When you start getting into yoga, you quickly learn that you can spend a lot of money on props to improve your practice. Straps, blocks, and bolsters can help you access more poses with better form. Bolsters are especially useful to enhance relaxation during restorative poses, like child’s pose or pigeon pose.
But you’ve probably noticed that bolsters come in at least three different shapes and an even wider range of sizes, with varying weights, fillings, and covers, too. Sure, you can buy one of each, but yoga bolsters — especially high-quality ones — don’t come cheap, and maybe you can only afford one or, at the most, two. That’s okay — just make sure you grab the right size and shape for your practice needs. Let’s take a look at some of the different shapes and sizes of yoga bolster and what kinds of poses they’re used for.
Round vs. Rectangular
There are three basic shapes of yoga bolster — long and rectangular, long and round, and pranayama, which is also long and round, but smaller in circumference than a typical round bolster. Pranayama cushions are about six inches wide, while round yoga bolsters are about 10 inches wide. Many companies also make “junior” style yoga bolsters, which come in the same rectangular and round shapes, but are shorter.
It might not seem like the shape of your yoga bolster would matter that much, and indeed, it might not. However, some people don’t like the way that the edges of a rectangular bolster dig into their back when they’re in a pose like legs-up-the-wall pose. A round bolster might feel more comfortable if you’re using it to support your legs during corpse pose, or to elevate your hips for poses like easy pose.
A rectangular bolster, on the other hand, provides more stability and support, so it’s ideal for prenatal yoga. It’s good for lifting the hips in seated poses or supporting the upper spine in shoulder stand. The long, flat surface is also good for supporting the body in supine poses like child’s pose, seated forward bend, or pigeon pose.
Weight
A large, rectangular or round yoga bolster might weigh as much as 10 pounds, depending on how densely stuffed it is. You can buy extra firm yoga bolster pillows for enhanced support, and the firmer the pillow the more it’s likely to weigh. You can also buy lighter and shorter yoga pillows — the smaller the pillow, the less it will weigh. You can buy smaller junior-style bolsters that weigh just a few pounds, and pranayama pillows tend to be lightweight, too.
Of course, weight may not matter that much to you if you’re keeping your bolster in your home yoga studio, but if you plan to travel with your bolsters, you’ll want them as light as possible. Even if you’re just carrying your bolster to your weekly yoga class, you don’t want to lug something that weighs 10 pounds. Go for a lighter junior version, or use one of the bolsters available for students at the studio. If you want to take your bolster with you on pleasure and business travel out of town, a lightweight, short, round bolster can easily fit into a large suitcase to go with you wherever you roam.
Filling and Cover
People who do yoga tend to be concerned with sustainability, and that’s why many yoga bolsters are stuffed with sustainable fillings like buckwheat hulls and organic cotton. However, there is a wide selection of bolsters filled with synthetic materials, including Recron® polyester and other fiber fills made with recycled polyester.
When it comes to filling, buckwheat hulls are generally the sturdiest and longest-lasting, able to continue providing firm support for much longer than fiber-based fills. However, a bolster filled with buckwheat is going to be a lot heavier than one filled with polyester fiberfill. Cotton batting is a lighter weight option if you want to stick with a natural filling.
When shopping for a yoga bolster, make sure you get one with a removable cover for easy cleaning. Many bolsters are covered in a removable, 100 percent cotton cover, while others may be covered in sweat-wicking microfiber, 100 percent natural linen, or even striking Ikat fabric.
Yoga bolsters can offer you just the support you need to really sink into a restorative pose, so you can get the rest and relaxation you need to truly recharge. When you choose the right bolster, you’ll be surprised at how readily your restorative practice can deepen and grow.
