---
title: "Best Yoga Props for Restorative Yoga Practice"
url: https://pierresports.com/journal/best-yoga-props-for-restorative-yoga
description: "Restorative yoga needs the right support. Discover the bolsters, cushions, blocks and blankets that make your practice truly restorative."
lang: en
---

← Journal (https://pierresports.com/journal)

# The Best Yoga Props for Restorative Yoga

7 October 2026 · By Rickus

Image: Restorative yoga props by PIERRE: wool mat cover, kapok bolster and lavender eye pillow (https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0973/9819/4509/files/0B1A0369_896f1c5f-0f7a-4951-a017-81e3c2fcde90.jpg?width=1280)

Restorative yoga asks very little of you. No strength, no flexibility goals, no flow. Just a handful of shapes, held for a long time, with the body completely supported.

That last part is the whole practice. Without support, a restorative pose is an uncomfortable position you are waiting to leave. With the right props underneath you, the same pose becomes a place you can stay for ten minutes and let go.

This guide walks through the props that matter most, what each one does, and how to build a small restorative kit at home without buying more than you need.

## What Restorative Yoga Requires

Restorative yoga grew out of B.K.S. Iyengar's work with props, and teachers such as Judith Lasater shaped it into the practice many of us know today. A typical session uses four to six poses, each held for five to twenty minutes. The aim is not to stretch. It is to rest in a position where no muscle has to work to hold you there.

That changes what a prop is for. In an active class, a block helps you reach. In restorative practice, a prop takes your weight. It fills the space between your body and the floor so that nothing is left hanging, gripping or quietly bracing.

Three qualities matter more than anything else:

- **Firmness.** A prop has to hold its shape under your weight for twenty minutes without slowly flattening.
- **Warmth and softness.** You will be still for a long time, and a still body cools quickly. What touches your skin should feel warm and kind.
- **Stability.** A prop that rolls, slides or shifts keeps part of your attention on balance, which is the opposite of rest.

## The Yoga Bolster: The One Prop to Start With

If you buy one restorative prop, make it a bolster. It is the foundation of almost every classic restorative pose. Lay it lengthwise under your torso for supported child's pose. Place it along your spine for a gentle heart opener. Slide it under your knees in savasana to take the pressure out of the lower back.

When choosing a bolster, look at the filling first. Cotton batting can compress over time, and foam can feel hard and lifeless. Kapok, a natural fibre from the seed pods of the kapok tree, is light and resilient. It gives a firm, even support that springs back to shape after each session.

Both PIERRE bolsters are filled with natural kapok and measure 63 × 27 × 15 cm, a size that supports the full length of the torso:

- The Recycled Yoga Bolster (https://pierresports.com/product/recycled-bolster-filled-with-kapok-fibers) has a cover made from recycled PET bottles. It comes in teal green, magnolia rose and light brown.
- The Merino Wool Yoga Bolster (https://pierresports.com/product/wool-yoga-bolster-filled-with-kapok-limited-edition) wraps the same kapok fill in soft Merino wool, made in Bulgaria. It feels naturally warm against the skin, which makes a real difference in the cooler months.

## Meditation Cushions for Supported Poses

A bolster supports the body's big shapes. A smaller cushion takes care of the details: the gap under the neck, the space beneath the knees, the height under your seat in a supported seated pose.

The Half-Moon Meditation Cushion (https://pierresports.com/product/half-moon-cushion-filled-with-kapok) is shaped for exactly this. Its curve sits comfortably under the head in reclining poses or beneath the ankles when you lie on your front. It is filled with kapok and covered in fabric made from recycled PET bottles, so it is light enough to move around mid-practice without breaking the stillness.

## Yoga Blankets for Warmth and Fine Adjustments

The blanket is the most versatile prop in restorative yoga, and the most overlooked. Folded, it lifts the head a few centimetres. Rolled, it supports the ankles or the curve of the neck. Opened out, it covers the body during long holds and savasana.

You do not need a special blanket to begin. A firm wool or cotton blanket from home works well, as long as it folds into a neat, even shape that holds.

What many practitioners add next is warmth _beneath_ them. The PIERRE Wool Yoga Mat Cover (https://pierresports.com/product/wool-yoga-mat-cover) is made from European Merino wool and cotton and attaches over any mat with four elastic bands. It turns a firm surface into a soft, insulated one. We explored why that matters so much in autumn in Preparing Your Practice for Autumn (https://pierresports.com/journal/autumn-yoga-practice-preparing-for-the-season).

## Eye Pillows for Deeper Rest

The eyes are busy even when the body is still. An eye pillow blocks out light and rests a gentle weight across the eyelids, and many people find this helps them settle more quickly into rest.

