85 hour pregnancy & postnatal yoga teacher training

a note from the trainer

I’m so excited to be able to share my Pregnancy and Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training again after a nearly 3 year hiatus. This has always been one of my favourite courses to facilitate and share. Since first running this course in 2018, it’s consistently drawn students from a wide variety of experiences and backgrounds: we’ve had yoga teachers looking to better serve their pregnant students or run specialty classes, perinatal mental health workers looking for tools and practices to share with their clients, pregnant students wanting to dive deeper into their bodies and practice while growing their babies, not to mention midwives as well!

This is a training that goes deeper than just teaching you the mechanics of pregnancy and postnatal yoga. It’s a well-rounded and detailed education on pregnancy itself (an area sorely neglected in our traditional education), as well as an exploration of what it is to support someone throughout their pregnancy through yoga: physically, emotionally and mentally.

You can expect to cover all the areas of knowledge, practise and teaching you’ll need to confidently share Pregnancy and/or Postnatal Yoga, infused with Nourish’s signature approach that is grounded in evidence, celebrates all bodies and pregnancies, and empowers students and teachers to be integrated, active and intentional.

I really can’t wait to get started, and I hope you can join me,

Harriet
November 2023

course structure

The course is structured into 4 components (total course time is 85 hours):

  1. Learning: 4 weekends of learning, delivered live online (64 hours total) – more below.

  2. Practising: You’ll be asked to attend 10 hours of pregnancy and/or postnatal yoga, and reflect on your experiences (these can be online (live/recorded) or in person).

  3. Mentoring: In small groups, you’ll attend 3 x 90 minute mentoring sessions with Harriet (via zoom) where we can focus on specific questions and strategies tailored to your needs (4.5 hours contact, 1.5 hours work in your own time)

  4. Reflecting: Set tasks and written work to enable you to reflect on your learningexperiences and journey (5 hours).

course dates

Our learning together is structured over 4 weekends of live online teaching, delivered via zoom:

24 & 25 February 2024 – Introduction & First Trimester
2 & 3 March 2024 – Second Trimester
9 & 10 March 2024 – Third Trimester & Birth
23 & 24 March 2024 – Postpartum & Teaching Workshop

Each day runs 9am-5pm GMT, with an hour for lunch and smaller breaks as we need them throughout the day.

This is a semi-intensive program, and I appreciate it is a lot to ask for you to give up 4 weekends so close together. I have found this is the best delivery for the course, and I’ve tried to schedule it so you don’t need to take extra days off work, or have school holidays/bank holidays affected.

Each weekend focusses on a particular stage of pregnancy, birth and postpartum, enabling you to build your knowledge in a digestible and manageable way as we progress through the course. Below I’ve tried to anticipate some common questions.

As much I would *love* to run this course in person, an online delivery works really well for several reasons:

  • Props & space: Pregnancy yoga generally makes use of lots of props (though it doesn’t necessarily need to), and I don’t have enough props to share evenly with an entire cohort. Nor would I expect you to invest in a set of yoga props for the course if you don’t have them, so working from home enables us to make use of what’s around us, as well as manage the time commitment a course like this requires. Being able to pop on a load of washing in a break, make a cup of tea in your favourite mug, or have a chat with your partner/family/housemate throughout the day can make a big difference to your level of enjoyment and ease throughout the course.

  • Accessibility: Running the course online makes it accessible to those who aren’t local to me (I’m based in Oxford, UK), and in the past I’ve had students join online from all over the world (Italy, Australia, France to name a few!) – I love that we have people from all over the world bringing their experiences of pregnancy, birth and yoga. For those who would be able to make it to Oxford, running the course online saves you both the time and financial cost of travel (and potentially accommodation). Your commute to the course is the time it takes you to roll out your mat, get comfy and settle in.

  • Flexibility: As I’ll discuss below, running the course online means I can record it and share those recordings with you. It’s always more ideal for you to be there live (which is why I’m not selling an entirely pre-recorded course!), but if you have commitments you can’t reschedule, something comes up, or you need to duck out a little early, having the course recorded means you can catch up in between sessions when it suits you.

