The study of the anatomy and physiology of pregnancy and birth can lead the yoga teacher and practitioner to grasp the miraculous complexity of the changes that occur in the female body. The female body is intimately connected to nature and the earth (gunas), following cycles of the seasons in various stages of her life and the cycle of the moon. Through lecture, palpation, discussion and activities students will learn the physiology of pregnancy and childbirth, pelvic anatomy, in depth knowledge of the trimesters from a scientific and energetic perspective, conditions related to pregnancy, the importance of bringing awareness to the baby from a endocrinological perspective and the positioning of the baby (fetal positioning), the stages of labour, an exploration of hormonal changes and their effects on physiology and psychology and the anatomy of the breathing body.
The understanding of the physical processes and the development of the fetus we can bring awareness to the interconnectedness and interdependence of mother and child. This can be explored through the connections of baby and the positioning of the baby (fetal positioning), the concept of one person becoming two people, the spiritual and physical connection between the mother and baby through the body (placenta) and energetically through the nadis, development of the baby’s lungs and the connection of mother to the development of her baby. Students will also become familiar with complications in pregnancy and special considerations in yoga.
Yoga, fully understood, is participation in the force and source of life, traditionally named Shakti, or Mother. It is an utterly nurturing and intelligent power that is responsible for all phenomena and it is specifically, and very tangibly, what moves new life through women when we give birth, bringing us spontaneously into the Natural State, Sahaj Samadhi.
Pregnancy is an opportune time to honour our integration in the fabric of the universe and the complete intimacy of relationship between mother and child that is a given. In other words, love is inherent to being alive; love is the absolute substance of reality, so we can trust that we can’t lose love, no matter what the social circumstances may seem to prove.
Compiled by ASY’s International Facilitators
Thank you to our many teachers, students, the Divine Feminine and pachamama for your wisdom, guidance and inspiration. To all those who have shaped our lives to bring us to this moment, we offer our gratitude and appreciation. We honor the many teachers that have walked this path before us and the bright souls who will continue to bring forth these ancient healing technologies into the world.
