B.K.S. Iyengar - From “Body is my First Prop”

STUMP

“‘Is the prop useful only for people who cannot do a particular asana?’ The answer is ‘no.’ Props are helpful for the adept too. When one thinks he has attained ‘perfection’ in an asana, he should use the prop to attain sense of direction and a higher level of sensitivity.

In back bends the centre of gravity is in the lumbosacral area for it to curve.

When students started performing back bends on the chair with ease, in order to increase the intensify, I created the stump. This stump is to be positioned at the lumbosacral area. But there existed a probability of injury to the back due to its intensity.

How could that be avoided?

The problem was the hard and sharp projection of the stump. So the second stump was devised with a depression in the centre. This helped the outer buttocks to rest comfortably. When students could use it with ease, came the idea of a curved stump to lift, curve and arch the tailbone. The props also motivate one to stay longer in an asana so that one evolves the asana and matures in one’s practice.

The props can thus contribute to deeper observation and understanding of the intricacies of the posture as well as the mind.