50-Hour Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training

This comprehensive training in yoga for pregnancy and birth will empower you to share deeply nourishing practices of yoga for women during pregnancy, childbirth and in the postnatal period.

Birthing is one of the most powerful and transformational experiences a human can have. Physical and emotional support and preparation encourages birthing people to approach birthing from a place of strength and positivity. Yoga is a unique, functional and effective tool to incorporate throughout the journey.

This 50-hour training program will help you understand the physical, mental and emotional journey of pregnancy and how yoga supports all stages of pregnancy. It will give you the confidence and knowledge to design and teach your own pregnancy yoga classes with creative intelligent, safe, and joyful sequences that address the specific needs during all stages of pregnancy. You will gain knowledge about ancient and modern birthing that will allow you to consciously form your own beliefs about birth and beyond. Connect and share with other yoga practitioners and experience a deep sense of nurture and community, and how to bring this into your classes.

With contributions from a midwife and a birth doula and a detailed training manual, this course provides both the theoretical and practical training necessary to teach yoga classes specifically for pregnant women.

Each day of this training begins with specially designed Yoga Nidra practices designed for pregnancy, and beautiful meditations, sound practices and breath work that give a direct experience of the subtle power of yoga to support the transition to motherhood.

The emphasis of the course is on supporting healthy pregnancy through appropriate holistic yoga practices. There will be opportunities for teaching practice, as well as informal assessments during the course, a short pre-course assignment, and written work during the course.

What you will learn:

Pregnancy Anatomy & Philosophy

The history & philosophy of childbirth.
Anatomy and physiology of the three trimesters of pregnancy.
The female pelvis, pelvic floor and uterus and changes during pregnancy.
Musculoskeletal and postural change in pregnancy and how to support good postural alignment during pregnancy.
Emotional and hormonal changes in pregnancy and how to support the emotional journey of pregnancy.
Pregnancy loss, anxiety, grief and other challenges of pregnancy.

Pregnancy Yoga:

Guidelines for a safe yoga practice during pregnancy.
Modifying yoga asana for the various stages of pregnancy.
Asana sequences and transitions during pregnancy.
Surya Namaskar (sun salutation) modifications.
Ball & wall supported sequences.
Pelvic floor practices.
Yoga therapy practices for specific ailments.
Using props during pregnancy.
Restorative yoga for pregnancy.
Pranayama, Yoga Nidra, meditation, relaxation, visualisations, and mantra for pregnancy and birth.

Yoga for Labour & Birth

Relaxation and visualization techniques to create a more positive and relaxed birth experience.
Laboring positions and birth preparation to empower birthing people in childbirth.
Optimal foetal positioning.

Yoga for Postnatal Recovery

Postnatal recovery.
Postnatal challenges.
Guidelines for a safe yoga practice in the immediate postnatal phase.
Postnatal pranayama.
Yoga sequences for postnatal recovery.

Teaching Pregnancy Yoga

Class planning.
Establishing and running a prenatal yoga class.
Teaching pregnant students in general classes.
How to integrate mindfulness into your classes.

Dates & Times

This training is held over 3 weekends. You will have time to absorb and practice what you have learned each training weekend and work through the required readings.

Schedule Sample:

9am Welcome circle
9:30am Prenatal yoga practice
10:45am Tea Break
11am Lecture
12:30pm Lunch
1:30pm Lecture/Workshop
3pm Tea Break
3:15pm Practicum & Q & A
4pm Finish for the day

What’s Included:

35 hours of in person training
5 hours of prerecorded lessons
10 hours of homework and readings.
A comprehensive course manual provided on the first day of training.
50-Hour Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training certificate.+

Who is this training for?

Yoga practitioners with a specialist interest in women's health and pregnancy, birth and postnatal recovery.
Yoga instructors who are passionate about working in specialised ways with birthing people during their childbearing years.
For all people, including men, pregnant women, and postnatal women.
This training is also open to aspiring yoga instructors, birth assistants, doulas, midwives, nurses, doctors, personal trainers, and mamas who are motivated to learn how yoga empowers birthing people to listen to their bodies, respect their innate wisdom, and make informed decisions during pregnancy, labor, delivery and after birth.

Assessment

Class Observations

You will be required to complete and log five class observations. These can be face to face or online classes. Ideally these will take place before the training starts or as soon as possible after the training starts.

Teaching Practice Assessment

You will work in small groups to plan and deliver a complete pregnancy yoga class. Each participant will teach a short section of the class. This will be observed by the facilitator and feedback will be given.

Post-Course Assignments

Your own registration form for pregnancy yoga students, setting out all the questions to which you would wish to have answers before teaching the student.
A one page handout setting out the key precautions to be observed by women practicing yoga during pregnancy.
A short description of benefits of pregnancy yoga.