PRENATAL & POSTNATAL YOGA TEACHER TRAINING
Love Child's 20 Hour Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training was designed from the ground up by Neelu Shruti, a midwife and doula. Designed as an intensive immersion (plus required readings completed beforehand) and rooted in perinatal care, anatomy, and the full arc of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery.
Dates: May 16–17, 2026 (Saturday & Sunday, 12–6pm)
Location: Love Child Studio, New York City
Format: In-person intensive + 2 class observations + required reading (completed at your own pace before training)
Prerequisites: 200-hour RYT not required
Early Bird: $850 (deposit or full payment due April 15)
Standard: $1,000 (deposit $450, non-refundable; payment plans available.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
The curriculum spans the full perinatal continuum — not just yoga postures, but the context, culture, and clinical literacy that makes a teacher genuinely useful in this space.
Movement & Poses: Breathing, upper body, backbends, standing poses, forward folds, pelvic floor and hip work, restorative yoga, partner exercises, yoga for labor, and postnatal strength. Taught with attention to trimester-specific modifications, prop use, hands-on adjustments, vocal cueing, and how to get safely in and out of every pose.
Anatomy & Physiology: The pregnant and postpartum body — organs, function, and physiological change across each trimester, birth, and recovery.
Pregnancy Complications: Lower back pain, round ligament pain, SI joint pain, sciatica, diastasis recti, hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, placenta previa, and more — causes, identification, contraindicated movements, and how to modify.
Culture of Birth: An overview of prenatal, birth, and postpartum care in America — care provider roles, consumer options, and global maternal health context.
Decolonize Your Yoga Practice: Cultural appropriation in a global political context. A critical and necessary lens.
Inclusive Language & Safe Space: Addressing pregnant people, partners, and babies with care. Consensual touch. Tactful navigation of pregnancy loss and complex histories.
Yoga for the Menstrual Cycle: From fertility through conception, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause.
Postnatal Strength & Baby & Me Yoga: Core anatomy (diaphragm, abdominals, pelvic floor, multifidus), safe engagement across postures, diastasis recti identification, and techniques for new parents and babies.
MENTORSHIP
Mentorship is for those who have already completed a prenatal training and are ready to move from knowing to doing — building real confidence through hands-on teaching experience in a supportive, community setting.
You'll work directly with Neelu, observing classes, learning how Love Child's approach translates to the floor, and then stepping into teaching yourself with guidance along the way.
What's included: 10 hours of class observations, 10 hours teaching individual/group community classes, and required readings.
Commitment: The mentorship is self-paced and typically unfolds over about 2 months, with a commitment of roughly 3 hours per week. For those who want to continue building their practice after completing the program, there is an optional 6-month teaching residency at Love Child.
Cost: $1,000. Work study spots are available for those who need them — email us to ask.
Application
F.A.Q.
Is the Love Child Training Yoga Alliance certified?
No — and that's intentional. We used to offer an 85-hour YA certified prenatal training. We stopped because their curriculum requirements weren't compatible with what we actually teach.
Beyond that, in our experience YA hasn't created meaningful standards for teachers or committed to deep engagement with South Asian issues.
Do I need a 200-hour RYT to apply?
No. A 200-hour RYT is not required. We welcome yoga teachers at any stage, birth workers, doulas, and anyone deeply invested in perinatal care and movement.
How many hours is this training?
The training is approximately 20 hours across two full days. Required readings and resources are completed on your own schedule before the training.
What are the class observations and how do I schedule them?
You'll attend at least one Love Child class before training begins — a second is optional. This lets you experience the classes from a client's perspective and gives us a chance to connect before the weekend.
What do I need to read and watch before the training?
Once your acceptance to the training is confirmed, you will receive a list of readings and resources.
Is this just a workshop, or is it a full teacher training?
It's a teacher training — not a drop-in workshop. You'll leave with the anatomy knowledge, clinical context, teaching skills, and lived practice to teach prenatal, postnatal, and Baby & Me yoga. The weekend is intensive and the pre-work is substantive.
Can I pay in installments?
Yes. Payment plans are available — just mention it in your application or email us at info@lovechildyoga.com and we'll work something out. Training must be paid in full before it begins.
What is your refund policy?
Deposits are non-refundable. If you need to withdraw after paying in full, please reach out as soon as possible — we handle these situations on a case-by-case basis.
What's the difference between the training and the mentorship?
The training is for people who want to deepen their knowledge about prenatal and postnatal yoga — no prior certification required.
The mentorship is for people who have already completed a prenatal yoga teacher training and want hands-on supervised teaching experience — or for trained birth doulas building a movement practice. It's self-paced, typically over about 2 months, with roughly 3 hours per week.
Can I apply for both the training and the mentorship?
Yes. You would complete the training first and then as spots open up, set up time to complete the mentorship.
Do you offer work study for the training or mentorship?
We do not offer work/study for the training. We do offer work/study for the mentorship program. We don't want cost to be the only barrier. Email us directly at info@lovechildyoga.com — tell us a bit about yourself and your situation, and let's see what we can figure out.