As a woman and a mother, I am proud to say that I have taught many prenatal and postnatal yoga classes. It was important to me to be able to offer the benefits of yoga to the pre-and postnatal population to help support women on their journey through one of the most profound and essential experiences of their lives.
Women undergo an incredible physical transformation while pregnant, and knowing how to safely guide them through a yoga practice is an honor and a duty. Half the population are women, and most women have children. Being a yoga teacher who does not know how to offer modifications for pregnancy is a disservice to the women who are doing one of the most critical jobs on the planet: forming human life!
Many pregnant women try yoga for the first time, as more doctors and midwives recommend it to help alleviate aches and pains experienced during pregnancy. Prenatal yoga allows women to exercise safely, prepare their bodies for birth, de-stress, and connect with their bodies and their babies.
Many women also find yoga after giving birth to get back into shape, reclaim their bodies, and gently ease back into exercise after the significant experience of having a baby.
Taking prenatal yoga teacher training allows you to share an incredible gift with women in designated prenatal classes. More importantly, it will enable you to offer support, acknowledgment, modification, and unique guidance to any pregnant woman in your yoga class. As a yoga teacher, becoming certified in prenatal yoga adds incredible value to your ability to teach inclusively and increase your expertise. It is an invaluable addition to your teaching repertoire!
This article will explore ten of the best online prenatal yoga teacher training available. Here are our top selections:
These programs offer comprehensive classes for the aspiring instructor, each with a unique emphasis, and are all approved by the Yoga Alliance.
Article Topics
How Do I Become a Prenatal Yoga Instructor?
The first step to teaching prenatal yoga is to become a certified yoga instructor, which requires a minimum of 200 hours of study. Many yoga teacher training programs are available, in-person and online, and some even offer basic prenatal modifications.
An excellent prenatal certification course should cover the following:
- The physiology and biology of pregnancy
- Modification of postures for all trimesters of pregnancy
- Safe and unsafe poses for pregnant women
- Relevant mental health information and practices
- Class planning and management
Beyond this, the course creators decide what topics to cover. Prenatal yoga teaching certifications tend to have specialty areas, some focusing on mental health or prioritizing physical health and preparedness for labor and delivery.
While there are no legal regulations for prenatal yoga instructors, the industry sets its guidelines for hiring and membership with the Yoga Alliance as a Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT).
What is a Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPTY)?
The Yoga Alliance (YA) is a nonprofit organization that has received international recognition for its services to the yoga community. Among other resources, they also offer a comprehensive network of approved classes.
The Yoga Alliance is not a legally binding organization, such as a college accreditation board, but they are an industry standard. Many yoga studios prefer to hire instructors whose certifications are approved by the Yoga Alliance to verify the standard of education received. Additionally, completing one of their approved courses means that you become registered in their directory.
According to the Yoga Alliance, anyone who wants to be a prenatal yoga instructor must meet specific requirements to ensure their knowledge and the safety of their students.
The YA requirements to become an RPTY are as follows:
- Completing a 200-hour yoga instructor course, certified by the Yoga Alliance.
- Successful completion of an 85-hour prenatal yoga instructor course with a Registered Prenatal Yoga Studio (RPYS).
- Has at least 30 hours of prenatal yoga teaching practice following completing training with an RPYS.
These are the minimum requirements to register as a prenatal yoga teacher with YA. However, many yoga studios have additional requirements that you must meet to be considered for employment. These could include any of the following:
- CPR or first aid certification, particularly with prenatal instruction. The studio wants to ensure that their students are in safe hands. It is essential to be prepared and to know how to handle a situation, like if a woman’s water breaks during class.
- The studio may require that you lead a healthy, active, and fit lifestyle. Anyone seeking a yoga class wants to be healthy, and the teacher should embody the lifestyle they are promoting.
- Some require proof of strong leadership or business management skills, particularly in smaller studios where teachers share some of the management burden.
When researching which courses and skills to obtain as a prenatal yoga instructor, you should first look at the type of studio where you want to work. Check the requirements of several studios whose principles align with yours.
What is the best prenatal yoga instructor certification?
