Yoga is quickly becoming one of the most popular fitness programs for expectant mothers, and yoga training centers recognize the need for their teachers to be educated in the risks of pregnancy and the modifications necessary to work with pregnant women.
Prerequisites and Qualifications
Prenatal and postnatal yoga are specialized forms of classic Hatha yoga. A minimum level of 200 hours of training in traditional yoga might be required if you plan to teach prenatal or postnatal yoga. Yoga Alliance registered yoga studios might require its prenatal and postnatal teachers to train for 500 hours with a Yoga Alliance recognized school. Yoga Alliance calls for at least 75 hours of contact training with an additional 10 hours of curriculum to register as a prenatal yoga instructor. It is not necessary to have gone through a pregnancy to teach prenatal or postnatal yoga, but having experienced yoga and pregnancy personally will certainly give you an advantage in a classroom setting.
Where to Train
Most yoga training centers offer courses in prenatal and postnatal yoga. Training centers specific to prenatal and postnatal yoga, such as the Prenatal Yoga Centers in New York City, have several branches in the area, or the Mamaste Yoga classes and workshops through Samatva Yoga in Okalahoma City, Oklahoma, which has been designed to follow the guidelines of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. If you are nowhere near a yoga center that offers pre- and postnatal training, check local studios to see whether they offer any workshops. Oftentimes, the yoga community can reach out to see whether a teacher from another city can visit to teach at a local studio. Put in a request to bring a yoga alliance registered, experienced prenatal teacher to your city for a workshop or even an extended training program.
Learning Modifications
Modifications are essential to the pre- and postnatal yoga programs. Pregnant women who choose to go to a pre- or postnatal yoga class do so because they want to make intelligent choices in regards to their bodies during and after pregnancy. Prepare yourself for the modifications that are necessary for pregnancy by becoming familiar with the stages of pregnancy and the risks that are present with each stage. Props are another important factor because each woman will have different needs for comfort and protection while they practice. Your prenatal training will include knowledge of props and how to use them. If it doesn't, then ask your teacher to include props in the coursework, because it will come up in a real classroom setting.
Applications
Even if is it not required in your coursework, it would be wise to assist in a classroom with a certified prenatal/postnatal teacher during or directly after your training, The adjustments, modifications and use of props that you could learn from an experienced prenatal teacher are invaluable. Talk to the students. Listen to their complaints and learn what helps them feel more comfortable and stable in a pose. Everyone's body is different, and the same is true of pregnant women. What feels good for one woman will not be good for another, and preferences between women will change during the stages of the pregnancy. The Yoga Alliance lists trimester-specific techniques and contact hours with an experienced registered yoga teacher as a requirement in their prenatal standards.
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