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Jane Austin

Jane's 60 minute prenatal yoga session offers a range of postures that explores the balance between effort and surrender, stability and softness. As you move through the practice, Jane provides the space to listen to your body, attune to your breath and be present with your baby. The class includes warm up postures, hip openers, standing poses and gentle stretches. Mindful of mamas who might need more support, she demonstrates modified postures throughout the class.This class has been broken down into chapters, students are welcome to do all or just parts of the class.

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Jane's 60 minute prenatal yoga session offers a range of postures that explores the balance between effort and surrender, stability and softness. As you move through the practice, Jane provides the space to listen to your body, attune to your breath and be present with your baby. The class includes warm up postures, hip openers, standing poses and gentle stretches. Mindful of mamas who might need more support, she demonstrates modified postures throughout the class.This class has been broken down into chapters, students are welcome to do all or just parts of the class.

Jane's refreshing ability to "tell it like it is" to expecting moms gives this prenatal yoga session a lively, humorous and realistic perspective unlike any other. She is a certified prenatal yoga teacher and trainer and brings not only her expertise as a midwife, doula, childbirth educator and of course, a mother, into the practice. Jane's reverence for pregnancy and birth comes shining through as she expertly guides you through this prenatal yoga class. It is great for those new to yoga and for those who are looking for a sweet and supportive yoga experience. This is not a hard "work out" yoga class, but it will be both energizing and relaxing.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Use the tools of yoga to feel better. breath and movement can be very effective tools to help pregnant women feel better not only physically but mentally and emotionally better.
  • Use these techniques to build strength, increase flexibility, reduce stress and increase relaxation, promote healthy circulation and reduce common pregnancy discomforts.

Syllabus

Introduction

Experience the openness and empowerment of prenatal yoga practice with
Jane Austin. Designed for beginners and experienced practitioners alike,
this dynamic yoga program can be used daily to build and maintain
strength and flexibility, increase energy, reduce or eliminate pregnancy
discomforts, improve circulation and posture and aid relaxation.
Prenatal yoga increases body, breath and baby awareness, which helps to
prepare both mind and body for labor and birth. Practiced often, it may
help promote a healthy transition from pregnancy to the postpartum
period. This is not a hard "work out" yoga class, but it will be both
energizing and relaxing.

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The class opens with a short and sweet breath awareness practice, connecting mama and babe. Be reminded that yoga benefits both mother and child.

This section includes a gentle warm up of the neck shoulders and wrists. A short shoulder strengthening sequence will help prepare you for baby holding. It can be challenging when you first start but you will get stronger with practice. Many mamas have found strengthening postures helpful for motherhood.

This warm up sequence releases tightness and gripping in the hips, buttocks and the back. The postures help tone and prep the pelvic floor for labor and birth. Many of the poses can be used to support mama and babe during the birth process itself.

This section may be helpful at the end of the day to prepare body and mind for bed.

This standing pose sequence is designed to strengthen and energize the body. This section includes classical yoga standing postures, half squat variations and wave squats. Experiment with the breath in the wave squats, inhaling up, exhaling down; or exhaling up, inhaling down. The practice concludes with a gentle back bend.

If you need a pick me up, this section can be done as a stand alone in the morning, to wake up for your day, or in the afternoon as a reboot.

This seated hip and hamstring opening yoga practice can be done any time of the day. The stretches are perfect to help prep achy hips and low back before exercise or bed. Many mamas find that gentle stretching of the outer hips, inner thighs, hamstrings and the groin aid sleep.

Relaxation...at last! This last component of the yoga practice is essential. Find a supported posture that is comfortable, side lying or any resting pose that feels comfortable to you. This relaxation can be done at the end of the day or any time that a rest is needed.

Give yourself an hour...just one hour. I've designed this class to be done in its entirely in 60 minutes but you are welcome to do it in sections as needed and in your own time.

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Activities

Coming soon We're preparing activities for Prenatal Yoga with Jane Austin. These are activities you can do either before, during, or after a course.

