Yoga bolsters

Yoga Bolster: The perfect tool for your yoga practice

Yoga bolsters are one of the classic yoga aids.  Perhaps you have seen them in Yin Yoga or Restorative Yoga, the elongated yoga bolster as a comfortable and stabilizing support for many asanas. But also in regular yoga practice, a yoga bolster can be used; for example, to support backbends or as a meditation cushion. In our shop you can find yoga bolsters in different shapes, colors and designs - from round to rectangular, from solid colors to patterned and filled with either spelt hulls or kapok.

The multi-tool: Yoga bolsters by bodhi

A yoga bolster, like the yoga block or yoga belt, is a yoga aid used in many asanas. You can use the yoga bolster to facilitate and assist in various yoga postures. Especially in the passive Yin Yoga style with positions that you hold for a longer time, you can use yoga bolsters to allow a complete release in the asanas. You place the bolster so that it optimally supports you in the different positions and you can gradually sink deeper into the relaxation. Due to its size and elongated shape, a yoga bolster is a lot better for Yin Yoga practice than a traditional meditation cushion.

But also in other yoga styles such as Iyengar Yoga or Prenatal Yoga, the yoga bolster is a versatile tool. You can place it under the back to gently open the chest and shoulders, or placed below the abdomen it helps to deepen forward bends. During pregnancy, it can help to relieve pressure on the pelvis and can be used to support and deepen relaxation in many positions. In Shavasana, you can put the yoga roll on your pelvis as a weight or put the bolster under your knees to relieve the lower back – very beneficial, especially for people with a sway back.  And last but not least, you can also use the yoga bolster as a meditation cushion in the closing meditation of your yoga practice, whether at home or in the studio.  As you can see, the yoga bolster is truly a tool with many uses.

Round or rectangular? The right yoga bolster for you

Yoga bolsters come in different shapes. In our shop you can find round and rectangular yoga bolsters, both of which have their advantages and disadvantages. For example, the round yoga bolster adapts perfectly to the body due to its shape. Especially in asanas which are held for a long time, the round shape facilitates relaxation and allows to deepen into the positions, significantly lowering the risk of injury in deep forward or backward bends. But the round yoga pillow has the disadvantage that it can roll away from you. For that reason, it is not as good as a meditation cushion.

Our rectangular yoga bolster Salamba has the distinct advantage that it stays in place due to the flat shape. The wide and comfortable support surface makes it a versatile companion in both regenerative and dynamic yoga practice. The flat shape of the Salamba yoga bolster can also be used as a meditation cushion. But the rectangular shape doesn’t fit as ergonomically to the body. It all depends on your individual preferences and what is important for your personal yoga practice: an ergonomic shape or a versatile yoga cushion that stays put.

Yoga Bolster with spelt hull or kapok? It’s all about the filling

Yoga bolsters are available with two different kinds of filling: spelt hull and kapok. Both fillings have their advantages and disadvantages. For example, spelt hulls adapt wonderfully to the body’s shape: both while lying down and in sitting. But a yoga bolster filled with spelt hulls is also rather heavy, weighing around 4 kg. However, if you're looking for a yoga bolster to use at home and value an adaptable material, a yoga bolster with spelt hulls is ideal.

If you would like to take your yoga bolster more often to a yoga studio, the kapok filling would be the better choice as it weighs just half as much as the spelt hull filling, about 2 kg. But kapok also adapts less to the body. Some yogis, however, find this an advantage, as a kapok-filled yoga bolster feels more stable. So again, the choice of filling depends on how you are planning to use it.

By the way, both our spelt hull and our kapok filled yoga bolsters have a removable cover and an inner cover with zipper. In this way, you can wash the cover at any time and if necessary remove or add some filling to adapt the yoga bolster to your individual need

Yoga Bolster in different colors and designs

In our shop you can find yoga bolsters in different colors and designs. Our round Yoga BOLSTER BASIC is available in seven different colors. And we have our round Yoga BOLSTER "Made in Germany" as well as our square yoga pillow SALAMBA "Made in Germany" individually made in different colors and two different fabrics, high quality twill or velveteen in our production in Karlsruhe. With all our yoga bolsters you have the choice between spelt hull or kapok filling. Incidentally, this also applies to almost all the meditation cushions in our shop.
If you like it playful, our patterned Design Yoga Bolsters may be right for you: our Limited Editions have a choice of Indian paisley patterns or with a colorful mandala design. If you prefer fresher colors, take a look at our Maharaja Collection. Here you can choose from five completely new designs: Bandhani, Madurai, Shimla, Lotus and Paisley.

More yoga cushions by bodhi

In addition to our large yoga bolsters, you can also find two more practical yoga bolsters in our shop to help you with your asanas: The Pranayama cushion and the Mini Bolster. These bolsters are slightly smaller and narrower than the other yoga bolsters. The Pranayama cushion is an elongated cushion filled with kapok, perfect for stretching the chest. The opening of the chest and heart space makes breathing easier and allows oxygen and prana to flow unhindered again.

The Mini Bolster is a neck roll filled with spelt hulls, which can be used to assist in numerous yoga and Pilates exercises or to fill a small gap, for example, if one knee is higher than the other when sitting cross-legged on the floor (or in Baddha Konasana.), simply slip it under one knee. Incidentally, our Vipassana cushions or the yoga blocks can also be used for this purpose.