Birthlight CPD – Yoga to support Perinatal Mental Health before birth

Description

Where: Livestream online

Date: 10 &11 September 2022 13.30-17.00 UK time

Course Cost: £65 members/£80 non-members, assisted places are available to those resident in low-income countries.

Summary

This CPD introduces a yoga-based approach to ‘mental wellness’ for pregnant women (and couples) for Birthlight-trained Perinatal  and Yoga for Maternity teachers . It will equip teachers with additional resources to prioritise the mental health needs of pregnant women and their growing babies. Following this CPD teachers will be better able to promote women’s self-healing during pregnancy, raise their self-confidence to approach birth and motherhood, and instill resilience responses to stress in prevention of postnatal depression.

Prenatal anxiety and depression are increasingly acknowledged among perinatal mental health conditions worldwide, affecting one in seven pregnant women or more. The Maternal Mental Health Alliance calculates that in the UK the annual cost of perinatal mental illness amounts to £8 billion, costing the nation about £10,000 per birth. Besides the economic impact, the effects on affected mothers and their children cannot be underestimated. Maternal mental health affects the baby’s development in the womb and in the crucial  early years as well as  the mother’s ability to bond with the baby and enjoy mothering. With a focus on prevention for pregnant women who have elevated stress levels or who are exposed to external stressors, Birthlight offers additional practices in yoga for pregnancy to uphold perinatal mental health. Our goal is to promote wellbeing and reduce or eliminate risks of developing more serious mental health problems.

The CPD includes:

An illustrated presentation of the spectrum of mental disorders currently affecting pregnant women and a list of points that can help perinatal yoga teachers differentiate common conditions from more serious mental health problems requiring professional help.

A review of yoga practices enlisting the autonomic nervous system, based on recent research (anatomy of breathing, polyvagal system, part played by the thoracic diaphragm in relation to the lower back and the abdomen). Integrated theory and practice will help teachers explain and teach the practices. These complement the Yoga taught in the Birthlight Perinatal Yoga Diploma (pranayama, nada yoga (sound) mudra and mantra).

An original set of yoga resources to help pregnant women access ‘deep rest’ on the mat and then be able to integrate relaxation ‘off the mat’ in their day to day lives. The Birthlight concept of ‘active relaxation’ in restorative poses is not new but it is applied specifically to prevent and alleviate the harmful effects of stress and mood disorders. Interoception of mother-fetus interactions is highlighted to promote pre-birth bonding.

Several ready-to-teach sequences of energetic yoga practices designed and tested to support pregnant women affected by anxiety and/or depression. These sequences, that include chair yoga, practices to the wall, rebozo fluid practices, are accessible to all women.