Category: Yoga Actions

Not everyone can do yoga poses, but everyone can do yoga actions.   For some, yoga appears to be a pretzel-bending physical practice for those with flexible bodies.  This is far from the truth.  Yoga postures emerged in response to an understanding that tension, tightness and painful suffering can be alleviated and eliminated by tapping into the body’s cellular healing capacity.  Our bodies always tell us the truth about what we are experiencing.  Unfortunately, we are often too busy or too blind to pay attention.  To better utilize our body’s innate ability to heal, we must awaken to how it speaks to us.  Yoga poses (asanas) help us to discover where our pain and tension lie.  Yoga actions, such as release the thigh bone back and the shin bone forward, take us deeper into our inner experience thereby bringing us ever closer to the source of our suffering.  Yoga actions also help us to concentrate our awareness in the present moment.  Through this intimate mindfulness of our direct experience, we learn what truth is.          The body must tell one what to do, not the brain.  BKS Iyengar YOGA ACTIONS began as a creative collaboration between two friends and yoginis, Candace Propp and myself, Helen Maupin.  Our original intent was to write one book in an attempt to capture even a small portion of the knowledge and wisdom we gained from practising yoga.  That modest intention mushroomed into — 1.  six yoga actions books focusing on specific areas of the body, 2.  two teacher training programs (A 200- and 500-hour) complete with facilitator manuals and student handbooks, 3.  a bi-monthly yoga column in the Winnipeg Free Press, and most importantly, 4.  a deeply-rewarding sisterhood filled with peace, love and joy.   As always, journeys of creation and discovery, whether on or off the yoga mat, take us beyond the scope of our imagination into the Universe’s intentions and gifts.  Below are some of the gifts that emerged from our collaboration.

A Yoga Teaching: Selfless vs. Selfish Service

Letting go of attachment to the fruits of one’s actions, one is ever content and does not have needs. Though one appears to be doing things (karma), actually the higher Self is the doer. Bhagavad Gita When we respond to…

Helen Maupin

A Yoga Teaching: True Knowledge vs. Facts

In the ancient Yoga tradition, a spiritual teacher is called a Sat Guru, or teacher of truth. The word “guru” has two parts: “gu,” that which hides our true light, and “ru,” that which removes the covering. Nischala Joy Devi…

Helen Maupin

A Yoga Teaching: Complicated vs. Complex

Complication is distraction.Complexity is depth. Yoga philosophy and practices intend to unite mind, body, and spirit. Bringing together these three aspects of our being increases the complexity of our experience. As an example, yogic philosophy teaches that human beings are…

Helen Maupin

A Yoga Teaching: Niyamas’ Promises

A few weeks back, I wrote about yoga’s ethical guidelines, the Yamas, which fall under the first limb of Patanjali’s eight-limb practice. The second portion of this first limb, the five Niyamas, are choices we can make to forge an…

Helen Maupin

A Yoga Teaching: Yamas’ Promises

Yoga’s 10 ethical practices, Yamas and Niyamas, form the first limb of Patanjali’s 8-limb practice. This ranking signifies their importance in a yoga practitioner’s overall spiritual journey and moment-to-moment choices. These restraints and observances guide us to better relationships with…

Helen Maupin

YOGA ACTIONS for Supta Utthita Parsvakonasana

Supta Utthita Parsvakonasana is second in my series of supine standing poses, which will help you immediately identify where your conditioned, unconscious holding patterns reside in your body. The physical, energetic, and mental yoga actions provided with each pose will…

Helen Maupin

YOGA ACTIONS for Bhishmasana

Bhishmasana’s extensive support and alignment enable a more profound restfulness, allowing the body to fully release tension and find a deep sense of calm. Tummee.com In the Iyengar tradition, Bhishmasana (Bed of Nails or Bed of Arrows) is specifically designed for…

Helen Maupin

A Yoga Teaching: Pain is a path to Purification

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. Much of yoga training is spent reversing such conditioning as the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain. Very early in our practice, we discover that pain is an unavoidable part of life. In…

Helen Maupin

YOGA ACTIONS for Parivrtta Trikonasana

Revolved Triangle pose integrates balance, flexibility, and strength while simultaneously aiding digestion from twisting and moving the abdominal organs. The complexity of the pose is eased by first grounding the legs in Ardha Parsvottanasana. Your hands can press into the…

Helen Maupin

Wellness That Sticks: Proven Strategies for Lasting Well-Being

guest blogger Chloe Pearson Embarking on a wellness journey is a commitment to enhancing your quality of life, yet maintaining consistency can often be a hurdle. The key lies in integrating practical strategies that align with your lifestyle and aspirations.…

Helen Maupin

YOGA ACTIONS for Headless Sirsasana

Sirsasana or Headstand is referenced as the King of Asanas because of its many benefits. Turning ourselves upside down promotes both physiological and psychological health. Benefits of Sirsasana: However, Sirsasana, whether headless or in its full expression with the crown…

Helen Maupin

YOGA ACTIONS for Supta Baddha Konasana

In a stress-filled world challenged with increasing levels of anxiety and depression, restorative yoga is a boon to the mind, body, and spirit. Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose) is a familiar pose in most restorative sequences. It promotes…

Helen Maupin