Baby Massage and Baby Yoga

Birthlight’s Baby Yoga ranges from gentle ‘relaxed holds’ for newborns to the adapted animal yoga poses that toddlers love. As a parent-baby interactive practice, Baby Yoga brings out the essence of yoga as connection through breath, enhancing natural development as it unfolds and joint relaxation. Baby Yoga’s hands-on active play benefits mothers and fathers as much as their babies. 

COURSE OUTLINE

The Baby Yoga training course integrates theory and practice related to babies aged 3months to pre-mobile (9-12 months variable) and offers further resources for 10-18 months, when babies are mobile. The course blends theory, practice and teaching methods with the aim of imparting practical proficiency and confidence to participants over a relatively short time.

The Training Course contents includes:

• The benefits of Baby Yoga in relation to infant development
• How yoga principles are applicable to early parenting
• Fundamentals of specific anatomy and physiology (birth to the third year)
• Fundamentals of development (postural reflexes, motor development,
• balance, sensory integration) related to practices taught on the course
• How to teach parents relaxation and breathing exercises with their babies (‘entrainment’ between parent and baby)
• Sets of Baby Yoga moves taught as ability-appropriate rather than as age-related practices to support good spinal alignment, rolling and sitting
• Cautions with use of props, safety guidelines, do’s and don’ts
• Preparation of class materials, and how to set up and manage your class

You will also learn:

• How to enhance parent-baby communication with attention to baby cues
• Teaching methods to balance activities (groups or one to one)
• Hands on assists that empower parents
• Baby Yoga resources to help lift postnatal depression by engaging mothers actively with their babies

Older babies Course contents includes:

• Benefits of Baby Yoga in the second year
• Fundamentals of development in the second year, with a focus
• on brain growth, memory, balance, patterns and individual process
• What is ‘emotional intelligence’ and how Baby Yoga promotes it
• Sets of Baby Yoga moves to enhance mobility
• How to teach Baby Yoga relaxation with parents in the second year
• Sequencing of activities (groups and one to one) with the use of
• simple props, songs and short stories
• How to build a class with babies of different stages
• How to relate to individual babies and parent-baby pairs while paying attention to the groups
• Techniques to help parents see their babies in a positive light with unconditional love and acceptance (particularly in cases of neuro-developmental delay and early trauma)

WHO CAN ATTEND THIS COURSE?

• The Birthlight Baby Yoga Diploma training course is open not only to qualified yoga instructors but also to other professionals working with babies from birth to two years
• Yoga teachers with an interest in babies (particularly those already teaching infant massage, postnatal yoga or kids yoga)
• Health professionals (nursery nurses, health visitors, family support workers) with an interest in yoga
• Children Centres Staff (child development practitioners, family support workers, outreach workers)
• Practitioners of Complementary Therapies with a specialty in babies
• Mothers’ route to training’ (Birthlight apprenticeships)

FORMAT AND DURATION 

There are currently two formats:

• In its Livestream Blended format, the course is delivered live by a Birthlight training tutor over live Zoom sessions amounting to 4 contact days in two parts. It also includes an online course component (e.g. online reading assignments, videos, quizzes, etc). A carefully designed programme allows participants to map their individual studying journeys. The course includes group work facilitated by the training tutor in Zoom breakout rooms. 
• The Face-to-face Blended format is 4 days of face-to-face meetings.  This comes with an online course component (e.g. online reading assignments, quizzes, etc) which supplements the face-to-face meetings.

More explanation about course formats (e.g. blended, face-to-face, etc) can be found on the FAQ page.

Study materials include:

• A comprehensive Baby Yoga manual given at the start of the course
• Explainer videos
• Baby Yoga Moves Handbooks for premobile and mobile babies
• Example lesson plans
• Substantial online resources 

ASSESSMENT

You will be assessed continually with quizzes and informal practicals through the course. To gain your teaching certification, you will need to submit a case-study (minimum of 3 sessions) and a recorded video (10 minutes) of your teaching as specified by the course tutor. Both are to be submitted within six months.

QUALIFICATION

On successful completion of all practical assessments, case studies and online assignments, course participants will obtain the Birthlight Baby Yoga Diploma qualification.

WHAT STUDENTS SAY ABOUT THE COURSE

“Engaging, informative, thorough, supportive, positive. The online training was very well organised and allowed me to do the course with a small baby which I couldn’t have done in person.”

— Lucy Corner, 2022 Baby Yoga course with Amelie

“The training as a baby yoga teacher at Birthlight was really inspiring and educational. I am now full of anticipation to finally be able to give my own classes and look forward to passing on the knowledge to the mothers.”

— Participant, 2022 Baby Yoga with Amelie & Bryony

“I have found Bryony to be an extremely knowledgeble teacher. The classes have provided me with so much information on babies development and mums postnatal recovery that I will be able to include in my classes in addition to the yoga exercises. I am excited to complete my training and get teaching.”

— Kirsty Lofts, Baby Yoga 2021

“I would highly recommend the BIRTHLIGHT Baby Yoga Training level 1 and 2 to anyone interested in learning a new skill that will support both babies and their caregivers. I attended this course online which has finally enabled me to gain this qualification as from living in Northen Scotland attending a face to face course isn’t really an option for me at the moment with a young family at home. My trainer was very supportive, knowledgeable and passionate about her role and baby yoga. A whatsapp group was established for supporting all the students and we actively use this to ask questions and share our experiences. If you are thinking about adding a new skill to your bow I would highly recommend Baby Yoga with BIRTHLIGHT.”

— Emma Owen, Baby Yoga 2021

“Level 1 and 2 Baby Yoga was a great experience and provided me with the theoretical foundation from which I can confidently underpin the activities with the babies. Bryony was a skilful teacher who enabled us to explore and discover our own way into working with mums and bubs whilst keeping things fun and safe for all.”

— Danielle, Baby Yoga 2019

‘The tutor was a very welcoming and a knowledgeable teacher with a very kind and motivating style. She was open for any questions and uses a great mix of teaching methods. I have loved this training and would definitely recommend it to others. A big thank you!’

‘I really enjoyed this course and it has really helped me to develop my confidence within my role as it’s all so new to me coming from education. Your style of teaching I really enjoyed and your in-depth knowledge made me inspired to work through the rest of the Birthlight courses. As someone with anxiety issues, I know the benefits of yoga and breathing techniques, so, to be able to apply that to stressed-out mums and babies is amazing. Thank you!’

‘This course was absolutely amazing. I believe everyone should have to take this course to regain lost knowledge. Or knowledge that hasn’t been passed down. I feel happy and confident, I have learned so much about myself and my body. I will recommend this to anyone who shows interest in baby yoga, I look forward to expanding my knowledge and teaching’. “It’s never too late, there is always a way” (a Birthlight nugget of wisdom). Thank you guys so much.’ 

— Shannon Fierke, Baby Yoga course 2016.