om yoga teacher training guide
Does your yoga qualification really
cover you to teach everyone?
You did attend a talk on children’s yoga as
part of your course. You were also instructed
to treat pregnant woman as individuals. So
surely that means you are able to teach
the whole world? Absolutely, you can teach
whoever you want.
But do you think that lecture on children’s
yoga has equipped you to teach children;
or the pregnancy notes given are enough to
see a student through the nine months of
pregnancy and then the postnatal phase?
One could argue that a body is just a
body no matter what age or what life stage;
one could also argue that yoga is the same
no matter who you’re teaching it to.
In part you are right, but let’s start from
the beginning...conception!
As soon as a woman conceives and the
fertilised egg becomes an embryo, major
internal changes start to take place in her
body. Hormone levels rise causing a range of
Specialist
training
The need for a specialist training course for teaching
children and pregnancy yoga. By Veronica Greene
symptoms from nausea to loosening joints.
Cardiac output increases and blood pressure
drops. All changes which are perfectly normal
but will affect her balance, mood and body
awareness. As the pregnancy progresses
the weight of the baby will affect digestion,
circulation, breathing not to mention the
pressure on her pelvic floor.
At this time many women decide to take
up yoga for the first time! Many health
practitioners recommend it as they deem
yoga a gentle form of exercise. This, of
course, will depend on the class and the
style that is being taught.
As 10–20% of spontaneous miscarriages
happen in the first trimester taking up
any new activity at this stage is not
recommended. Even after the 1st trimester
many instructors do not feel comfortable
having a pregnant woman in their class as
they have a duty of care for not only the
mother but also the unborn child. This is
unfortunate as yoga is wonderful physicallyand mentally for a healthy pregnancy
and birth.
Many yoga postures are deemed
unsuitable for pregnant woman as
they may put too much pressure on
the abdomen or pelvic floor – mostly
closed twists, abdominal work and strong
backbends. That’s the general guideline
for a ‘normal pregnancy’ but what about
the common problems that can and do
occur in pregnancy – high blood pressure,
gestational diabetes, prematurely dilated
cervix, Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction?
In some yoga traditions even standing
postures would be avoided especially if there
is a history of miscarriage – and these are
the mainstay of many a yoga class!Post natal yoga
After the birth, yoga is fantastic to rebuild
the body without any risk to the now,
born child. Again many changes have
to be made:- prone positions where the