The Birthlight school first changed my perspective on teaching yoga to women in 2014-15, when I studied pre- and postnatal yoga with Kirsteen Ruffell. I had been teaching traditional hatha yoga and yoga nidra for seven years, and found the ‘Birthlight way’ to be a game changer – the micro-movements, […]
The role of the mother’s biochemistry in foetal development is well known. Good nutrition and avoiding toxins are advocated in all maternity care programs. There is less awareness however about the information relayed by mothers to their unborn babies about their perceptions of the world around them, including their attitudes […]
Is it fair to say that my WW Yoga training has changed my life? I’m not someone prone to emotional outbursts, but in this case, the answer is most definitely YES! I first met Françoise in 2007 when I was pregnant with my 2nd son – I was part way […]
I first found Well Woman Yoga in 2011. I had been teaching yoga already for 22 years. In 2009 I donated a kidney to my son, aged 15. Needless to say, this was an enormous transition on all levels for me-not least because I was 51 and at the same […]
Baby Communication Week Day 7 14 – 21st June Soon after the birth of my first granddaughter Rosie, it became clear that Grandpa Gerry had a uniquely effective way of soothing her. Cradling her in his arms, he bounced left and right in small rhythmical steps, then forwards and back […]
Baby Communication Week Day 6 14 – 21st June Singing is one easy way to communicate and bond with your baby before birth, it doesn’t necessarily have to have words, you could just hum a melody to your baby in the womb when you feel happy and relaxed. Make sure […]
Baby Communication Week Day 5 14 – 21st June My name is Liz Thompson and I am a Birthlight baby massage, and mother & baby yoga instructor. A while back, I was asked to share my experience with you regarding our 2017-2018 yearlong audit at the Royal London Hospital, Barts […]
Baby Communication Week Day 5 14 – 21st June Thanks to Jay Ehrlich winning The Lady Allen of Hurtwood Award for her work as a Hospital Play Specialist she was able to travel to the Brazelton Institute in New York City and further her research on supporting baby communication in […]
Baby Communication Week Day 4 14 – 21st June Lockdown hit new mums hard. Wonderful Nurturing Baby Massage and Yoga teachers stepped in to fill the void of live classes by serving their families well with livestream sessions. In virtual space we enjoyed the ease of the Zoom Casual while […]
Baby Communication Awareness Week Day 3 14 – 20th June The adorable Crystal Faith and lovely mummy Yemi have known only pandemic life together. They have used the time to joyfully grow their relationship. Newborn Crystal with mum Yemi attended Marion’s livestream BabyYogaMassage sessions where they enjoyed nurturing the strong […]
Baby Communication Awareness Week Day 2 14 – 20th June 2021 ‘So what about now at the start of your newborn’s life? Figuring out how she shows you what she needs, and how you can respond effectively, is the first job, and it happens without the support of language. It’s […]
Baby Communication Awareness Week Day 1 14 – 20th June 2021 After months of waiting, preparation and imagining, meeting a new baby unlocks an unexpected set of physiological, sensory and behavioural responses that parents can never fully anticipate. Many of these responses are mammalian traits, such as checking and exploring […]
Why Birthlight Yoga for the Menopause? Menopause is a key time of change for women. Whether this transition is experienced easily or with difficulty, women welcome a chance to be in the company of other women who are going through or have been through the menopause. At Birthlight we pay […]
Mirror Learning Webinar With Hugo Lavalle, Acquarella, Italy. Co-hosted by STA and Birthlight How do babies pattern their movements in water long before they can follow instructions or even stories that captivate their imagination? Babies grow their brains and their sense of self through movement in interactive, ideally loving, relationships […]
Francoise Freedman talks to “Green Parent” magazine regarding what’s different about Birthlight Baby Swimming! Baby baths – every parent knows about baby baths. We do them on a regular basis! But Francoise Freedman in her article in “Green Parent” magazine shows us that bathtime can be more than just about […]
