used in other ways in class. I bought
a dozen 1.5-metre wooden broom handles—
and later bought shorter and longer
versions—to experiment with.
Dowels, small-diameter rods of any
length—made of wood, metal, or plastic—
have become some of my favourite props
because they’re so versatile. They provide
alignment feedback, gentle leverage, and
traction (stretching your spine) to relieve
pressure and help you lengthen muscles and
release joints. And they can be a point of
resistance, a tool for core work, an aid to
balance, and more. Dowels can support
sound posture and be used creatively to allow
you to experience poses in novel ways.
If you experience back pain, a dowel is
particularly useful because it can help you
discover safer movement patterns to protect
your back. These new patterns can prevent
compression of your spine during core work,
forward bends, and side bends (lateral
flexions) allowing you to lengthen and
strengthen your muscles without causing
additional strain.
You can think of a dowel as an external
representation of your midline to help you
find strong axial extension, which is a full
lengthening of your spine. For example, if
you place the dowel in front of you and close
to your body in Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
and pull down on it, your chest will lift and
your spine will lengthen. For those with back
pain due to disc problems, this action lessens
pressure on intervertebral discs and nerve
roots. A dowel can also offer stable support
on the floor at one end while allowing safe
movement and traction at the other end in
poses such as Utthita Trikonasana (Extended
Triangle Pose) or Paschimottanasana (Seated
Forward Bend). And it can offer ease in poses
such as Parivrtta Parsvakonasana (Revolved
Side Angle Pose), since not as much range of
motion is required when you use a dowel.
I now teach with a two-metre dowel
with a 3cm diameter, but you can use a
shorter dowel—such paint-roller pole or
broom handle—for most poses. A two-metre
dowel is best for Revolved Side Angle Pose or
Utkatasana (Chair Pose).
To experience the soothing, stabilising
benefits of yoga with a dowel, make a trip to
the Bunnings (or your garage), then try this
sequence. (If you are experiencing back pain,
make sure to check in with your doctor
before trying anything new.)