Welcome!
The Pregnancy Yoga Teacher Training is directed at not only Yoga teachers, but also the professionals that already accompany pregnant women (such as doulas, midwives, psychologists, amongst other caregivers). The course will focus on Yoga especially adapted to pregnant women and as preparation for childbirth itself (regardless of the type of delivery chosen or that takes place). It will place emphasis on Yoga as a means to positively experience and handle both the pregnancy and postpartum with awareness, health, joy and self-awareness; pointing towards the deep respect one should have for the incredible power of a Woman’s body.
The training will cover all the necessary topics (from the anatomical and physiological knowledge behind the 40 weeks of pregnancy, to the empowerment of a pregnant woman, etc) in order to further extend the knowledge of already qualified Yoga teachers and to compliment the training of professionals that accompany pregnant women, providing a safe, conscious and healthy approach to Yoga throughout pregnancy and the teaching qualities of transmitting such knowledge.
By the end of the course, students will not only be able to apply Yoga techniques adapted to each trimester, but they will feel confident in inspiring future mothers to embrace a holistic appreciation of pregnancy itself, so as to benefit from it to the fullest using Yoga as a tool that can be used in any circunstance during pregnancy.
The course as a total of 100 hours
Contact hours – 90
Non contact hours - 10
Practice and training (40 hours)
- Asana practice throughout the three trimestres of pregnancy (to stretch and strengthen the physical body and relieve the most common complaints during pregnancy).
- Building Asana sequences for the 3 trimesters of pregnancy.
- Mulla Bandha and Aswini Mudra (the importance of a healthy pelvic floor, correct alignment of the pelvis during pregnancy and postpartum);
- Pranayama during pregnancy ( do´s and donts, energizing, calming, harmonizing, respiratory rehabilitation);
- Yoganidrá during pregnancy (adapted postures for shavasana and yoganidra, deep relaxation, visualizations).
- Meditation duirng the three trimes(acceptance, focus, concentration, not knowing, the unknown, awareness of the present moment).
- Mantra: Kirtan: Yogic Chanting -In this class, students will be diving into the practice of Bhakti yoga through the art of Kirtan (call and response chanting).
- Stress management (the use of Yoga techniques in specific situations - body, mind, emotions).
- Benefits and advantages of the use of supports (belts, pillows, chairs, etc.) in the practice of Asana, Pranayama, Yoganidra and Meditation during pregnancy.
- The link between Yoga and pregnancy (consciousness and intuition of the Yogini, self-knowledge and the connection to the new life that is to come).
Teaching methodology (15 hours)
- The most common physical complaints during pregnancy, for example: risk of miscarriage, premature birth, hypertension, preeclampsia, pelvic symphysis dysfunction, etc. and adapting Yoga techniques for this conditions.
- Safe way to practice, teach and modify a wide range of asanas during pregnancy.
- The Language of Teaching Yoga for pregnant women– The ability to effectively communicate is a key component in our capacity to teach, we will explore the different ways in which people learn and outline techniques for tailoring our style to most effectively communicate our message. Intonation; Language and voice awareness
- Working with pregnant women who never done Yoga before: Common beginner issues, teaching strategies, and preparatory postures and breathing exercises.
- Integrative Teaching: A coherent and inspiring class includes many elements, all of which must be successfully woven together into a seamless whole. We will investigate teaching techniques that bridge the physical, mental, and spiritual realms to create classes in which elements reinforce and support all others.
- Building a Class for pregnant women– Weaving all of the elements of yoga class into a seamless, self-supporting whole is an art form. This class will explore the different elements of a yoga class including creating an environment, developing a theme, and the art of asana sequencing.
- Teaching of Asana: This class will delve into the specifics of alignment, energetic, common problems, modifications, and use of props in the major categories: Standing Postures, Forward-bending and Twisting Postures, Back bending Postures, and Inverted Postures.
- Modifications & Verbal and physical Adjustments – these two sections revolve around one of the most important aspects of teaching: the safe and effective performance of yoga asanas. We will focus primarily on the entry, stasis and exit to and from poses, using both verbal and hands on adjustments. There will also be discussion revolving around the issues of hands on adjustments, recognizing limitations, and how to be most effective in directing students to self adjust. Alignment & how to avoid injuries
- Principles of demonstration
- Qualities of a Pregnancy Yoga teacher. Roles, Ethics and Responsibilities.
- Establishing a Career as a Pregnancy Yoga Teacher
Philosophy and History (10 hours)
- Chronology of women's role in Yoga
- Yoga and women
- Shakti Cycles: Fertility, Creativity and Power
- Yoga philosophy apllied to pregnancy, birth, death, and parenting.
Teaching experience (20 hours)
Practical experience and observation.
- Emphasis will be placed on preparing the teacher trainer for the actual practice of teaching pregnant women.
- Student Teaching Practice — This class will provide student teachers with the opportunity to create and present a class to a group of peers. All participating students will have the opportunity to experience and evaluate classes given by their peers.
- Group Teaching Rounds — These sessions are designed to further assist students in developing their live teaching skills through teaching their peers. Students will practice with each other under the supervision of the program director. Each student will have the opportunity to lead small groups of their fellow trainees through several consecutive postures, full classes, and thematic approaches to teaching. The teaching will be followed by feedback sessions.
- Supervised Teaching — Students will be required to teach under the supervision of an approved teacher.
- Assistant teaching — From the very beginning of the course, students will be required to sit in on other teachers’ classes as an observer, and, as the course progresses, will move on to assisting in these classes and ultimately, to teaching to pregnant women.
Anatomy & physiology (15hours)
- Anatomy and physiology of women during the 40 weeks of pregnancy.
- The physical, mental, emotional and hormonal changes women face during the 40 weeks of gestation.
- A set of inherent procedures in labour, at home or in hospital.
- The role of pain during childbirth
- Deep respect for the power of the female body.
- Perineal muscle function (pregnancy and postpartum).
- Birth (informed and conscious approach to natural birth, also covering the induced labour and caesarean section).
- Pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum (dynamic living experiences, psychological dimensions, impact of changes, the connection to the baby, the partner and social support).
- A conscious professional to a conscious parenting (the importance of the role of the professional pregnancy yoga teacher, communication with the woman/family and other professionals)
Home Practice Requirement– Students will be required to maintain a home practice and study, practicing a minimum of three hours per week.
Warm Regards,
Eugénia Palma & Marco Peralta
100 hours Yoga Online B-Learning Course
10 hours - non-contact hours: readings of the handouts and course materials and personal writing assigments .
Recommended Additional Non-Contact: Personal Yoga and Meditation daily practice, writting daily in your sadhana (practice) journal and regular attendance in related Yoga classes.
90 hours - Contact hours breakdown
30 hours - pre-recorded videos and audio sessions.
2 hours - Indivividual online mentorship sessions via Zoom.
36 hours - group online sessions via Zoom
2
4hours – In person group sessions
By Modules:
Practice and training (40 hours)
Teaching methodology (15 hours)
Teaching experience (20 hours
Philosophy and History (10 hours)
Anatomy & physiology (15hours)
Non contact hours: 10 hours
SYT Hours: 70 hours
Total hours: 100 hours
Dates: November 2020 to June 2021
Remember, your commitment to practice and study during this
intensive course, will make an enormous difference at the end
