The Value of Being a Postpartum Yoga Instructor
When Lauren and I started co-teaching as Whole Mama Yoga nearly 7 years ago, my passion was teaching newly postpartum women and birth parents.
That time period, the postpartum period, was so overwhelming for me personally, so coming out of early motherhood and back into "real life," I knew I wanted to serve women and parents in that same situation.
I think that's why my favorite part of our Prenatal and Postpartum Yoga Teacher Training (PYTT) is facilitating the Postpartum portion of the training.
Lauren and I are not just teaching yoga asana in the PYTT - we are also teaching how to facilitate ease and rest for new mothers.
Yoga asana is certainly part of of the training! Much of the postpartum section of our training is focused on how to rebuild core and hip strength safely and how to stretch and strengthen tight and tired shoulders.
But one important thing that postpartum moms and parents need is a chance to feel supported, held and relaxed. That shows up in targeted breathwork (diaphragmatic breathing, deep sighing, anti-anxiety breath practices), in the creation of and chanting of mantras (my favorite is probably "The Ocean Refuses No River") and a focus on sweet, restorative poses and kind words to offer to postpartum people while they move into a space of relaxation.
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On the latter, one of my favorite things to say in postpartum restorative poses is something like this, "There is no one to listen for. There is nothing you have to do. You can let go and trust that I am here, watching, listening, and keeping this space safe and sacred."
One of the biggest shifts of motherhood and parenthood is that you are suddenly so responsible (24/7, 365!) for another little being. It takes a physical toll, but it also takes an emotional, psychological, and existential one. We can't alleviate all of that, but we can certainly offer a moment of solace.
In the PYTT, we spend time talking about this, and how as yoga teachers we can serve women and birth parents in emotionally vulnerable times in their lives.
Our students who have graduated from the PYTT get this!
It makes me wish I could go back in time and have one of our sweet students care for me in a postpartum class when I was a new mother :)
We would be honored for you to join us for our upcoming PYTT, which returns in-person in Chapel Hill this February!
And please feel to reach out to us directly with any questions or concerns. We are available at wholemamayoga@gmail.com.