Diana Chendana introduces Oovi Family Activities Center in Taiwan

Diana Chedana is the latest Tutor to join our team as a Birthlight Baby Swimming Tutor. Here she shares her story and introduces Oovi, the center in Taipei that she and her husband have set up and been running since 2015.

My teaching journey began in 2006 when I was pregnant with my first child. It was during this time that I discovered Birthlight courses through the book ‘Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond’ by Françoise Barbira Freedman. The prospect of courses like baby swimming and baby yoga excited me, especially as I was on the verge of becoming a mom. Partnering with my friend Judy, we reached out to Birthlight and initiated our first training. This was motivated by the absence of such classes in Taiwan at that time, as we aspired to gain the knowledge necessary to engage in these activities with our own children.

We were so lucky that in 2007 Liz Doherty and Shawn Tomlinson were able to come to Taipei, Taiwan to teach us level 1 of the training. In the following year 2008 after my second child was born I visited Cambridge, UK to take my level 2 training with Sally Lomas and Shawn Tomlinson. Over the past two years, my husband and I have cherished our interactions with our kids through swimming and yoga. Through these activities, I’ve personally witnessed the positive impact they have had on the development of our three children. The picture on the left is me and my family (they are much bigger now ☺)

Me & my 8months old son during the Baby Swimming training, Our 1st Baby Swimming Training in 2007, Our 1st Baby Yoga training in 2007″

“At our center, our aim is to establish a cycle of joyful parent-child relationships through our classes. We envision Oovi as a place where more parents can share experiences akin to ours. These experiences will, in turn, serve as inspiration for more families to embrace the joys of parenthood and savour the beauty of every precious moment!”

While caring for my children, I passionately extended the reach of Birthlight programs through my part-time baby swimming and baby yoga classes. When I initiated my baby swimming and baby yoga classes in Taipei back in 2008, only a handful of parents participated, often discreetly without informing their in-laws, particularly for baby swimming classes. Traditionally, parents refrained from enrolling their children in swimming classes at such a young age, fearing they might catch a cold and doubting the benefits.
As time went on, spurred by positive word-of-mouth from parents who had attended the classes and increased media coverage, more parents gradually joined the classes. The growing interest was accompanied by a keen enthusiasm for obtaining the necessary training. Eventually, Judy and I joined forces to promote Birthlight courses in Taiwan, facilitating the introduction of Birthlight training sessions to the country from 2009 until the present day. Over the past 13 years, we have consistently hosted these training sessions annually, with the exception of the challenging times brought about by the Covid pandemic.

Here is a glimpse of the training sessions we’ve hosted in Taiwan since 2009:

Baby Swimming with Amanda, Baby yoga training with Sally, Baby Yoga training with Liz

Toddler swimming training with Julia, Special needs baby swimming training with Shawn, Baby and Toddler Yoga training with Marion

“I consider myself fortunate to have navigated the challenges of raising our three
children alongside my husband. The Birthlight courses played a pivotal role in
infusing our parenting journey with joy. Now, we are eager to extend this joy to other
parents by sharing our experiences.”

In 2015, my husband and I embarked on the journey to establish our own family activities center, Oovi. Providing a warm pool and child-friendly facilities, Oovi is specially designed to cater to newborns through preschool-aged children. At Oovi, our emphasis lies in creating a profound ‘Full-hearted parent-child interaction.’ We meticulously plan every aspect, from the environment and equipment to space, lighting, design, color matching, and beyond. The dedication to detail is evident throughout, enhancing the overall interactive experience. All our instructors hold Birthlight certification, offering specialized Birthlight programs including Baby & Toddler swimming, Baby Yoga, Baby Massage, and Aqua Yoga. Our center open Monday to Sunday and these classes are offered every week.

Below are some of the training photos that we hosted in Oovi and some photos of classes at Oovi:

Oovi Instructor’s CPD with Sally, Baby Massage training with Françoise, Aquanatal Yoga training with Françoise

Toddler Swimming, Baby Massage, Baby Yoga, Baby Swimming and Aquanatal Yoga classes all at Oovi

Here is some of our parents’ feedback about Oovi’s classes:

我們來體驗 1-2 歲隨班的親子游泳,覺得非常棒,透過各種有趣的活動帶動孩子能
自願入水,正是我們家需要的,老師上課步調也很適合我們家,運動得很開心,馬
上報名正式課程!
We attended 1-2y old baby swimming classes and find it fantastic! Through various engaging activities, the child willingly enters the water, which is exactly what our
family needs. The pace of the teacher’s class is also suitable for us, and we enjoy the exercise. We’ve immediately enrolled in the course!

海星老師很細心引導,小朋友上了 8 堂課後,進步很多,在水裡很自在,潛入水中
也會閉氣了。其他老師們也很親切專業,環境乾淨舒適
Teacher Hai-Hsing is very attentive in guiding. After attending 8 classes, the child has made significant progress, feeling comfortable in the water and even learning to hold his breath when submerging. Other teachers are also friendly and professional, and the environment is clean and comfortable.

非常舒適的游泳環境,人數控管良好,整體動線也非常舒適,館內的設施都非常安
全與適合小嬰兒學習游泳,老師上課很有耐心也很有專業度,能觀察小朋友的狀態
並有耐心的引導家長一起讓小孩更放鬆的體驗。櫃檯人員都很有耐心,同時對於課
程的說明也非常充足,能讓父母很放心的享受游泳體驗
A very comfortable swimming environment, well-managed attendance, and overall layout are very comfortable. The facilities inside the facility are very safe and suitable for infants to learn to swim. The teachers are patient and professional, observing the children’s condition and patiently guiding parents to help children relax and enjoy the experience. The front desk staff is very patient, and the explanation of the course is also very sufficient, allowing parents to enjoy the swimming experience with peace of mind.

Oovi Family Activity Centre, Taipei, Taiwan https://www.oovi.com.tw/articles/birthlight-英國生之光｜促進孕期至幼兒時光的美好體驗-嬰兒游泳瑜珈