Many people believe that in order to do their pregnancy yoga teacher training, they need to have been pregnant. As several pregnancy yoga teachers and their students will tell you, this isn’t the case at all. Just as there are highly empathic and qualified midwives who have never been pregnant, some of the best pregnancy yoga teachers have also never experienced pregnancy.
It is entirely possible to have a deep respect and appreciation for the birthing process and to compassionately hold space for women’s health in general without having experienced every possible women’s health event or issue.
So, if you’re considering embarking on this rewarding journey, here are a few reasons why you don’t need to have been pregnant to become a wonderful pregnancy yoga teacher.
YOUR TEACHER WILL INSPIRE YOU
Your teacher will inspire you through her teaching and, consequently, you will become deeply respectful of, and awed by the mystery of life, the incredible intelligence of the birthing body, and the beauty and creativity of expectant mothers. This respect for your students will fire you up to be a teacher with a sincere passion for your work. When you begin your pregnancy yoga teacher training, you step into a powerful exploration of the birthing process.
TRAINING BRINGS WISDOM
After graduating from this training, your knowledge of pregnancy and birth physiology will be so comprehensive that you will have real wisdom and evidence-based knowledge to share with your students. Your knowledge will often surpass or build upon theirs, making you a reliable and relevant voice in their journey towards birth and parenthood.
THE BREATH AND THE PRACTICE UNITE US
In our practice of pregnancy yoga, we all (teacher and students), tune into the very essence of life via the breath. This practice therefore cannot be exclusive. Each and every one of us is connected by the breath, by our prana and by our very existence.
We work in a deep and subtle way through our teaching, to tap into this profound experience of life and to facilitate a means of the mothers on the mat connecting with the babes in their bellies. A hugely fulfilling privilege.
YOUR KNOWLEDGE ADDS VALUE
As a yoga teacher, your knowledge of movement and breath already equips you with so much that is of value to pregnant women. In the training, you will learn how to apply your expert knowledge in a very specific and focused way, to enhance the experience of pregnancy and the preparation for birth amongst your students.
YOU WERE ONCE A BABY!
You were once a baby in a belly. Regardless of your personal relationship with your mother, you naturally have a cellular memory of movement and breath from inside the womb that a good teacher will help you to unlock.
This may become a profound aspect of your teaching, incorporating somatic and intuitive movement, and feeling deeply soothed on a soulful level, deeply connected to yourself, your students and the babes in their bellies.
BECOME QUALIFIED WITH A PYC PREGNANCY YOGA TEACHER TRAINING
When you do your pregnancy teacher training with the Power Yoga Company, you’ll leave with a solid understanding of your field of expertise and your limitations.
Lulu Winfield has been teaching at The Power Yoga Company since 2007. She is the creator of the PYC pre and post-natal yoga department. She is also a founding member of Doula UK.