$2,599.00

Embodied Woman: Prenatal & Postpartum Yoga Teacher Training with Amber Sawyer, PhD, Apr 14 - 26

River Valley
90-hour Yoga Alliance Recognised Course
Embodied Woman: Prenatal and Postpartum Yoga Teacher Training with Amber Sawyer, PhD
April 14 - 26, 2024

As women, we are cyclical creatures. From experiencing life through our emotions, our monthly moon cycles and our archetypal journey including for some from Maiden to Mother, our path and life experience is not linear. To be an embodied woman, means to know that in our deepest truth, our source of knowledge lies within the body, within these cycles, as an intuitive knowing. An embodied woman uses her feelings and her body as a starting place to ground her choices and actions. In Ayurveda, the Shakti Prana of every woman exists within her womb, as an inner strength that affects every level of health, the wax and wane of all cycles and the attunement with our intuition and empathy.

This unique prenatal and postpartum yoga teacher training, recognised by Yoga Alliance, provides a holistic perspective on the natural cycles of a woman’s life from preconception to pre and postpartum, for the expectant Mother, grounded in awareness and embodiment. Leaning on the principles of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, we will explore how the Elements function during these cycles, as well as how to tailor asanas, pranayama and meditation specific to these life stages. Going beyond the traditional role of teaching yoga, this training dives deeper into how to hold space for these sacred transitions, from honouring moon cycles to cultivating a conscious and healthy pregnancy, to preparation for an active and mindful birth, to support for the entrance into matrescence and the postpartum journey.

Created through Amber’s personal experience of conscious conception, pregnancy and empowered birth, two decades as a yoga practitioner, one decade as a yoga teacher, several years of offering pre/postpartum yoga, her work as a birth doula and midwife assistant, combined with her scientific and Ayurvedic backgrounds, this training brings forth a unique perspective on maternal health and wellbeing through the yogic path. Following this training, you will be equipped with the skills and confidence to safely teach pre/postnatal yoga and to honor these sacred life passages with sensitivity, wisdom and connection.

"Yoga and meditation are the strongest offering that we can give to a pregnant woman. Through conscious pregnancy, birth and early parenting, we set the foundation for life-long health and happiness in a child.”
— Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa

COURSE OVERVIEW

  • Understanding women’s physiology, hormone cycles and health
  • Application of menstrual cyclical wisdom to a yoga practice
  • Holistic view of fertility, womb care and female pelvic anatomy 
  • TCM/Ayurveda/5-Element Theory for preconception, pregnancy and postpartum
  • Anatomy and physiology of pregnancy
  • Trimester specific asana, pranayama and meditation during pregnancy
  • Guidelines and contraindications for teaching prenatal yoga
  • Preparing sequences for prenatal classes, prenatal modifications, or pregnancy-related complications
  • Safe core training during pregnancy and postpartum
  • Understanding the role of the pelvic floor before, during and after pregnancy 
  • Stages of birth and labor anatomy
  • An overview of the medical model of birth and alternatives with active birthing
  • Optimal fetal positioning
  • Cultivating intuition and empowerment through embodiment practices
  • Understanding the emotional terrain of the expectant Mother, the birth of the Mother and into the postpartum journey
  • The importance of postpartum healing and support through a yoga practice
  • Guidelines and contraindications for postpartum yoga
  • Sequencing for postpartum yoga
  • Reconnecting to the body, pelvic floor balancing, improved core functionality in postpartum
  • Diastasis recti and other postpartum complications
  • Breath awareness during preconception, pregnancy and postpartum
  • Yoga practices to support through miscarriage, birth trauma and postpartum complications
  • Application of these principles into daily activities or other styles of asana classes

WHY IS THIS TRAINING UNIQUE?

There are many incredible prenatal/postnatal yoga trainings offered internationally with exceptional teachers. This particular training is unique in that it is a perfect blend between Eastern (esoteric and traditional) and Western (evidence based) perspectives on pregnancy, birth and postpartum. While we spend time looking at the cyclical and elemental nature of a woman during these life events and phases, we also spend equal time exploring the scientific literature relevant to anatomical and physiological changes during these phases. We will have special guest lectures by a women’s health physiotherapist and other birth workers during the training to enrich our learnings and discussion. The contents of this course have also been reviewed by Women’s Health Physiotherapists and are up to date with the most recent perspectives on maternal health. Additionally, Amber has a passion for pelvic floor health and how this relates to women’s health through all life stages and weaves this fascinating and incredibly relevant and profound knowledge through the training.