Françoise Freedman will be speaking at the BeYogaBeyond Symposium running from 23- 25th April 2021. The Symposium is organised by the European Yoga Federation and will be the first symposium held by them. The focus of the meeting, featuring over 25 speakers, 10 special guests and 10 musicians, is to […]
Together with 899 other people, I registered to hear the findings of the Report on the ‘Maternal Pandemic’ in an event jointly organised by the Centre for Mental Health and the Maternal Mental Health Alliance and funded by Comic Relief. A ‘bitter-sweet’ day, as the Chair of MMHA put it. […]
Network Yoga Therapy, founded by Anneke Sips who is a Birthlight teacher in the Netherlands trained in Perinatal Yoga, Postnatal Yoga and Well Woman Yoga. Yoga Therapy Network run by Anneke Sips recently hosted an online retreat around the theme of “a holistic approach towards mental wellness”. The catchline was […]
The art of teaching with dolls As Birthlight teachers, you probably recall falling in love with your doll as you named it and practised with it on your first courses. We all have funny stories about our dolls. I cannot forget the worried face of a passenger who thought I […]
Over the last few months Birthlight has been enjoying the benefits of online courses. Due to the lockdown Birthlight found itself in a position where it needed to offer courses but without the ability to meet face to face. For some courses this was easier than others. The land courses […]
Spot interview with Avni Trivedi Avni TrivediOsteopath & Zero BalancerConscious wellness in a Modern [email protected] 123 719 What motivated you to choose applications of osteopathy to the reproductive process, qualifying as a paediatric osteopath?I’ve always been interested in health in a preventative and holistic sense. When you’re treating a baby […]
In 2021, Birthlight will continue working with Amurtel, an NGO that uniquely focuses on the wellbeing of refugee pregnant women and mothers in Greece. Françoise gave a training there last year to empower community leaders in refugee camps to be able to support other women. Next year we would like […]
New Book “Hormonal Harmony” by Susanne Haegele “Hormonal Harmony – A Natural Guide to Women’s Wellbeing” by Susanne Haegele, Birthlight Wellwoman graduate. Puberty, fertility, maternity, menopause… these major phases of a woman’s life have something in common: the deep impact of hormonal changes. This book shows you how to be […]
Fear no more; integrate special babies into your Baby Yoga class with confidence Jay Ehrlich, “Yoga with special babies” tutor Fear … we all feel this from time to time -that is human nature – instinct, but it is what we do with this emotion that counts most.I have worked […]
Jiggles & cuddles help babies grow Baby Yoga is an ideal practice for creating the balance between stimulation and calm that helps babies grow. Finding this balance is of supreme importance during the time of COVID, as we go out less on shorter and rainy days. Our home environments are […]
Spot interview with Dr Stella Acquarone, founder of the Parent-Infant Centre www.infantmentalhealth.com. Stella Acquarone’s pioneering work with parents and infants is relevant to all that we do in Birthlight, but most particularly to Baby Massage/Baby Yoga teachers and Infant Aquatics teachers. Some Birthlight members may remember her inspiring presentation about […]
Francoise Freedman, founder and director of Birthlight, will be a keynote speaker at the upcoming “Birthing the New Humanity” conference. The organisers say … At this time of change and global uncertainty something new is being born within our global family! This positive movement for change: We call it Birthing The […]
‘Don’t you miss that ‘sleep’ at the end of class!?’ Vicky was asking the other mums about Yoga Nidra at the end of the Pregnancy Yoga session when she arrived for her first Baby Massage and Yoga session with young Oliver. She soon realised that indulging in such deep relaxation […]
A new, updated edition of the book “Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond” by Francoise Freedman will be coming out in December. This book gives you step-by-step yoga postures specially adapted for each trimester, and relaxation techniques and simple breathing exercises will show you how to adjust to the physical […]
Relaxing jointly with your baby triples benefits. You relax, (s)he relaxes,the two of you relax together. Relaxation is an essential part of all yogapractice: it integrates breath and movement and enlivens the subtle energiesof the body. It is a skill that your baby acquires for life, at a time when […]