Pre and Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training

This innovative, unique at your pace learning, with in-depth in-person support training course is open for booking, start training today to use yoga to create community and support for women at this special time in their lives.

This YAP UK (90hrs) specialist training course will enable you to teach pregnancy yoga, postnatal rehabilitation yoga and mum & baby yoga classes safely and effectively to women both in person and online. The course is delivered through a unique mixture of at your pace training videos and manual resources, live-stream group further training workshops, class observations (both live and pre-recorded), and 1:2:1 mentor sessions.  View accredited course at YAP UK here.   After completion of this course you will be accredited by Yoga Alliance Professionals to teach pregnancy yoga, yoga for for birth preparation, postnatal rehabilitation yoga and mum and baby yoga classes, both in person and online.

The course is divided into the following two modules:

Module 1:Yoga for Pregnancy: Pregnancy yoga and yoga for birth preparation 

Module 2: Yoga for the Postnatal period: Postnatal rehabilitation yoga and mum & baby yoga

Who is the course for? Yoga teachers: The course is open to all qualified yoga teachers from any school or tradition. Trainee yoga teachers who are completing a foundation teacher-training course are also eligible to apply. Teachers must have a passion to use the physical and mental benefits of yoga to support women in this special and sacred time of their lives.

Yoga practitioners from other professions: Non-qualified yoga teachers are welcome to apply if they come from a related profession such as midwifery, medicine, doula, health workers, fitness instructors, body workers or education.  All non-qualified yoga teachers must have been practising yoga for at least two years and have attended a minimum of 40 hours of yoga classes.  

Time commitment: Due to the online nature of the course there is more flexibility to fit the course around every day life and work. You can join the course anytime and it takes between 10 to 16 weeks to work through the course and complete assignments, dedicating roughly 4/5 hours a week, however some students take longer or shorter time depending on their other time commitments and previous teaching experience. You are encouraged to complete the course within 6 months.

The Course Content (syllabus)

Module 1: Yoga for Pregnancy and Birth

Anatomy and Physiology 

• The physiological changes, hormones and emotions from conception to labour.

• Labour, a ‘normal’ labour and other courses of labour, including induction, intervention and caesarean-birth. 

• The pelvis and pelvic floor in pregnancy and labour.

 Complications in pregnancy

• Common conditions of pregnancy, including pelvic girdle pain or symphysis pubis dysfunction, sciatica, LBP, HBP, oedema, insomnia, fatigue, nausea, heartburn wrist pain, back pain and the impact of relaxin on the ligaments.

• More serious conditions, including preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome.

• The dark side of pregnancy, bereavement and grief.

 Yoga Asana

• Yoga in the first trimester, to practise or not?

• Asana and class sequences for the 2nd and 3rd trimester of yoga.

• Optimal Foetal Positioning and asana.

• The grey areas i.e. lying on the back, squatting in third trimester, when to stop or start adho mukha svanasana, baddha konasa, and inversions?

• Precautions, prohibitions and modifications in asana practice for women suffering from common conditions of pregnancy. Including safely integrating women with symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) into a class.

• Using props in asana: swiss/gym balls, pilates balls, blocks, bolsters, cushions, chairs, straps, and paired work.

• The pelvic floor: traditional kegels, postural asanas for pelvic floor engagement and release, and structural support of the pelvis.

• Yoga for birth preparation: birthing positions for the 3 stages of labour.

 Pranayama, meditation and visualisation 

• Breathing practices for pregnancy and labour.

• Working with sounds, mantra and mudra.

• Visualisations, affirmations and meditation for pregnancy and labour.

 Planning and teaching

• Lesson planning and class sequences to enable well rounded yoga classes that meet the varying needs of pregnant women.

• Incorporating yoga philosophy within a class.

• Teaching methodology in person and online.

 The business of teaching pregnancy yoga (2 hours)

• Setting up a class, suitable venues, class times, payment structures, health and safety and teaching safely online.

• Discussing birth with sensitivity and non-judgement.

• Marketing and networking.

Module 2: Yoga for the Postnatal Period

Working with mothers 

A Mother’s health and wellbeing, including postnatal depression, sleep deprivation, birth trauma, exhaustion, breast-feeding, the pressures of motherhood and further pregnancies.

The postnatal Period

• The first 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and beyond.

• The recovery process from birth and labour.

• Common physical issues, including diastasis recti, and wrist, back and knee pain.

• The impact of pregnancy, and labour on the pelvic floor and pelvis.

• The impact of breast-feeding on the body and our yoga practice.

 Yoga for Postnatal rehabilitation 

• Postnatal specific asana practices 6 weeks, 12 weeks and beyond.

