We are joined by Francoise Barbira Freedman, the Founder of Birthlight, Medical Anthropologist and Author.
What is Birthlight and how did it evolve?
I founded Birthlight in 1988 in Cambridge, UK and it has grown from local classes to a worldwide network of members, certified instructors and tutors. The Birthlight Trust is an educational charity, which promotes an integrated holistic approach to pregnancy, birth and babyhood with Yoga. Our aim is to help parents build a positive foundation for the nurture and enjoyment of their babies, from conception to the child's 3rd year.
We have developed 5 main areas of practice as training courses: Pre & Postnatal Yoga, Baby Yoga & Massage, Aqua Yoga, Infant Aquatics and Wellwoman Yoga. All courses are supported by books, DVDs and educational materials.
What is the Birthlight approach and how was it inspired?
The Birthlight approach is based on the careful adaptation of age- old traditional practices into simple exercises and relaxation techniques. Major inspirations have been the Indic tradition of Yoga and massage and the daily lives of the Amazonian rainforest people. Birthlight certified practices are increasingly supported by scientific research and the Birthlight Trust is committed to the validation of all reported benefits to parents and babies through it's research program. The integration of theory and hands- on practice in training courses is the hallmark of birthlight.
What makes Birthlight Pregnancy Yoga so unique?
Birthlight pregnancy yoga was developed in response to the pregnant women’s changing bodies month by month and to the need for greater flow in yoga practice in order to allow sustained comfort, protect the stability of joints and expand breathing capacity as babies grow. Birthlight pregnancy yoga has been designed to nurture body, mind and spirit together through body-based practices accessible to all women. Our focus is in reaching the deeper muscles with easy techniques carefully selected from the various aspects of the Yoga tradition through 30 years teaching experience. The practice of Birthlight Pregnancy Yoga will help each woman access the inner strength, confidence and ability to relax that she needs to experience childbirth and mothering.
What is Birthlight Baby Yoga?
Baby Yoga integrates simple practices that promote babies’ development and wellbeing through enjoyable interactions with parents, more particularly with mums, from birth to the second year. Postnatal exercise and relaxation are totally compatible with offering age-appropriate stimulation to babies through movement, touch and songs combined. Birthlight Baby Yoga was developed to enhance ease and fun all around, offering mums many practical resources so that their babies sleep and feed better and therefore cry less and to help them gain not just postnatal fitness but also access a relaxed style of mothering. Rather than a separate focus on baby activity or postnatal exercise, Birthlight offers an organic interactive program that gives both mum and baby what they each need while helping them to enjoy each other more.
What is SMART Toddler Yoga and how did it come about?
Mothers and babies attending Baby Yoga classes in the UK did not want to stop when their babies were walking. This called for a different set of interactive classes in order to offer new practices that would suit toddlers’ specific needs while continuing to be stimulating for parents. SMART (Stretch Move And Relax Together) Toddler Yoga was developed with Melanie Hamilton-Davies, a Birthlight Baby Yoga tutor who also taught creative expression in schools, with her two daughters. Like all Birthlight courses, SMART Toddler Yoga is not just an exercise program for tots but also nurtures the quality of interaction with parents. This is a unique set of practices that helps parents and toddlers together to negotiate the space of growing independence, trust and emotional closeness in the gap between babyhood and pre-school.
Does Birthlight offer training programs in Australia?
In March 2011 we announced Yoganic in Willoughby the Australia and New Zealand training centre for Birthlight. We are offering our courses in Sydney in September 2011 and plan to offer courses nationally and in New Zealand in the near future. Please visit www.yoganic.com.au for more information on courses and dates.