Career center

Learners who complete Prenatal Yoga with Jane Austin will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Prenatal Yoga Instructor
A Prenatal Yoga Instructor guides expecting mothers through specialized practices. This course, "Prenatal Yoga with Jane Austin," offers direct, comprehensive immersion into techniques essential for this career. Learners gain insights into crafting balanced sequences, incorporating warm-up, standing poses, hip openers, and gentle stretches, with modifications. It emphasizes breath awareness, strength building, and relaxation, aligning with core responsibilities of a prenatal yoga instructor. Jane Austin's background as a certified teacher, trainer, midwife, and educator provides a robust model. This unique perspective helps build a profound understanding to empower mothers both physically and mentally, aiding a healthy transition from pregnancy to postpartum.
Childbirth Educator
A Childbirth Educator prepares expecting parents for labor, birth, and early parenthood through informed guidance. This course provides a unique understanding of how to empower individuals during this transformative period, drawing on Jane Austin's expertise as a midwife and childbirth educator. It helps build a foundation in teaching techniques like breath awareness, movement for comfort, and relaxation, which are crucial for coping during labor and reducing common pregnancy discomforts. The course's focus on body, breath, and baby awareness directly informs the educational content and supportive strategies a childbirth educator offers to new families.
Doula
A Doula offers continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to individuals before, during, and after childbirth. This course is highly relevant, focusing on empowering mothers through movement and breath. It helps build a foundation in practical techniques for reducing common pregnancy discomforts, promoting relaxation, and increasing body awareness, all essential skills for a doula. Jane Austin's background as a midwife and doula enriches the content, providing a realistic perspective on supporting expecting parents. The emphasis on presence with the baby and balancing effort with surrender directly informs a doula's empathetic and holistic support approach.
Midwife
A Midwife provides comprehensive care for pregnant individuals through pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum, typically requiring an advanced degree. This course offers insights into the physical and emotional journey of pregnancy, including techniques for building strength, increasing flexibility, and reducing common discomforts. It helps build a foundation in understanding how active support, breath awareness, and movement practices, like those demonstrated by Jane Austin, empower expecting mothers and prepare them mentally and physically for birth. Jane's expertise as a midwife directly informs the practical, realistic approach to maternal well-being.
Postpartum Support Specialist
A Postpartum Support Specialist assists new mothers with their physical and emotional recovery after birth, offering practical help and guidance. This course, "Prenatal Yoga with Jane Austin," is highly relevant; its introduction mentions aiding a healthy transition to the postpartum period. It helps build a foundation in understanding new mothers' physical changes and potential discomforts. Insights into relaxation techniques, gentle movement, and body awareness, as explored in the course, can inform a specialist's ability to support recovery and overall well-being during this crucial time.
Lactation Consultant
A Lactation Consultant assists new mothers with successful breastfeeding, providing sensitive support and education. While not directly about lactation, "Prenatal Yoga with Jane Austin" may be useful for understanding the holistic needs of new mothers. The course's focus on reducing physical discomforts, promoting relaxation, and aiding a healthy transition to the postpartum period helps build a foundation in supporting comprehensive maternal well-being. This understanding is crucial, as a mother's physical and emotional comfort profoundly impacts her ability to establish and sustain breastfeeding, allowing for empathetic and informed client care.
Health and Wellness Writer
A Health and Wellness Writer creates engaging content on various health, fitness, and well-being topics for diverse audiences. This course provides comprehensive exposure to prenatal yoga, including specific postures, breathwork, and its holistic benefits for pregnant individuals. It helps build a foundation in understanding the nuances of maternal physical and emotional health, common pregnancy discomforts, and the language used to describe these experiences. This knowledge enables a Health and Wellness Writer to create informed, empathetic content for expectant parents or wellness platforms, effectively communicating the unique value of practices like prenatal yoga.
Wellness Coach