• Rehabilitation yoga for diastasis recti

• Yoga for the “core”, the process of re-discovery.

• The pelvic floor: exploration of traditional approaches to the pelvic floor, including mula bandha and kegels, functional use of the pelvic floor.

• The use of small Pilates exercise balls.

• Pranayama and relaxation in the postnatal period.

 Mother and Baby Yoga Classes (6 weeks to 10 months)

• Baby development 6 weeks to 10 months.

• Asana for mother and baby together, including songs, movements, and visual props for babies.

• Yoga for babies.

• Ways to hold, lift and carry baby safely.

• Breath work, mantra/sound, and relaxation for mother and baby.

• Class plans and sequences for Mother & Baby yoga.

• Class management, managing the unexpected and health & safety.

• Teaching methodology online and in person.

The Business of running classes for mums and their little ones

• Setting up a class, suitable venues, class times, payment structures and teaching safely online.

• Child protection, and Enhanced Disclosures (CRB checks), our responsibility as yoga teachers.

• Marketing and Networking.

Yoga Alliance Professionals Accreditation: 90 hours in Teaching Pre and Postnatal yoga, this is a specialist yoga training course, accredited by Yoga Alliance Professional UK (YAP).  On completion of this course you will be qualified to teach pregnancy yoga, postnatal rehabilitation yoga, and mum & baby yoga classes. The course has met the stringent requirements set by the Yoga Alliance Professionals. Our graduates are trained to the highest standards, view accredited course here.

Course hours and materials

Up to 10 hours of 1:2:1 mentor sessions with Amy via zoom at the start of the course, after each module and in-module support.

30 hours of at your pace training lectures videos (including pre-recorded classes).

Access (via zoom) to live in-person pregnancy, postnatal and mum & baby yoga classes for observation (minimum 10hrs).

Access (via zoom) to live in-person further training workshops for yoga teachers. Further training workshops run each term so if you join the course and have missed a date it will repeat the following term Recordings available if you cannot attend live with additional mentor support (10 hours):

• The pelvis, pelvic floor and posture (Jan workshop available as recording, next live training 24th April 2pm-4pm)
• The grey areas of teaching pregnancy yoga (Feb workshop available as recording, next live training 15th May 2pm-4pm)
• Teaching yoga postnatally (Feb workshop available as recording, next live training 12th June 2pm-4pm)
• The business of teaching pre & postnatal yoga, including effective online teaching (next love training 13th March 10.30am-12.30pm)

Online written manual resources.

15 hours personal reading and research.

15 hours assignment, planning and teaching.

Written feedback for each assignment.

On-going support after course via Amy's specialist teacher training FB group.

On-going access to all online course material after the course.

Not included on the course:

Insurance to teach 

Set texts

Set texts:

Module 1: Pregnancy Yoga

1) Yoga for pregnancy, birth and beyond by Francoise Barbira Freedman

2) Yoga for Pregnancy and Birth: Teach Yourself by Uma Dinsmore-Tuli

3) New Active Birth: A Concise Guide to Natural child birth by Janet Balaskas

Module 2: Postnatal Yoga

1) Baby Om Yoga for Mothers and Babies by Laura Staton and Sarah Perron

2) Yoga for Mother and Baby, interactive poses for you and your baby Francoise Barbira Freedman

3) Yoga for mother and baby by Julie Llewellyn-Thomas

Terms and conditions

Booking (T&Cs)

The course costs £625, payment made in full or 3 monthly payments of £215 (£645) per month.

Refund and Cancellation Policy (T&Cs)

Due to the online nature of the course once your place is paid for it is non-refundable. 

Attendance and completion of the course (T&Cs)

Students should complete 100% of all modules within the course and complete all assignments. On completion of all modules and assignments Amy will notify Yoga Alliance Professionals that you have passed the course and gain certification.  A certificate of completion will also be emailed to you.  

Your details (T&Cs)

Please note that Amy Jones will pass on your details (name, email and phone number) to the Yoga Alliance Professional so they can contact you directly and invite you to register as a member of YAP UK. You understand you have the option of opting out of this registration process.  Your details will not be passed on to any other parties. 

Applicants from non-yoga teachers (T&Cs)

Graduates are only able to teach yoga in their professional capacity, as specialist teachers. Graduates are only trained to pregnancy yoga, yoga for birth preparation, postnatal rehabilitation yoga and mum & baby yoga classes. 

By purchasing the course you are agreeing to all the T&Cs laid out above, including the cancellation policy.  You are agreeing to adhere to the code of conduct policy and confirm you have read and are happy with the complaints procedure as listed on www.amy-yoga.com.