  • Cost: Perhaps most importantly, running the course online enables me to make the course as financially accessible as possible. Venue hire rates are often exorbitant, and an online course means I can redirect the money I’d save on venue hire to (1) reduce the overall cost of the course and (2) pay some truly amazing guest teachers to join me and share their knowledge and experience. I’m also not limited by the size of a venue, and while I’m never going to have more than 25 students in a cohort, running the course online means we can all work comfortably together rather than being all on top of each other in a space.

In short, no: each session is recorded and will be uploaded into our online learning platform after each weekend. If you need to miss something, it will be there for you to catch up on in your own time.

That being said, I really encourage you to attend as much of the course LIVE as possible. As I said above, I could run an entirely pre-recorded course if I wanted to, but I don’t believe this delivers the best learning experience or outcomes for you. You’re going to get the most out of it if you’re there with me, your fellow students and our guest teachers. You’ll be able to ask questions and get lots of feedback and inspiration in real time.

I totally recognise that we all have busy lives outside of the course, so if you need to arrive a little late, leave a little early, or miss half a day, all I ask is that you try to let me know ahead of time so I know who to expect. I take attendance each session, and will follow up to make sure you’ve caught up on any parts you’ve missed.

Wherever possible, I’d avoid missing an entire day (you don’t want your catch-ups to become unmanageable), so you might like to think about planning so you can at least make half a day, or a few hours if you have other commitments you need to meet. I’m more than happy to discuss your individual circumstances, let me know if you have any questions and we can discuss via email or a phone call.

9:00-10:00 Pregnancy Yoga practice led by Harriet or a guest teacher
10:00-10:30 Practice debrief/welcome/overview of day
10:30-12:30 Learning session, for example: anatomy, asana, meditation or breathing etc
12:30-13:30 Break
13:30-15:30 Guest teacher, for example: midwife, active birth educator, postnatal expert.
15:30-15:45 Break
15:45-16:45 Teaching practice & feedback session
16:45-17:00 Wrap up & relaxation

A fully detailed schedule, including guest teacher information will be provided before the course begins. For a general overview, we cover the following in our live sessions:

  • Anatomy & physiology: all trimesters, labour, delivery & postnatal
  • Alignment & Asana for every stage
  • Compassionate Communication
  • Mental wellness during pregnancy
  • Meditation & Relaxation
  • Pranayama (breathing)
  • Lesson planning & Sequencing
  • Restorative Yoga and Chair/Wall Yoga
  • Postnatal Yoga
  • Overview of Complications During Pregnancy & Post-Natal
  • Ethical, social & cultural awareness for pregnancy

Further, in your mentoring sessions we’ll also cover the business side of pregnancy yoga, including any questions you might have about the practical/logistical aspects of setting up and running your own Pregnancy/Postnatal yoga classes.

This training is suitable for anyone interested in sharing yoga with pregnant people. 

If you are not currently a 200 hour yoga teacher, I’m still very happy to welcome you to the course after a quick chat about your experience with yoga. I welcome trainees currently completing their 200 hour teacher training.

I welcome practitioners from across disciplines who work with birthing people to take this course. This course is suitable to take if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

There is no age limit. If you have an injury or condition that you are concerned might affect your capacity to participate, please get in touch with me to discuss how I can accommodate you. 

If you are unsure or would like to discuss the eligibility criteria, please do get in touch: harriet@nourishyogatraining.com

Our maximum capacity for online learning sessions is 25 students, and in your mentoring sessions you’ll be working with small groups no larger than 4 students. In our experience this is a much smaller group size than many online trainings!

So you’ll have a mixture of the benefits of group learning and being able to draw on other peoples’ experiences and questions, alongside more personal attention in your mentoring sessions.

graduation requirements

In order to graduate and receive your certificate, you must:

  • Have paid for the course in full
  • Attended all sessions 
  • Have demonstrated engaged & interested participation in group discussion & activities
  • Satisfactory completion of all assessment pieces, including written assignments, reflections, pre-reading, and final teaching practice.

I think that assessment should enrich & support your learning process, not create stress and worry. All your assignments are designed to suit your learning style & pace, they’re not meant to be long, arduous or overly technical. More details on all assessment pieces are provided upon enrolment.

course materials

You will be provided with a hardcopy of our Pregnancy & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training manual, with the cost of printing and postage included in your course fees.

