PREGNANCY YOGA TEACHER TRAINING

Pregnancy Yoga Teacher Training

with Alexa Dean in association with The Shala

This comprehensive training helps teachers enhance  their skills to confidently and responsibly serve their pregnancy community while improving their marketability as a yoga teacher.

This training offers a balanced mix of theory, holistic, technical, practical and spiritual approaches. It provides students with valuable knowledge and tools to teach yoga to pregnant women safely and confidently. First weekend sessions are Virtual Livestream and second weekend In-Person in London. It also includes self-paced independent study combining Childbirth Education, Community and Asana & Pranayama Practice.

It is ideal for qualified yoga teachers, recent teacher training graduates or those still completing their yoga teacher training who want to specialise in pregnancy yoga. This training is also beneficial for keen yoga practitioners who are pregnant, birthkeepers, doulas and midwives to enhance your professional skills and build a new career path.

Ruth Ehrhardt – ‘The Basic Needs of a Woman in Labour’.

Ruth Ehrhardt is the mother of 4 home birthed children, a South African traditional midwife, author of The Basic Needs of a Woman in Labour, birth and midwifery teacher, as well as a yoga practitioner of 21 years. She is the daughter, grandaughter and niece of midwives, so it seems this work was in many ways predestined from birth. Ruth has an innate love and trust for birth, women’s bodies, and babies’ intelligence. In her teaching and work, she mainly focuses on guarding and protecting the environment for pregnancy and birth, as opposed to guiding or facilitating the actual birthing process. For more information on Ruth visit truemidwifery.com

Thando Zwane – ‘Becoming an Inclusive Birthworker’

Thando is a Birthkeeper; a facilitator of the holistic aspects of birth and beyond. Working with families in London and beyond, she brings the sacred and science together in a grounded and knowledgeable way. A birth & postnatal doula, doula mentee, hypnobirthing teacher & birth preparation educator, she is also the co-founder of Birthing in Colour, a charity established to inform Black & Brown birthing people of their choices & rights and reduce the disparities faced during the perinatal phase. For more information visit www.paramanabirthkeeper.co.uk

TESTIMONIALS

‘Such an amazing experience! So grateful to have been on your course with a special group of ladies’ – Malicha, PYTT 2024

Just finished the final weekend of a pregnancy yoga teacher training course with Alexa. The itinerary was well put together with plenty of variety and a good mixture of lectures and practical exercises. Every session, we had a fascinating talk with a guest teacher – all specialists in their respective fields. Alexa herself was a compassionate and engaging leader who generously shared her wisdom with the group. I done my research before investing in the course, and wasn’t disappointed! – Ashleigh, PYTT 2024

“Alexa is a wonderful teacher, she has such a fun energy and a true passion for what she does. Her pregnancy yoga teacher training was so thorough, a mix of practical and theory based learning with amazing guest teachers. She has such a wealth of knowledge and experience. Will definitely be back!” – Talia, PYTT 2024

“Undertaking my Pregnancy YTT with Alexa came at the perfect time for me. I had started pairing back my work as a midwife and wanted to start working with women in a more holistic way. Completing Alexa’s training in February has enabled me to work towards my bigger goal of doing this. Alexa’s passion for teaching pregnancy yoga & supporting women is tangible and it was so wonderful for her to share this with us. She also weaves her wisdom of birth, from years of practising as a doula, into the course, and invites an additional 7 inspiring speakers to talk on topics such as ayurvedic nutrition in pregnancy, psychology of the fetus & newborn and osteopathy. The combination of the passion, wisdom and knowledge shared means that as a student, you not only learn about the modifications and elements of safety required to teach pregnancy yoga, but also you learn to appreciate the magic of the female body and become inspired to support women on their journey through pregnancy, birth & into motherhood.” – Eva, PYTT 2023 