Ideally, the “best” certification is the one that most closely aligns with your own beliefs and practices while still challenging you to explore new ideas. Some instructors prefer to focus on physical health and relieving the ailments of pregnancy, while others more heavily prefer emotional well-being as a method to improve physical health.
1. My Vinyasa Practice: 85-Hour Prenatal Yoga Teacher Certification
My Vinyasa Practice presents an extensive 85-hour Prenatal Yoga Teacher Certification program meticulously crafted to provide specialized expertise in prenatal and postnatal yoga instruction. Successful graduates of this Prenatal Yoga Teacher training can seek accreditation of the esteemed RPYT credential awarded by Yoga Alliance.
This comprehensive program enables you to confidently and compassionately teach expectant mothers with in-depth knowledge and practical skills. As you progress through the course materials, you’ll uncover the impact of yoga on the journey of motherhood. A practicum is required to ensure a well-rounded understanding.
What you’ll receive:
- Introduction to teaching expectant mothers. Scope of prenatal yoga instruction and gain insights into pose modifications tailored to meet the unique needs of pregnant women.
- Anatomy & physiology of fertility. Intricacies of the female fertility cycle and develop the skills to support those facing fertility challenges.
- Contraindications. Adapting yoga poses to accommodate specific conditions during pregnancy – pose modifications, pranayama adjustments, and adaptations for pratyahara practices.
- First trimester. Effective yogic interventions, including suitable asana practices, pranayama techniques, and mantra practices.
- Second trimester. Additional asanas, pranayama techniques, and mantras to support expectant mothers.
- Third trimester. Advanced practices, asana sequences, pranayama techniques, and more.
- Labor & delivery & yogic interventions. Preparatory postures, pranayama techniques, and pratyahara practices to support through this significant phase.
- Postpartum support. Interdependence and rebuilding the vital energies of prana, ojas, and tejas after childbirth.
- Yoga after childbirth. Self-care to restore balance for new mothers and leverage yoga to establish nurturing routines for postpartum well-being.
Pros and Cons:
Graduates will be fully equipped to teach prenatal and postnatal yoga. They will also gain access to a supportive community and ongoing resources to enrich their teaching and personal prenatal yoga practice. Additionally, My Vinyasa Practice’s 85-hour RPYT program meets the stringent certification guidelines.
My Vinyasa Practice also offers a 40-hour Prenatal Yoga teacher training program, which you can check out as a comparison.
The disadvantage of this program is that it is a comprehensive online program without a live component. My Vinyasa Practice offers live support 24/7 via email, chat, and phone, so you can always contact them to ask questions. However, some students may find self-motivation with a 100% online, self-paced program challenging.
- Prerequisites: None, but 200-hour RYT recommended
- Hours of study: 85 hours
- Access: Lifetime
- Cost: $840
- Course Style: Self-paced
- Yoga Alliance Certified for CEUs: Yes
- Yoga Alliance Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT) certified: Yes
2. Brett Larkin Yoga Uplifted: Pregnant and Powerful
Brett Larkin Yoga Uplifted is one of the leaders in online yoga certifications. Brett is full of raw feminine power and is passionate about helping other women realize their physical and emotional potential. Her classes are not only about the mechanics of yoga poses but also the psyche, turning physical exercise into something far greater and more potent.
While she offers many other yoga classes and certifications, one of her specialties is prenatal yoga. She includes prenatal training in her 200-hour yoga teacher training and is always mindful of the pregnant body in her approach to yoga.
Brett uses her experience of being pregnant to inform her 10-hour Uplifted Pregnant & Powerful™ Prenatal Yoga Certificate, in which you will learn how to teach the pregnant population with consideration to both the physical demands of pregnancy and labor, as well as the emotional needs of a pregnant woman. Brett strongly believes that good mental health is imperative to good physical health.
Please note you must order Pregnant and Powerful Teacher’s Edition, as the regular program is for pregnant people.
