Menopause Awareness Course for ALL yoga, movement and fitness teachers
Thank you to Yoga Scotland and @theyogacrow for inviting me to run my Menopause Awareness course in Edinburgh. I am also offering this course across the UK and ONLINE in June for teachers who can't meet in person.
This 6-hour Continuing Professional Development course is unique in being open to ALL qualified yoga and physical movement instructors - male and female.
The content of this one-day course is accredited by the British Wheel of Yoga for those of you who want to log your 6 CPD points.
Please note: this one-day course is very different to the in-depth 40 hour Menopause Yoga teacher training course, which is accredited by both the British Wheel of Yoga and Yoga Alliance Professionals - and it does NOT equip or qualify you to teach Menopause Yoga (2013).
However, this short course is a valuable foundation for the TT course, and provides practical advice and guidance on how YOU can modify YOUR current classes to meet the needs of women in their 40’s- 50’s who may be experiencing menopausal symptoms.
This is really important. This is what EVERY yoga, fitness and movement teacher should know.
Lower and fluctuating levels of oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone can manifest in your yoga and movement classes as:
- joint pain;
- muscle inflammation,
- fascia tightness/ sciatica;
- Frozen shoulder, SI joint, lower back pain.
- tingling hands and feel or plantar fasciitis;
- migraine headaches;
-dizziness;
- dehydration and thirst;
-hot flushes;
- tearfulness
- fatigue;
- irritability and sudden rage;
- low mood and loss of joy;
- hyper vigilance;
- anxiety;
- overwhelm;
- loss of confidence and self esteem;
- social withdrawal.
If you as teachers are not aware of these symptoms and how to
modify your teaching to accommodate these women, then you risk:
1. Women walking out of your classes or never returning;
2. Injury or Exacerbating existing pain;
3. Impacting her already rock- bottom self esteem and affecting her wellbeing.
We also need to be aware that trauma can be realise in our menopausal years. This is normal, but can take women by surprise and they may not have support in place to help manage the emotions that arise.
So please be mindful.
You are a yoga teacher. The majority of us are not also a doctor, physiotherapist or counsellor.
Create Safe and Supportive Spaces and Signpost to other support services.
A. Respect her personal space;
B. Never give physical adjustments unless given prior permission;
C. Never ‘control’ a menopausal woman’s breathing.
D. Always offer everyone modifications;
E. Demonstrate props;
F. Normalise the menopause by talking about it in your general public classes.
G. Teach and practice with Metta: kindness, compassion, self acceptance.
H. Organise your studio space to accommodate these women being sensitive to their needs.
Many of you will already be teaching using these methods. If you are not, I can help you. I have been teaching Menopause Yoga for over 10 years and training yoga teachers since 2019. I am a member of the British Menopause Society, have run workshops and courses at Dr Louise Newson's Menopause Clinic in Stratford Upon Avon and use evidenced based methods.
If you’d like to train in Menopause Awareness with me, please book on the next ONLINE course on June 15th. BOOK HERE
Fee: It is only £95 and you receive a pdf workbook as shown in video, a certificate of attendance on completion- and you can add 6 points to your CPD
Please note: Yoga Scotland and British Wheel of Yoga members receive a discount on the cost of this course. BWY members can contact their regional office to request that I run a local course for teachers in your area. I will be a guest speaker at the SANGHA festival.