The PIERRE Eye Pillow (https://pierresports.com/product/eye-pillow-filled-with-lavender-herbs-orangegreenbeige) is made from European linen and filled with lavender herbs and oat grains. The grains mould softly to the face, and the light lavender scent adds a calm, familiar note to the end of practice. Place it over your eyes in savasana or any reclining pose.

## Blocks for Height and Alignment

In restorative yoga, blocks rarely help you reach the floor. Instead, they build the shape that the bolster and blankets rest on. Set one block under the head end of a bolster to create a gentle incline. Place one under each thigh in reclining bound angle so the hips can release without strain.

Cork is a natural fit here. It is dense enough not to compress under weight, it does not slide on the floor, and it feels warm to the touch. Our two cork yoga blocks (https://pierresports.com/product/two-yoga-natural-cork-blocks-small) (23 × 12 × 7.5 cm) suit most bodies, while the XL cork blocks (https://pierresports.com/product/two-large-yoga-blocks-cork) (23 × 15 × 10 cm) offer more height and a broader base. If you prefer a recycled option, our recycled neoprene blocks (https://pierresports.com/product/two-recycled-yoga-blocks-made-of-100-recycled-wetsuits) are made from old surf wetsuits.

## Three Restorative Poses to Try With Your Props

1. **Supported child's pose (5 to 10 minutes).** Kneel with your knees wide and a bolster lengthwise between them. Fold forward so your whole torso rests on the bolster, and turn your head to one side. Halfway through, turn it the other way.
2. **Supported reclining bound angle (10 to 15 minutes).** Prop one end of the bolster on a block. Sit with your back to it, bring the soles of your feet together, and lie back along the bolster. Place a block or folded blanket under each thigh, a cushion under your head, and the eye pillow over your eyes.
3. **Supported savasana (10 to 20 minutes).** Lie on the wool cover with the bolster under your knees and a folded blanket under your head. Cover yourself with a blanket, rest the eye pillow on your eyes, and stay as long as you like.

## Building Your Restorative Kit

There is no need to buy everything at once. Start with the pieces that support the most poses, then add comfort over time.

| Stage | Props | What it gives you |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Start | Bolster, two cork blocks, a blanket from home | Every classic restorative pose |
| Add | Eye pillow, half-moon cushion | Deeper rest and finer adjustments |
| Complete | Wool mat cover | Warmth and softness beneath you through autumn and winter |

If you would like the core pieces together, the Restorative Yin Yoga Set (https://pierresports.com/product/relaxation-yin-yoga-set) brings the wool mat cover, a kapok bolster and the lavender eye pillow into one set, at 10% less than buying them separately.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What props do I need for restorative yoga?

A bolster, two blocks and a blanket are enough for nearly every restorative pose. An eye pillow, a small cushion and a wool mat cover add comfort and warmth, but they can come later.

### Can I do restorative yoga without props?

You can improvise with firm pillows, folded blankets and books. Purpose-made props are firmer and more stable, though, and they hold their shape through long holds. That stability is what allows the body to let go completely.

### What is the difference between restorative yoga and yin yoga?

Both are slow and use long holds. Yin yoga places gentle stress on the connective tissue, so you feel a stretch. Restorative yoga supports the body fully, so there is little or no stretch at all. The goal is rest.

### How firm should a yoga bolster be?

Firm enough to keep its shape under your full body weight for twenty minutes, and soft enough to feel comfortable against your spine and belly. A kapok-filled bolster sits well in that balance.

### How long should you hold a restorative pose?

Most restorative poses are held for five to twenty minutes. Begin with five and build up as your body learns to settle.

## Rest, Fully Supported

Restorative yoga is a practice of permission. The props are simply what make that permission possible. Explore our bolsters and cushions (https://pierresports.com/shop/bolsters-cushions), all handcrafted in Europe from natural or recycled materials. Made to comfort you. Made to last.

← Back to the Journal: https://pierresports.com/journal

## Continue Reading

24 August 2026

### Preparing Your Practice for Autumn

As the season shifts, so does the practice. Discover how to prepare your autumn yoga routine, and why warmth becomes the priority.
https://pierresports.com/journal/autumn-yoga-practice-preparing-for-the-season

21 September 2026

### Your Practice Brought You Here. Your Words Might Bring Someone Else.

Pierre Sports grows through honest words, not advertising. Here is why your experience matters and how sharing it can bring others to the practice.
https://pierresports.com/journal/pierre-sports-reviews-why-honest-words-matter

21 September 2026

### A New Site. A New Chapter. Same Roots.

The Pierre Sports website has been redesigned from the ground up. A cleaner experience, a clearer story — and 10% off to celebrate.
https://pierresports.com/journal/pierre-sports-new-website-launch

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