Yoga blocks can be an incredibly helpful accessory for anyone doing yoga, particularly beginners and intermediate practitioners who still can’t comfortably reach the full depth and/or range of motion required for performing a particular Asana. It’s of course very easy to buy a yoga block, and you can get a quality one for as little as $10 on Amazon that will serve you for years (or until you no longer need it).

For some of us, however, it’s a very fun process to actually make your own yoga block. I’m one of those people who would rather build everything themselves, even if it costs more and takes up way more time than simply purchasing a ready-made item. There’s just something very satisfactory in doing all the cutting, polishing, gluing and trimming involved in the process. Now, by no means do I have a giant workshop or anything close – I have a cheap portable $250 used DeWalt DW744XRS table saw (you can learn more about it here), a portable power drill with a decent collection of bits, a sander, some hand saws, and that’s pretty much it. Still, even with just this many tools, I still find it possible to construct a huge variety of items which (surprisingly to me) serve me for much longer than commercially bought products.

Back to yoga blocks though. I have looked through many different guides, and the best one I have found so far was this one from Walter Kitty’s Diary.  To build a yoga block using these instructions you’re going to need a table or miter saw and some eye goggles to protect your eyes during the cutting. Obviously if you don’t have any of those power tools you can always use a handsaw, however you will need quite a bit of patience (and endurance in your arm) to completely cut through the 4 x 6 piece of wood.  A sander will also be extremely helpful in making the block look pretty, though is by no means necessary.

A great thing about this tutorial is that it gives you suggestions for more than just one type of wood to build your block, so there’s a bit more leeway for you when trying to acquire the necessary items.  The guide also includes a few decent pictures of the block building process (just make sure to click the image to enlarge it, otherwise you’ll have trouble noticing the details).

The final feel and appearance of the block will depend on how much time you are willing to put into it. If you’re up for some varnishing and staining, you’ll get a product that’s much better looking than most blocks you can buy online or in sporting goods stores. If you’re artistically gifted, you can also attempt to paint a pattern on the finished block, though make sure that you use paint that can withstand the heat and sweat it will be exposed to from your hands during your yoga sessions.

If you decide to make your own yoga block (or if you’ve already made one), please do share your experiences with me below this post. Would be awesome if you could include some pictures of your finished work as well!

 

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