This course if for qualified yoga teachers or trainees only.
What we cover:
Maternal Anatomy & Physiology How is the female pelvis structured to accommodate reproduction? What are the essential features of the pelvis? How do the muscles in the pelvis function before, during and after pregnancy? What is the special place of the perineum in pregnancy, when is it at risk and how can that risk be reduced? How are the lower pelvic organs related and how does their interrelation effect pregnancy and delivery? What about the role of the abdominal muscles and diaphragm?
Guidelines for Asanas What yoga poses – and other forms of exercise – are beneficial or possibly risky during pregnancy and in the early postpartum period (and during extended periods of lactation)? What poses are indicated and contra-indicated in each trimester? How do these prescriptions vary depending on the unique woman and specific conditions such as age, number of pregnancies and other factors?
Adaptive Yoga Just as every body is different, so is every woman’s experience of pregnancy. While there are a lot of common experiences, it’s important to acknowledge and support the unique ways that women feel when pregnant and with their new baby. While some women remain very physically active all the way until their due date, others might be on bed rest. In yoga practice, these differences mean creatively adapting poses and breathing techniques to each woman’s needs.
Emotional Changes Pregnancy and childbirth can be among the most emotionally intense times in one’s life. It’s important to be attentive to shifts in feeling and to honoring those feelings as part of the larger process of change that is happening. Yoga teachers can create a supportive space for pregnant and postpartum students that makes it easier for students to relax and find the most joy along their path.
Hands-On Adjustments Skillful, sensitive, appropriate touch and verbal cues can guide and support your pregnant students to a more conscious awareness and self-refinement in their pre/post-natal yoga practice. But before we touch and speak we must first see and understand the unique qualities present in an individual student’s practice. This requires keen observation skills and an understanding of hands-on cues that both address common risks and encourage deeper inner guidance in a variety of poses.
Pelvic Floor Exercises In traditional Hatha yoga, we have a practice called “mula bandha” that tones the lower pelvic muscles and stimulates the awakening of uplifting energy at the root of the spine. We can usefully build on “mula bandha” techniques to explore a variety of other pelvic floor exercises that have many benefits, including a stronger and more flexible set of perineal muscles, more subtle awareness of the lower pelvic organs and their surrounding support structure, much great ease in the delivery process and reduction of a variety of physical risks that often naturally arise in pregnancy.
Breathing, Relaxation & Delivery Conscious breathing – pranayama – is at the heart of yoga. The ancient methods of pranayama offer many benefits during and after pregnancy, including more balanced energy (higher or lower as the need arises), deeper relaxation, less anxiety and more nuanced awareness of what’s happening in your body throughout pregnancy, delivery and beyond.
Accommodation is available in our shared self-catering eco-cabins:
1 night €35 – 2 nights €30 per night – 3+ nights €25 per night
To secure your place, a non-refundable €50 deposit is required when booking. Payment in full must be made 4 weeks prior to any workshop (payment in full at time of booking to avail of our early bird)