We recommend that you have the following props:

  • Yoga mat
  • Strap
  • 2 x yoga blocks
  • Yoga bolster
  • 2 x yoga blankets
  • Eye pillow

You will have full access to our online learning platforms, you’ll find handouts and other materials are provided. This includes access to a library of Harriet’s pre-recorded Pregnancy Yoga classes. There are no required book purchases, though we will provide you with a full bibliography.

accreditation

We are accredited with Yoga Alliance International, who have over 80,000 yoga teachers registered worldwide and are an internationally recognised accreditation body.

We chose to be accredited with Yoga Alliance as our students are international folk and we appreciate their rigour.

cost & bursaries

Early bird price: £545 (until 31 December 2023)

Standard price: £595

10% discount for NHS/service workers/students

Payments plans are available, and I’m committed to making this course affordable and accessible. 6 monthly payments of either £90.83 (Early bird price, before 31/12/23)) or £99.16 (Standard price, from 01/01/24). Please email Harriet using the button below to discuss your personal circumstances if you require an alternative.

I’m happy to consider a work-swap in lieu of payment, or discuss your personal circumstances if you are in financial difficulty/low income.

I’m also offering bursary spaces at a reduced cost of £300 to members of the LGBTQIA+ communities, and BAME/PoC communities. If this is you and you’d like to join the course, please email me using the button below.

application process

  1. Please email Harriet letting her know a little about you & your interest in the course: harriet@nourishyogatraining.com
  2. If you’re keen to enrol, we’ll discuss payment. To secure your place, payment is required, either in full or the first installment of your payment plan.
  3. You’ll be asked to complete our enrolment form, and then the process is done!

 

Upcoming Dates – Spring 2024

*final few spaces remaining*

24 & 25 February 2024 – Introduction & First Trimester
2 & 3 March 2024 – Second Trimester
9 & 10 March 2024 – Third Trimester & Birth
23 & 24 March 2024 – Postpartum & Teaching Workshop

All sessions delivered live via zoom.

Cost 

Early Bird Price: £545 (until 31/12/23)
Standard Price: £595

10% discount for for NHS/service workers/students.

See below for information on payment plans & bursaries.

Included in course fee:
  • all teaching sessions
  • training manual
  • access to online resource portal
  • 3 x 90 mins small group mentoring sessions
"I was very fortunate to take the Nourish Pregnancy Yoga training during my first pregnancy, and it was brilliant. I chose Nourish because of their dedication to deliver inclusive, person-centred training programs that are supportive and offer flexibility with live and catch-up sessions online. Harriet and her colleagues deliver an extremely well rounded course that has given me the confidence to support participants in their pregnancy and postnatal yoga journey. Thank you Nourish!"
Laurie
2022
"[This] comprehensive training looks at the changing anatomy of pregnant people and its relation to the practice of modern yoga (asana, breathing exercise, and meditation). Harriet’s commitment in encouraging trainees to empower their students in mind and spirits forms the foundation upon which the inclusive teaching method is developed. I definitely would recommend it to any yoga teacher who is interested in taking a pregnancy teacher training."
Verna
2018
"I was really thrilled with this training. The quality of the teaching was very high - the course was thoughtfully and carefully put together and I felt that it covered all the topics required, and more! The instructor was very knowledgeable and passionate about the topic, and I felt excited every day to go and learn from her. It was also great to hear from guest teachers, including a midwife and active birth teacher. The atmosphere was so supportive and friendly, with lots of space for discussion and questions. I feel confident, encouraged and empowered to teach pregnancy yoga, and I feel that this training has also benefited my teaching to non-pregnant students."
Emma
2019
"My brain exploded with the information and I found myself in even more awe of the female body, how it grows, adapts and returns. I also couldn’t believe how many people that have had children were not aware of such information."
Em
2020
"The amount of knowledge on offer was amazing, it helped me to feel really confident in understanding pregnancy (especially as someone who hasn’t experienced pregnancy). The diversity in trainers was great, it meant we could learn from their experiences as well as the content. I think it was really important to have people specialise in areas too - I.e midwives, active birth coaches, etc..."
Sarah
2020