“I really enjoyed my pregnancy yoga teacher training at the Shala. Alexa is a brilliant teacher and the course also benefited from having many guest experts teaching sessions. I was lucky enough to take the course whilst pregnant myself, and Alexa made this a really special experience, surprising me with a Mother Blessing. Through Alexa’s facilitation our group enjoyed a really precious training and bonding experience and I was able to take a lot of this knowledge into my own pregnancy and birth experience. I’m looking forward to taking this knowledge into my own teaching. It was also great fun and there was lots of dancing!” – Natalie, PYTT 2023 

“Alexa is an extremely knowledgeable and deeply caring teacher. Learning about Pregnancy Yoga with her has been a rich and immersive experience. The training was never boring and very comprehensive. Her experience as a doula made the course extra informative and provided me with the necessary tools to start teaching pregnant women with confidence. Alexa is a person you can count on, a true mentor. I would recommend her to anyone without hesitation.” – Chiara, PYTT 2023 

“The training has been such as enriching experience. The whole course was extremely thorough as well as being varied, with lots of time dedicated to implement our learning through focused tasks and teaching practice. It was invaluable to attend in a range of different lectures, offered by experts in their field. Alexa shares her knowledge and experience with such warmth and generosity, creating a caring, joyful atmosphere for us to learn, share and develop as teachers.” = Harriet, PYTT 2023 

“This teacher training is a full and well rounded course that left me feeling confident to teach pregnancy yoga classes straight away on completion. Alexa is the most passionate and generous teacher. She has created a course that reflects the range and depth of her interest and experience, which is deep and wide! And she shares her knowledge and encouragement limitlessly. She brought together some fantastic guest teachers who teach particular modules on the programme, bringing diversity of experience and expertise to the subject. The learning methods are varied, balancing theory and experiential work well. I highly recommend this teacher training if you want to dive deep into the subject of pregnancy yoga, as a teacher or practitioner.” Lizzie – PYTT 2023

“I studied for my pregnancy yoga teacher qualification with Alexa in October 2021. I had never met her before but I trusted my instinct to learn with her. I was delighted to discover I had made a wonderful choice. Alexa’s teachings come straight from her heart. Her years of experience and practice shine through. For a subject that can feel intimidating, as there is so much to take in, Alexa delivered the material in manageable components, encouraging us to always practice what we learned. The manual she put together was also a work of love and filled with so much valuable information. Not only this but the speakers that came to the course added a variety of voices and really helped me integrate this new knowledge. Before I trained with Alexa, I was uncomfortable teaching pregnant students. Now I have a growing confidence and a continual support, from my group of fellow students and even Alexa herself. I will always be grateful to Alexa for guiding us through this material. Thank you.” Laura, PYTT 2021

“From the first session I was blown away by the close connection of the whole group and Alexa’s ability to hold such a sacred space. The course was run over two weekends which worked really well as I felt I could immerse myself in intense study while having a week to process in between and time after to complete the coursework and teaching practice. Alexa invited some wonderful and inspiring specialists to talk and this was a very inspiring part of the course. To have access to professionals working in the industry was invaluable and amazing to have a space to ask questions and have open discussions. The course structure worked really well and each day felt very well balanced – time split between yoga practice, talks, teaching practice and open discussion. One of the highlights of the course was having a one to one meeting with Alexa to consolidate everything and receiving her feedback on our teaching practice. This is invaluable as a yoga teacher! Alexa’s love and wisdom was the guiding light throughout the training and after completing three other yoga teacher trainings over the past 15 years I can honestly say that this was the most comprehensive, informative and transformational training. I found the course deeply healing in processing my daughters birth and it allowed me to gain confidence in teaching pre and postnatal yoga.” – Laurie, PYTT 2021