What you’ll receive:
- Yoga poses that are adapted for the pregnant body, with a focus on safety and birth preparation
- Posture and breathing techniques designed for pregnancy and active labor
- Teaching Prenatal Basics Videos
- Teaching Pregnant & Powerful™ Video & Audio Tutorial for Teachers
- 3 Pregnant & Powerful™ Yoga Sequences
- Mantras and mudras that are helpful at all stages, including pregnancy, labor, and postpartum
- Yoga practices that help rejuvenate energy for pregnant and postpartum moms
- Tips and tricks for creating and leading yoga classes
- Safety education for prenatal yoga practices
- Various mental energy practices, such as meditation, intuition exercises, and chakras
- Six prenatal class videos for Trimester 1 & 2
- Uplifted Prenatal Yoga Certificate (upon passing final quiz)
- Brett’s list of pregnancy resources, including books, podcasts, and products for a zen pregnancy
- The Pregnant & Powerful Course Guidebook, including a weekly plan for each trimester and classes organized by energy level
- 4 Workshops on Posture, Breath & Labor Preparation
- 7 Yoga Classes & Meditations for Trimesters 2 & 3
- 4 Postpartum Audio Lectures on Ayurveda, Yoga Postures, Mother’s Intuition, and Rituals and Routines
- Bonus content on Pre/Postnatal Yoga Nidra & Postpartum Kundalini Practice
Pros and Cons:
This comprehensive course can be completed within a relatively short time, and you can start bringing your knowledge into the classroom and begin teaching prenatal yoga immediately. The sheer volume of content you gain lifetime access to as a student of the Pregnant and Powerful Teacher’s Edition certification is enough to make this program worth taking.
In addition to accessing Brett’s prenatal yoga lessons, she also provides valuable instructional documents for you to use in your classes. The Brett Larkin Uplifed Yoga review will give you more insight and information about this school.
The disadvantage of this program is that it is only a 10-hour Yoga Alliance Continuing Education program, which will not suit you if you want an 85-hour RPYT program. It is offered as a yoga and education class for pregnant women, with a short addendum for the Teacher’s Edition that features information on teaching prenatal students.
- Prerequisites: 200-hour RYT (for the Teacher’s Edition)
- Hours of study: 10 hours
- Access: Lifetime
- Cost: $199
- Course Style: Self-paced
- Yoga Alliance Certified for CEUs: Yes, ten non-contact hours
- Yoga Alliance Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT) Certified: No
3. Yoga Farm Ithaca: 100 Hour Prenatal Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training
The Yoga Farm Ithaca Prenatal Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training is focused on the spiritual experience of pregnancy and birth. The 100-hour self-paced pre- and postnatal program encourages the mother to connect to her baby as much as possible. This online certification combines meditation to calm the mind, breath training to build connections within, and delves into ayurvedic knowledge to enhance and support women through the birth and postpartum experience. Students learn about every aspect of pregnancy, including the role of the yoga teacher in labor, delivery, recovery, and parenting support.
In the postnatal part of this program, students also learn how yoga can support the body after childbirth.
What you’ll receive:
- Live classrooms with weekly office hours
- 100 hours of training in Kundalini Yoga, Ayurveda, and specific applications to pregnancy, including Kundalini Kriyas (practices) for prenatal, each trimester of pregnancy and postnatal
- Inclusivity language for pregnancy support, cueing, and meditations
- Trauma-informed and sensitive teaching and techniques
- Pregnancy and birth as a spiritual endeavor – this is more than just fitness training
- Breath, Sound, Relaxation, and Visualization for childbirth preparation and support of the birth experience
- Concentrated meditation, awareness, and breathing practices around pregnancy and labor
Pros and Cons:
The main advantage of this fantastic 100-hour program is its specialized prenatal teacher training, which focuses on Kundalini Yoga, Ayurveda, and Hatha Yoga for the pregnant body. This course has no prerequisites, and you are welcome to join even if you are new to Kundalini Yoga!
Unfortunately, the practices taught in this program are outside of the guidelines of a YA RPYT. Yoga Farm Ithaca’s prenatal teaching certification program meets all YA standards, and you can apply for 100 hours as YA Continuing Education credits. Still, because of the focus on Eastern Anatomy, it will not entitle you to register as an RPYT.