A Wellness Coach guides individuals toward healthier lifestyles, encompassing physical activity, stress management, and emotional balance. This course, "Prenatal Yoga with Jane Austin," may be useful for understanding how movement and breathwork contribute to holistic well-being, particularly for a specific demographic. It helps build a foundation in techniques for stress reduction, increased relaxation, and body awareness, which are core competencies for supporting clients in managing their overall health. The course's emphasis on listening to one's body and attuning to breath provides valuable insights into client-centered wellness strategies.
Life Coach Parenthood
A Life Coach specializing in Parenthood guides individuals through the transformative journey of becoming parents, addressing challenges and fostering personal growth. This course may be useful for understanding the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of pregnancy and preparing for birth. It provides insights into techniques for stress reduction, increasing relaxation, and cultivating body and baby awareness, which can inform a coach's approach to supporting clients as they navigate the profound changes and transitions inherent in welcoming a new child into their lives. Jane Austin's realistic perspective enhances this understanding.
Registered Nurse Obstetrics
A Registered Nurse specializing in Obstetrics provides direct patient care to pregnant and postpartum individuals, often educating them on health and comfort. This role typically requires an advanced degree. This course may be useful for understanding the physical and emotional needs of expecting mothers, including common discomforts and methods to alleviate them. The techniques for building strength, increasing flexibility, and promoting relaxation can inform an understanding of complementary care practices that aid patient well-being during pregnancy and birth, allowing for a more holistic approach to patient education and support.
Yoga Studio Owner or Manager
A Yoga Studio Owner or Manager oversees operations, programming, and community engagement for a yoga business. This course provides an in-depth look at a specialized yoga offering: prenatal yoga, including its structure, content, and the specific needs of the student demographic. It helps build a foundation in understanding suitable class styles, the importance of modifications, and how to create a supportive environment. This knowledge is crucial for a Yoga Studio Owner or Manager in developing successful class schedules, attracting and retaining students, and fostering a welcoming community within niche offerings.
Physical Therapist Pelvic Health
A Physical Therapist specializing in Pelvic Health works to improve musculoskeletal function and alleviate discomfort for pregnant and postpartum individuals. This role typically requires an advanced degree. This course may be helpful by demonstrating gentle movements, hip openers, and techniques for toning and prepping the pelvic floor for labor. It can help build a foundation in understanding how specific postures and breath awareness support physical well-being, reduce common pregnancy discomforts, and aid the transition to postpartum. This aligns with therapeutic goals, offering insights into complementary approaches for patient care.
Occupational Therapist Maternal Health
An Occupational Therapist specializing in Maternal Health helps pregnant and new mothers adapt to physical and emotional changes to participate fully in daily activities. This role typically requires an advanced degree. This course may be useful for understanding the specific physical challenges and discomforts experienced during pregnancy and the postpartum period. It helps build a foundation in gentle movements, relaxation techniques, and body awareness, which can inform strategies for promoting comfort, energy, and overall functional independence for mothers during this transformative time. This holistic perspective supports comprehensive client care.
Acupuncturist Womens Health
An Acupuncturist specializing in Women's Health addresses a range of conditions, including pregnancy-related discomforts, often requiring an advanced degree. This course may be useful for understanding the physical and emotional experiences of pregnant individuals, such as hip and back pain, stress, and sleep disturbances, which are often targets for acupuncture. It helps build a foundation in appreciating complementary approaches like mindful movement and breath awareness for promoting overall well-being and reducing common pregnancy discomforts, aligning with a holistic patient care philosophy and enhancing interdisciplinary insights.
Research Assistant Maternal and Child Health
A Research Assistant in Maternal and Child Health supports studies focused on improving outcomes for pregnant individuals and children, often involving data collection and literature review. This role may typically require an advanced degree. This course may be useful for developing a foundational understanding of maternal physical and emotional well-being during pregnancy. It provides exposure to specific practices like prenatal yoga, which researchers might study for their impact on pregnancy discomforts, stress reduction, and preparation for birth, offering a practical perspective on interventions in this field, aiding in contextualizing research questions.

