A Training for Yantra Yoga Instructors and Practitioners
A weekend course with Laura Evangelisti and Nataly Nitsche
March 25-26, 2016
Dzamling Gar, Tenerife
Yantra Yoga for Pregnancy was introduced for the first time on the weekend of March 26 -27, 2016 at Dzamling Gar. The course itself is intended for pregnant women, practitioners and the public, but this weekend was an unveiling of the newly developed system and training for Yantra Yoga instructors and people familiar with Yantra Yoga. It was also a way to test the methods and therefore feedback from participants was encouraged.
Laura started to work on pregnancy yoga a long time ago, then in Berlin in September, 2014, she worked in-depth with a midwife that had helped deliver over 2000 babies. In Tenerife in 2015, Nataly was pregnant and Laura showed her the routine. Together they prepared and showed the system to Rinpoche in March, 2015. Rinpoche carefully looked, gave some advice and finally he said that it could be very useful and gave the authorization to make the video. The shooting of the video was in April 2015 over one week, more or less.*
The fruit of the work and collaboration was evident. The careful, gentle and precise teaching and instruction of the 26 movements started with the 9 purification breathings, all 5 tsijong, 6 of the 8 movements, tsadul including the pranayama and 5 movements, 10 yantras, rhythmic breathing and ended with the final changing of the air into a very comfortable relaxation in nalwab using cushions under knees, lower back and head, to make a soft nest for the mothers.
Laura relaxing!
Much care was taken in the structure of the movements themselves, how to best modify them for pregnancy and also with the aid of cushions or blocks, and great attention was given to the lower back, the large belly and the possibility of less stamina and more tiredness in the mothers to be. Laura stressed time and again the need to be aware that the application of the movements, and also sometimes the breathing, should be done in a much slower and softer way than Yantra Yoga is traditionally practiced.
Both Laura and Nataly encouraged instructors and helpers to make a very harmonious, non-threatening and caring environment for the pregnant women. This energy was conveyed to the group in the teaching, so the course itself was a wonderful experience of gentle harmony and movement. Of course the breathing was a focus, and also the correspondence of the breath and movement, as is always stressed in the teaching and practice of Yantra Yoga.
Nataly demonstrating warm up
There were ten people present, two of whom were men. Many of the participants had also had the experience of childbirth, so their input was valuable. On the last day, much to the delight of the women, the men got to use a balloon so they could have the experience of the large belly that becomes the baby! That was fun for everyone!
Another pregnant friend
Pregnant friends
Everyone enjoyed this course very much and we were all able to see the tremendous and unique benefit Yantra Yoga has for pregnant women and the unborn babies, from the movements that help open the hip and pelvis for childbirth, to the strengthening of the lower back and spine, to the breathing that can be so beneficial for both mother and child. Once again the precious and special value of Yantra Yoga was revealed. We hope that this system becomes widely diffused for the benefit of all mamas and babies everywhere!!! Thank you to Laura and Nataly!
* The video and book should be ready next year