- Prerequisites: None
- Hours of study: 100 hours
- Access: Lifetime
- Cost: $499 (pay in 3 available)
- Course Style: Self-paced
- Yoga Alliance Certified for CEUs: Yes
- Yoga Alliance Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT) Certified: No
4. Lauren Prindiville: 85-Hour Online Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training
Lauren Prindiville Yoga is a registered Prenatal Yoga School that provides a comprehensive 85-hour Online Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training for aspiring yoga instructors, doulas, midwives, and anyone interested in pre-and postnatal yoga.
The prenatal portion of the course equips students to teach, guide, and nurture women through their pregnancies. To understand the changes and challenges expectant mothers face, the unique aspects of each trimester are detailed. Students learn how to modify yoga poses to accommodate the pregnant body, adapt group classes, and incorporate meditations and pranayamas specifically designed for pregnancy. Safety precautions will also be emphasized to ensure a secure practice for mothers and babies.
In the postnatal section, students learn when and how to reintroduce various aspects of yoga after childbirth, addressing the specific needs of the postnatal body. In addition, guidance is given on facilitating parent and baby yoga classes and engaging and including a baby in practice.
What you’ll receive:
- Five meeting recordings, each spanning 90 minutes, providing interactive learning experiences
- 50-Hour Prenatal and Postnatal Online Course: pre-recorded modules that you can work through at your own pace
- Detailed PDF manuals for both the prenatal and postnatal sections, each containing over 100 pages of valuable content
- Supplementary voice-recorded lessons & videos
- A collection of curated sequences, pranayamas, and meditations that you can integrate into your teaching
- In-depth guidance on how to safely and effectively teach prenatal and postnatal women
- One-on-one support and feedback are provided after each assignment submission
Pros and Cons:
This teacher training program includes all the online course material you will need and assignments and questions you must submit to graduate. It also consists of the 30 hours of teaching you must complete to certify as an RPYT and 15 hours of observation that can be completed online. At the end of your program, you will be a fully Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance.
The price of the Prenatal Program includes an 85-hour Postnatal program (valued at $325).
There are minimal disadvantages to this program. The cost may be prohibitive for some, as it is relatively higher than others, and payment plans are only available after sign-up. However, many schools do offer payment plans for those who contact them personally to inquire.
- Prerequisites: 200 hr RYT
- Hours of study: 85 hours
- Access: Lifetime
- Cost: $799
- Course Style: Online
- Yoga Alliance Certified for CEUs: Yes
- Yoga Alliance Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT) certified: Yes
5. Santosha Yoga Institute: Online Pre + Post Natal Yoga Teacher Training
The Pre + Post Natal Yoga Teacher Training by Santosha Yoga Institute is a 50-hour Yoga Alliance Continuing Education-certified, self-paced, video-format program. Graduating from this course will give you all the skills you need to guide women through their pregnancy and beyond, on and off the mat. Santosha is an international yoga school offering in-person training in Australia, Bali, and Sri Lanka, as well as many online yoga training courses.
Students will learn how the pregnant body changes and what hormonal changes occur during pregnancy. Pranayama, meditation, prenatal postures, and yoga adaptations for pregnancy will be provided.
You will also be able to teach “Mums and Bubs Yoga,” a class for both mother and baby. Truly an asset to the yoga teacher’s toolkit of teaching skills.
What you’ll receive:
- Support from the dedicated online team and teachers
- Access to an easy-to-use online learning portal
- Santosha pre & postnatal manual and posture manual
- Comprehensive course video modules
- Santosha 50 pre & postnatal yoga certification
- 50 hours of continuing education with Yoga Alliance
Pros and Cons:
This course is fantastic for anyone interested in 50 hours of comprehensive prenatal and postnatal yoga teacher training. Their program is set up to help you succeed, including live support. This expertly crafted online program has all the tech bells and whistles.
Unfortunately, this program does not fulfill the requirements for a Yoga Alliance RPYT. It is also priced in Australian Dollars, so the exchange rate may change.
- Prerequisites: 200hr RYT
- Hours of study: 50 hours
- Access: Lifetime
- Cost: $350
- Course Style: Self-Paced
- Yoga Alliance Certified for CEUs: Yes
- Yoga Alliance Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT) Certified: No
6. YogaRenew: Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training
The Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training by YogaRenew offers a comprehensive online certification program that encompasses all facets of yoga tailored to pregnancy. This self-paced training empowers you to make a meaningful impact throughout pregnancy, labor, and postpartum.