Reading list

We've selected 23 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Prenatal Yoga with Jane Austin.
Definitive guide to using yoga postures and breathing techniques specifically for the pregnant body. It serves as an essential reference tool for understanding how to modify classical poses for safety and comfort throughout all trimesters. Lasater’s emphasis on restorative practices adds significant depth to the relaxation and 'surrender' components of Jane Austin’s course.
Authored by a leading expert in yoga therapy, this book is frequently used as a textbook for prenatal yoga teacher training. It provides the biological background for why certain hip openers and standing poses are beneficial during different stages of pregnancy. Reading this alongside the course offers a more technical breadth to the physical movements demonstrated by Austin.
Critical reference tool for the mindfulness and breath-awareness objectives of the course. It provides a structured approach to stress reduction that parallels Jane Austin's centering techniques. It is highly regarded in the field for its clinical yet accessible approach to using the mind to manage the discomforts of pregnancy.
Foundational text for the 'Active Birth' movement, which emphasizes the use of upright postures similar to those in the 'Strengthening' section of the course. It useful reference tool for learning how yoga poses can be directly applied during labor. It provides technical depth on how movement aids the descent of the baby during birth.
This comprehensive reference tool that covers yoga for each trimester, mirroring the modified postures Jane Austin demonstrates for different needs. It is particularly helpful for providing background on how to use props like bolsters and blocks during the 'Relaxing' section of the syllabus. It staple for those looking to maintain a home practice alongside the video course.
The course syllabus notes that prenatal yoga helps promote a healthy transition to the postpartum period; this book is the premier reference tool for that specific phase. It provides essential knowledge on pelvic floor health and emotional recovery that supplements the 'Relaxing' and 'Centering' modules. It is highly recommended for students planning their recovery while still in the prenatal phase.
Aligns with Jane Austin's realistic and humorous perspective on the realities of being an expecting mother. It is more valuable as additional reading to help students build the mental empowerment and confidence mentioned in the course's learning objectives. It provides a supportive framework for the 'mindful mama' who is looking for a holistic approach to birth.
As a classic text in the field of midwifery, this book provides the philosophical background that informs Jane Austin's own expertise as a midwife. It is an essential additional reading for understanding the natural capabilities of the birthing body. Its focus on the 'mind-body connection' directly supports the course's learning objectives regarding mental and emotional well-being.
Is highly reputable in the field and provides a supportive, holistic background for the entire pregnancy journey. It includes mindfulness exercises and physical self-care tips that supplement the yoga practices in the course. It is an excellent additional reading for students who appreciate the instructor's encouraging and expert guidance.
Mirrors Jane Austin's 'tell it like it is' style and provides a realistic perspective on the birthing process. It valuable additional reading for those interested in the role of a doula, a profession Jane herself holds. It helps demystify the physical sensations of labor, making the yoga practices in the 'Warm Up' and 'Deepening' sections more contextually relevant.
Given that Jane Austin doula and midwife, this book serves as a perfect companion for students wanting to understand her professional background. It useful reference tool for navigating the healthcare system during pregnancy. It provides the supportive and realistic perspective that the course description highlights as a unique feature of Austin's teaching.
Delves into the psychological and emotional shifts of pregnancy, which complements the 'Centering' and 'Relaxing' chapters of the course. It is an excellent resource for students who want to explore the balance between effort and surrender on a deeper level. It provides the necessary mental preparation for labor that the course aims to facilitate through movement.
Focuses on the spiritual and emotional preparation for birth, adding depth to the 'Centering' and 'Warm Up' chapters of the course. It useful reference tool for finding affirmations and visualizations that complement the physical yoga poses. It aligns well with the instructor's reverence for the pregnancy and birth process.
While the course focuses on movement, this book provides the nutritional prerequisite knowledge for maintaining the energy levels needed for a 'Strengthening' yoga practice. It is widely used by industry professionals as a textbook for prenatal health. It adds breadth to the course by addressing the internal health of the mother and baby.
This highly visual reference tool provides the anatomical background knowledge necessary to understand the physical changes discussed in the yoga practice. It helps students visualize the 'hip openers' and 'pelvic floor' toning mentioned in the syllabus. It is excellent for students who want a more scientific breadth to their prenatal education.
As the course syllabus mentions the transition to the postpartum period, this book serves as the logical next step for students. It focuses on the same 'softness and stability' balance that Jane Austin emphasizes, but tailored for the weeks after birth. It is an excellent additional reading to ensure the benefits of the prenatal practice are carried forward.
Written by a high-profile fitness expert, this book focuses on the strength and empowerment aspects of prenatal movement. It serves as an inspiring supplement to the 'Strengthening' section of Jane Austin's syllabus. While lighter in technical yoga instruction, it adds motivational breadth to the course's goal of building physical and mental resilience.
Provides a deep historical and cultural background on birth, making it a sophisticated supplement for those interested in the 'reverence for pregnancy' mentioned in the course description. It is more valuable as additional reading for intellectual curiosity than as a direct exercise manual. It adds significant breadth to the student's understanding of the empowerment of the birthing body.
The course syllabus specifically mentions toning and preparing the pelvic floor for labor; this book specialized reference tool for that anatomy. It offers more technical depth on the 'wave squats' and pelvic movements demonstrated by Jane Austin. It is often used by industry professionals to understand the biomechanics of the pelvic region.
Provides a data-driven background to many common pregnancy concerns, complementing the 'realistic perspective' of the course. It is more valuable as additional reading for the intellectual student who wants to understand the 'why' behind prenatal recommendations. It helps reduce stress through knowledge, which primary learning objective of the yoga session.
This recent publication focuses on rest and the 'surrender' aspect of yoga, which Jane Austin highlights as a key balance in her practice. It is more valuable as additional reading for students seeking to deepen the 'Relaxing' module of the course. It provides a more profound look at the mental and emotional restoration that the course objectives aim for.
This popular science book provides a modern background on the importance of breathing, which core objective of the course's 'Centering' and 'Relaxing' sections. While not specific to pregnancy, it is valuable additional reading to understand how breath affects the nervous system and stress reduction. It adds a scientific breadth to the ancient yoga techniques taught by Austin.

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