Train to offer Aqua Yoga classes and therapeutic sessions specifically aimed at supporting, enhancing and vitalising women’s physical and mental health and wellbeing in the unique and accessible medium of water.
2023 Training Course dates:
- 11 & 12th October live online 5-8pm UK (time tbc) and
- 30 October- 5 November 6 nights/5 full days Residential in Italy
WHY YOU SHOULD TRAIN IN BIRTHLIGHT WELL WOMAN AQUA YOGA:
What is special about the combination of water and yoga for women?
Moving, breathing and relaxing in water amplify known benefits of yoga such as maintaining and improving flexibility, optimising breath and cardiac rhythms, neutralising the harmful effects of stress and anxiety and more. Rather than the simple transfer of poses into water, Birthlight’s Aqua Yoga uses all the properties of water to adapt yoga poses in versatile practices done standing or floating, with breath awareness and relaxed stretching.
Differences in physical make-up between women and men affect buoyancy, body balance and weight distribution around the pelvis and thighs in water. Our therapeutic Aqua Yoga is informed by the latest research on women’s anatomy and physiology and new findings about water and its properties.
Well Woman Aqua Yoga is designed to benefit all women, irrespective of age, fitness, health status and previous experience with yoga and/or water.
Water has long been a healing medium that helps release both physical and mental pain, facilitating a different connection with our bodies, both energising and calming. With freedom to move in water comes self-confidence, calmness of mind and a greater ability to face the rigours of daily life. Many Birthlight Aqua Yoga practitioners have reported significant improvements to acute and chronic conditions.
Floating relaxation and meditation enhance land practices and deepen experiences of weightlessness and tension release. Immersion up to the shoulders and neck enables the full engagement of water’s properties and is a foundation of Birthlight Aqua Yoga.
Aqua Yoga can benefit all women; from non-swimmers who develop confidence with supported practices close to the pool walls, to competition swimmers who discover the benefits of slow breathing and glides.
For women new to yoga, the rhythms of aquatic practice can lead directly to the essence of yoga as harmony with oneself and the world. Buoyancy takes weight off joints and eases practice for those who find land yoga challenging. Experienced practitioners enjoy different explorations of yoga poses in unexpected, fluid ways.
Course Overview
- Introduction to Aqua Yoga for women’s health and wellbeing
- The Qualities of Water
- Anatomy and physiology of Well Woman Aqua Yoga
- Aqua Yoga adapted postures & variations for women. Aqua Breathing and Aqua Relaxation (integrated theory and practice)
- Breath and movement in water, using buoyancy and resistance
- Aqua Yoga therapeutic elements and sequences to promote hormonal balance, pelvic health, vital energy and core strength. Special applications for pre, peri and post menopause.
- Sequencing Aqua Yoga practices in flow sessions
- Therapeutic applications of Aqua Yoga
- Pools & Use of equipment and props
- Safety guidelines
- Teaching methods for Well Woman Aqua Yoga. Preparation of class materials and case studies (groups and one to one)
The 40 hour Birthlight Well Woman Aqua Yoga course is accredited with Yoga Alliance Professionals as a postgraduate course for 200h yoga teachers. YAP Diploma holders can use the YAP teacher badge. Accreditation with IICT is in process.
This qualification entitles you to teach general Well Woman Aqua Yoga classes and Therapeutic Aqua Yoga for Women’s health. If you would like to teach dedicated Aqua Yoga sessions for pregnant and postnatal women you will need to take additional training for these specific groups, see our Aquanatal training and contact the office for your discount.
Tutors:
Françoise Freedman
Françoise, founder of Birthlight, originally developed Aqua Yoga in her youth as her personal practice, out of her twin passion for yoga and swimming. Pioneering classes and 1:1 sessions in the 1990’s she has been developing this course ever since into the most comprehensive set of therapeutic adaptations of classic yoga practices in water. Aquanatal Yoga has been an integral part of her pioneering adaptations in Yoga for Pregnancy and Postnatal Recovery. She has extensive experience in making Aqua Yoga accessible to all women irrespective of age, fitness, previous experience of yoga and swimming competence.
For more information about Aqua Yoga read the article “Aqua Yoga” written by Françoise for “Yoga and Health” magazine.
Katy Offer
Water has always been part of Katy’s life. As a former competitive swimmer she has taught swimming for many years. After having her first child she started regular yoga classes and realised that there was a lot which connected the two disciplines. A chance conversation with Dr Francoise Freedman in 2008 showed her that Yoga in the water was possible, and so began her journey with Birthlight.
Having qualified with Birthlight to teach Aqua Yoga she found she loved Yoga so much that she qualified to teach Yoga in 2014. Yoga has taught her to focus on centring herself in the here and now and has expanded her understanding of the body and movement. She still finds it truly amazing how Yoga in the water allows you to practise a wide range of movements which are not always possible with Yoga on land, and loves the spiralling nature of the water on the body and the calmness found in floating. Aqua Yoga has taught her to feel how her body moves and how it benefits from those special subtle Birthlight Yoga sequences.
Katy Tutors Aqua Yoga for Pregnancy (Aquanatal yoga), Aqua Yoga for Health, and Well Woman Aqua Yoga. She also uses Aqua Yoga to teach children and adults, especially those with additional needs.