This course focuses on the significance of community, anatomy, and support. Upon completing this certification, you will be confident that you can lead transformative prenatal yoga classes and contribute to community development for years.
What you’ll receive:
- Develop a thorough understanding of prenatal yoga.
- Insights into the physiological changes that occur in the pregnant body, including hormonal shifts, the role of breath, the pelvis and pelvic floor muscles, and common discomforts experienced
- Uncover unique considerations for each stage of the pregnancy journey, encompassing pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period, to provide suitable support and guidance throughout a woman’s pregnancy.
- Master prenatal yoga poses, including adjustments and safety precautions for both the pregnant individual and their child
- Meditation & Pranayama tools and considerations
- Learn specific skills related to the business behind prenatal yoga
- Class sequences and practice teaching
Pros and Cons:
Yoga Renew offers the mentorship and teacher guidance necessary to build a successful business around Prenatal Yoga. Their Prenatal Teacher Training page links to free prenatal yoga classes, which give you a taste of the teaching style and classes you can teach at the end of your program.
The main disadvantage is that this program is only 30 hours long and does not fulfill the requirements for the Yoga Alliance RPYT. You can only log your hours for Continuing Education.
- Prerequisites: None
- Hours of study: 30 hours
- Access: Lifetime
- Cost: $249.99 (pay in 3 options) – watch for sales!
- Course Style: Self-paced
- Yoga Alliance Certified for CEUs: Yes
- Yoga Alliance Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT) Certified: No
7. Yoga Bliss: Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training
Yoga Bliss’s Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training is a 25-hour self-paced online course that isn’t just for yoga teachers. There is no prerequisite to signing up. This program is also for pregnant women who want to learn more about their bodies and how to safely and effectively adapt their yoga practice while pregnant.
Taught and created by Gwendoline Ferreira, an E-RYT 500 and RPYT, who has been instructing yoga teacher training at all levels since 2016, students can be assured they will receive the highest level of schooling.
What you’ll receive:
- Understand the pelvic floor, engage core muscles, and comprehend the physiological changes during labor.
- Modify the postures for the various stages of pregnancy, including a side-lying savasana tutorial.
- The anatomical and physiological changes for mum and baby per trimester, including common complaints
- Harness the power of affirmations, intentions, guided meditation, and pranayama, offering a holistic approach to support both the physical and mental aspects of pregnancy and postpartum well-being.
- Particular circumstances: Diastasis recti, miscarriage, and postnatal depression
- Sequencing tips and teaching principles
- The opportunity to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs), making this an invaluable opportunity for yoga teachers
Pros and Cons:
One of the benefits of this program is that it is short but comprehensive. It is taught and created by a highly experienced yoga teacher and mother, ensuring you will receive excellent guidance to safely and expertly instruct mothers-to-be.
This is not an 85-hour RPYT, so while students can log their Continuing Education credits with Yoga Alliance, you will still need the official credentials. Additionally, if a student is looking for more than a 25-hour program, there may be better choices than this.
- Prerequisites: None
- Hours of study: 25 hours
- Access: Lifetime
- Cost: $257
- Course Style: Self-paced
- Yoga Alliance Certified for CEUs: Yes
- Yoga Alliance Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT) Certified: No
8. Happy Jack Yoga: Prenatal Yoga
Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training from Happy Jack Yoga is a 25-hour self-paced online course. It is one of the many training workshops offered by this yoga school. This program is part of their 300-Hour Yoga Mastery Program and can be applied toward pursuing your 300-hour RYT program with Happy Jack.
There are several ways to access this course. You can purchase it outright and have lifetime access, or you can become a Happy Jack member through a monthly or annual membership. Their membership programs offer full access to their 200-hour yoga teacher training, their entire online course platform, weekly yoga classes, group coaching, and live business Q&A. Monthly membership is $195 per month, less than buying lifetime access to the 25-hour prenatal program.
