by Jessica Jennings, MS, Founder Ma Yoga®
What are the Five Sacred Steps?
The Five Sacred Steps are principles of alignment that work on every level to help us heal and thrive:
- Physically, they help us understand how to move muscles and bones in optimal ways to create integrity, healing and ease in the body.
- Mentally/emotionally they help us use not only left-brain, analytical thinking, but our right-brain, creative curiosity.
- Energetically they relieve anxiety and stress, and help us feel light-hearted and energized.
- Spiritually they remind us that we are part of something bigger.
How did you develop the Five Sacred Steps?
As a new yoga teacher, I was obsessed with anatomy and biomechanics. I never wanted to be the kind of teacher who responded to students’ pain by saying “maybe don’t do that pose?” or “just try to breathe through it.”
I knew the same yoga pose can both heal us and hurt us, so I studied optimal alignment in both the yoga world as well as graduate school for Kinesiology, to understand what we needed to do INSIDE the pose to make it safe and effective.
But in class with pregnant people, I discovered that separating out body parts into different areas to focus on biomechanical alignment doesn’t feel great, and can cause other physical issues.
I realized that each element contains simple qualities that we can apply holistically to pregnancy – and all bodies – in any pose.
And that together, the five natural elements – or the Five Sacred Steps – can help us align with our highest, most powerful and wise version of our Self.
What are the Five Sacred Steps Based In?
The Five Sacred Steps are rooted in the five natural elements: space, earth, water, fire and air. According to yoga the entire universe – including each of us – is made up of these five elements.
While we don’t have actual fire in our bodies, we can connect to its qualities. For instance the power to root down (core strength) helps us to spread our light (open the heart center).
We can embody our full, authentic Self by aligning with the qualities of each of the five elements.
Reason 1 to Learn the Five Sacred Steps: To Support Pregnant People Confidently and Safely
There’s so much fear around pregnancy, and anxiety is becoming even more common than prenatal depression. If you support pregnant mamas, you don’t want to add to mama’s nerves.
Instead, if you understand basic principles of nature, you can offer simple guidance to keep her and baby safe – and trust her body’s wisdom.
Reason 2 to Learn the Five Sacred Steps: To Feel Inspired
If you teach yoga you probably know the prenatal do’s and don’ts. But these can put us in our left-brain, analytical thinking, which can leave us feeling un-inspired.
Understanding how to support the easeful flow of prana, life force energy, both on and off the mat can connect us to right-brain creativity and curiosity, and often we can’t wait to share what we’re discovering.
It supports us as well, because we’re all pregnant with something… whether its a baby, a project, or a new way of showing up in the world, the same principles apply.
Reason 3 to Learn the Five Sacred Steps: To Help Your Students Out of Pain
What do we do as yoga teachers when a student says “this hurts?”
Maybe we put them in Childs Pose, or invite them to take a supported version of the pose?
The Five Sacred Steps guide us with simple, therapeutic cues for the body in any pose, any trimester, anywhere.
So you can use a yoga pose to help release a pattern that isn’t serving us, and discover a new stability and freedom in the same pose.
Reason 4 to Learn the Five Sacred Steps: To Enjoy Teaching More
We all have our go-to sequences and concepts we like to share. But if you ever feel a little stuck, returning to simple principles – like becoming open and receptive, strong and steady, or flowing playfully – can make teaching feel new again.
Learning guiding principles rather than remembering practices means you’re creating a safe way to enjoy whatever’s flowing through you in the moment.
Reason 5 to Learn the Five Sacred Steps: To Connect with Your Own Innate Wisdom and Power
The Five Sacred Steps aren’t only ways to help pregnant students align and feel good.
They are a guide through any co-creative act, whether it’s writing a poem, being in a new relationship or coaching.
When you bring all the parts of yourself online optimally, you support the flow of prana within.
Prana is made up of wisdom, power, and nurturing energy.
When we learn to truly nurture ourselves, we begin to live, make choices, and co-create our lives from a deep wisdom and power within.
I hope you’ll join me for my free 5 day prenatal training, to learn, day by day, step by step, the Five Sacred Steps with me. 🙏🏼💜