“Alexa taught us how to build nourishing, safe, woman and baby focused classes. The training has been like no other yoga course I have done and I mean that in the best possible way! She is a kind, fun and light-hearted trainer who generously shared her platform with others that inhabit the birth world. By hearing from doulas to midwives, osteopaths to hypopressive trainers, birth educators to campaigners we, her students, received a thoroughly well rounded learning experience. Alexa’s presentations were delivered to a very high standard and the handbook she has written continues to be a fantastic reference for class planning. The coursework and business plan help you stay focused during the training and cement what you have learnt once the course is complete. The concluding 1:1 is the best gift of all because its an opportunity to directly benefit from Alexa’s experience and wisdom. Her first cohort learnt on Zoom but regardless, Alexa’s warmth, passion, creativity and zest for (new!) life was transmitted through our screens.” – Pippa,  PYTT 2021

“Alexa is a very special teacher and mentor, I am so grateful for her wisdom and guidance. Alexa has a way of nurturing her teachers in a caring, non-judgemental and compassionate way. She shares her life experience, studies, research and knoweldge and allowed us to feel confident and empowered to teach pregnancy and post-natal yoga. It felt different to other trainings I have attended as there was no judgment or fear with Alexa’s training, you are given permission to learn and explore at your own pace which I believe is very important. Since the training with Alexa, I have gone on to teach predominantly pregnancy and post-natal yoga and set up my own business. During this time I have continued to connect with Alexa to feel supported. Thank you for a wonderful experience and teaching me to be a more compassionate teacher and practitioner.” – Lucy, PYTT 2021

“I just wanted to send a quick note to thank you for such a comprehensive and thoughtful training. I loved getting to practice your class each day of the training and all the sessions with you and the guest speakers were incredibly informative, eye-opening and enriching. Having the opportunity to go through this training experience while pregnant was very special.  And our group was so lovely as well!” – Nicole, PYTT 2021

“I thank you for the wealth of content and interventions of other professionals that you have offered, they have been very useful for me to realize how important aspects and collaboration with other professional figures are beyond positions and sequences. I really appreciated the authenticity and naturalness and at the same time the seriousness with which you placed yourself towards us. I have always felt at ease even if my English is not of a good level. I found the private assessment session you offered us very useful. Thank you very much for all the stimuli and marketing advice you have given me by perfectly hitting my fragility in that field. Thank you for the commitment, attention and effort you made towards us to offer us the best in this Teacher Training. Thank you very much Alexa I hope to be able to put all the content and advice you have given me to good use.” – Elisa, PYTT 2021

“I was fortunate to be part of the first intake of students on Alexa’s PYTT with the Shala in 2021. I began with the intention to provide safe practice to my existing students who wished to carry on practicing with me during their pregnancy. As a result of the course, Alexa’s teaching and the inspiring and informative guest teachers, I altered my view dramatically. The insights gained from the course left me compelled to teach a dedicated class to empower pregnant people to feel into their bodies, to connect with their babies, in a safe and supportive way. The course is non-dogmatic and provided a very balanced and inclusive foundation for teaching pregnancy yoga, with all the tools one could wish for. I was impressed by the varied guest practitioners who joined the sessions, each providing their own insight into pregnancy, women’s bodies, empowerment and working alongside medicine as wellness practitioners. Importantly, Alexa included a D&I segment to the course, sensitively addressing the inequalities that exist for pregnant women of colour, of low income, and the importance of advocacy and empowerment through perinatal services. The course was incredibly comprehensive and Alexa was generous with her knowledge and her time, extending far beyond the prescribed teaching hours. The content of the manual, lovingly compiled by Alexa and drawing on her wealth of knowledge gained from a cross-section of teachers and wellness practitioners, has been invaluable. I continue to refer to the books, manual and my notes when preparing for a class. Lastly, upon completion of the course and homework submission, Alexa dedicated 2 hours to providing a feedback and coaching session. This helped to focus my business plan, take practical steps to move my business forward and helped to build confidence in my teaching which Alexa had observed. I am incredibly grateful for Alexa’s generosity, sharing her knowledge and her time. This final 121 session was truly an invaluable experience and one I have not experienced on any other training course. As a student I have felt greatly supported by Alexa, throughout the course and beyond. Alexa’s dedication and passion is unwavering and I am delighted I took the opportunity to do my PYTT with her and The Shala.” – Daisy, PYTT 2021