What you’ll receive:
- Learn to teach yoga to prenatal students in each trimester
- Modifications needed to support pregnant students
- Teaching skills to help you guide your students
- Share meditations, pranayamas, and mantras with pregnant yogis
- Prerecorded videos from a previous live training
- 25 hours of Yoga Alliance CEs
Pros and Cons:
This course may be right for you if you are interested in taking more than one supplementary yoga program, are enticed by the other offerings from Happy Jack, and do not need lifetime access to the course. There is an outline for completing this training in just five days, including a morning self-practice with a prerecorded video, a prerecorded live sharing Q&A, lectures, self-study, and evening meditation and practices, totaling 5 hours per day. If you buy a one-month membership, you could complete this training and more in just one month for a small saving on the total cost of the prenatal training.
This course may not be for you if you are interested in an RPYT, as this is only a 25-hour program.
- Prerequisites: None
- Hours of study: 25 hours
- Access: Lifetime
- Cost: $225
- Course Style: Self-Paced
- Yoga Alliance Certified for CEUs: Yes
- Yoga Alliance Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT) Certified: No
9. Ma Yoga: Live Online Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training & Certification Program
Ma Yoga is uniquely positioned as a non-profit organization whose mission is to offer yoga, education, and community to pregnant women and new moms to all women, especially in underserved communities, with diversity as a core part of their values. Ma Yoga also provides online training and business coaching around birth and wellness and even offers scholarships to ensure inclusiveness and accessibility.
Ma Yoga offers a free, five-day intro prenatal teacher training and many free yoga classes online so anyone can learn and decide whether to pursue their Live Online Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training and Certification Program. As an RPYS, their program meets the requirements for registering with Yoga Alliance as an RPYT. All Ma Yoga trainings are also noted for Continuing Education credit with YA and can be purchased individually.
This hybrid course has a lot of material and a live component. You must attend at least six live sessions, and the recordings are sent out the same day for immediate access. The school is very flexible, and to ensure your success, if you cannot make the six live sessions, you can rejoin the program with the next cohort. Ma Yoga gives you a year to complete your certification and gives you evergreen access to all the materials.
What you’ll receive:
- Instant access to the pre-recorded training and materials
- Access to all the live upcoming training
- 4 x 3-week training in the four categories:
- The Yoga of Pregnancy (18hrs) teaches safe, strengthening, and transformative prenatal yoga classes
- The Yoga of Healing (12 hrs): Learn how yoga can treat injuries and conditions, particularly those related to women’s changing bodies.
- Mayurveda Self Care (12hrs) Incorporate simple, easy, and powerful Ayurvedic practices to create a deeper connection.
- The Yoga of Birth (12hrs): Learn about the birth journey, taught by two birth and postpartum doulas/ Certified Ma Yoga Teachers.
- One year of 1:1 “Ma Mentorship” with a Certified Ma Yoga Teacher
- Optional weekly office hours
- Lifetime membership with their private online community
- Six months of Ma Collective Membership, including business coaching, masterclasses, weekly live yoga, and other resources
- Over 50 pages of handouts and guides
- Opportunity for paid teaching with complimentary online teaching training
Pros and Cons:
One of the significant advantages of this Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training is that it is open to all. Even if you are not an RYT 200-hour yoga teacher, you will still gain enough knowledge in this course to qualify as a “Ma Yoga Certified Instructor,” which allows you to teach your own “Ma Circle” without Yoga Alliance Certification.
The quality of their training materials goes above and beyond what many other courses offer. You have a year to complete your certification, lifelong access to all the materials, and the opportunity to retake training at no additional cost.
The main disadvantage of this training is that it might take you a year to complete if you cannot attend the six live sessions. Also, the price point is relatively high compared to many other online prenatal yoga teacher trainings.
- Prerequisites: None
- Hours of study: 85 hours
- Access: Lifetime
- Cost: $1297 (pay in 4 plan available)
- Course Style: cohort/live online
- Yoga Alliance Certified for CEUs: Yes
- Yoga Alliance Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT) Certified: Yes
10. Bliss Baby Yoga: Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher Certification
Bliss Baby Yoga is a school that trains yoga and non-yoga teachers. Still, they recommend having a solid 6-12 months of personal yoga practice. As their name suggests, this is another school focusing on mothers and babies. Their team comprises prenatal and postnatal yoga teacher trainers, midwives, doulas, childbirth educators, psychologists, physiotherapists, naturopaths, and Ayurvedic practitioners.