SCHEDULE


Sunday, April 14
12pm - 3:30pm (Opening Circle)

Monday - Friday, April 15 - 19
7:45am - 6:15pm

Saturday & Sunday, April 20 & 21
Rest days

Monday - Friday, April 22 - 26
7:45am - 6:15pm

Sample schedule
7.45am - 9:15am Yoga Practice
9:15am - 9:35am Break
9:35am - 11:45am Theory/Practicum
11:45am - 1:15pm Lunch
1:15pm - 3pm Teaching Methodology/Practicum
3:15pm - 5pm Theory/Practicum
5:15pm - 6:15pm Yoga Practice

TUITION

Early bird (by March 3): $2,299
Regular: $2,599

SUGGESTED READING

The below are books that Amber recommends as supplemental and optional reading material to prepare for the training and to continue to support you afterwards. These books are not mandatory to read and are only offered as recommended reading material and references for your journey as a Prenatal/Postpartum Professional. Amber has found all of these books useful within her own experience of understanding, learning and sharing prenatal and postnatal support.

Women’s Health, Women’s Physiology and Cycles

  • Wild Power by Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer
  • Wild Feminine by Tami Lynn Kent
  • Yoni Shakti: A Woman’s Guide to Power and Freedom Through Yoga and Tantra by Uma Tuli
  • Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom by Christiane Northrup, M.D.

Pelvic Floor Health

  • Pelvic Liberation by Leslie Howard

Yoga for Women

  • The Woman’s Book of Yoga & Health by Linda Sparrowe and Patricia Walden
  • Yoga: A Gem for Women by Geeta S Iyengar

Yoga for Pregnancy & Postpartum

  • Inner Beauty, Inner Light: Yoga for Pregnant Women by Frederick Leboyer
  • Yoga Mama: The Practitioner’s Guide to Prenatal Yoga by Linda Sparrowe
  • Iyengar Yoga for Motherhood: Safe Practice for Expectant & New Mothers by Geeta S Iyengar
  • Yoga for Pregnancy and Birth by Uma Tuli

Ayurveda for Pregnancy

  • Yoga Mama Yoga Baby: Ayurveda & Yoga for a Healthy Pregnancy and Birth by Margo Shapiro Bachman
  • Ayurvedic Garbha Sanskar: The Art and Science of Pregnancy by Dr Shri Babaji Tambe

Pregnancy & Birth

  • From Fear to Love: Your Guide to a Fearless Magical Birth by Red Miller

Postpartum

  • Diastasis Recti: The Whole Body Solution by Katy Bowman 
  • Newborn Mothers: When a Baby is Born, So is a Mother by Julia Jones

CANCELLATION POLICY

Cancellations received 30 days before the start of the course incurs a fee of $250.
Cancellations received less than 30 days before the start of the course results in full forfeit of the tuition fee.

ABOUT AMBER SAWYER



As an Embodiment Facilitator, Amber shares the joy of living through holistic practices of yoga, active meditations, elemental wellness, as well as combines these offerings with her service as a birth doula and holistic guide for pregnancy/postpartum women. With more than 25 years of study and practice in Yoga, Ayurveda and Meditation, as well as a PhD in Biomedical Engineering in the field of stem-cell tissue repair, Amber brings a unique perspective on healing and self-discovery through the influence of scientific and ancient wisdoms.

From 2009 to 2018, Amber founded a community in the heart of Singapore known as Satsanga where she offered & organised weekly active meditation, yoga classes and community events. With decades of study under the tutelage of well known teachers, Amber has more than 1200 hours of yoga training and 1400 hours of Ayurvedic training. After enjoying the birth of her daughter in 2015, Amber’s work primarily focuses on empowering women to have a conscious pregnancy, birth experience and preparedness for motherhood. She currently serves as a birth assistant and doula, teaches pre/postpartum yoga, pelvic health yoga & elemental yoga, as well as offers her 90hr YA Embodied Woman Prenatal and Postpartum Yoga Teacher Training biannually. In 2019, Amber founded Embodied Woman Yoga, which is a platform for courses, CEUs, Yoga Teacher Trainings and resources related to women’s health, particularly pregnancy and postpartum. 

Amber relocated from Singapore in 2022 after 16 years on the island and now resides in Mallorca, Spain, continuing to offer her work online and internationally.