Bliss Baby Yoga’s Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT) Certification is its highest level of yoga training. It also offers a 65-hour Pre & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training, which allows you to upgrade to the 85-hour RPYT program later.
What you’ll receive:
- Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training (63.5 hours of pre-recorded videos)
- Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Anatomy & Physiology (5 hours pre-recorded videos)
- Two 1:1 live video call teaching practice sessions, plus 7 hours of assignments (4 hours live online)
- 12 months membership and mentorship held in monthly live Zoom Pre/Postnatal classes with Q&A
Pros and Cons:
One advantage of this program is that it is an 85-hour RPYT program taught at the highest level through a school dedicated to the birth and yoga industry. You have one year to complete your course, but all the materials are downloadable so that you can keep them forever. This timeline holds students accountable, even though they can complete the program independently.
One disadvantage is that the cost is higher, but there are options to pay in three or six monthly installments, making it much more affordable.
- Prerequisites: None
- Hours of study: 85 hours
- Access: 1 year. However, all videos and materials are downloadable so that you can keep them forever.
- Cost: $756 (pay-in-3 OR pay-in-6 plans available)
- Course Style: Self-paced
- Yoga Alliance Certified for CEUs: Yes
- Yoga Alliance Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT) certified: Yes
FAQs
How important is it to take prenatal yoga teacher training?
Very! All yoga teachers should know how to teach pregnant women.
How important is it to take postnatal yoga teacher training?
Most likely, you won’t know that a student is postnatal unless they tell you or you teach a postnatal-specific class. However, learning about postnatal yoga gives you an insight into the workings of the female body, the pelvic floor, and some conditions that could affect women in the weeks, months, and sometimes years following childbirth.
Is it necessary to take an 85-hour RPYT course, or can I take a shorter program?
It depends if you want to specialize or not. The more hours you spend, the more knowledge you will gain. If you’re going to get a recognized certification, then the RPYT sets you above the rest.
Should an online course have a live component?
The short answer is no. It doesn’t have to. An online course can be completely self-paced, and many are. However, if you prefer live interaction or need accountability, choose a course that offers live calls and mentorship.
I’m not a yoga teacher. Can I take one of these prenatal yoga courses?
Most of the programs listed above have no prerequisites. Some have recommendations that you are at least familiar with yoga, and others offer certification that allows you to host classes even without a 200-hour yoga teacher training. Most of the courses offered are also open to women who want to get pregnant, are pregnant, or wish to learn more about their bodies during pregnancy.
Do prenatal teacher training courses have a time limit for completion?
Some do, but the time constraint is usually one year long. Most offer a self-paced timeline, lifetime access to materials, or at least an option; others require you to download the material if you want to keep it. While some certification programs often hold you to a one-year completion requirement to complete, others offer extensions if you need longer than that.
Final Thoughts
Teaching prenatal and postnatal yoga differs significantly from leading a regular yoga class. All yoga teachers should know how to speak to the various populations in their class, and it isn’t professional if a teacher doesn’t address a pregnant student or offer modifications to them specifically during a class. It is a part of inclusive yoga instruction to teach everyone, not just limber ones!
Being able to teach a specialty yoga class is, of course, a bonus! Classes are explicitly for pre-and post-natal students with different physical and emotional needs. Even within a prenatal-specific class, there will be pregnant women in various stages of their pregnancy. There could be one who is in the first weeks of their first trimester, feeling nauseous and just embarking on the journey of nine more months. Or, there could be a student in their third trimester who is past their due date, coming to yoga to try to get things moving! Knowing how to teach and hold space for all these women is a must, and taking excellent training in pre and post-natal yoga is a requirement for all teachers!
Consider your values and what type of approach you want to take when you begin offering pregnancy yoga classes, then choose your certification course accordingly. One of the ten courses we detailed above could be what you seek.
