About Birthlight
Birthlight is a friendly charity, focusing on an holistic approach to pregnancy, birth and babyhood using Yoga and breathing methods to enhance your and your babies well-being. Promoting parents and babies' happy interactions is an important way of contributing to the optimal development of children and enhancing the bonding relationships that are formed at this time.
Internationally acclaimed, Birthlight continually strives to use the latest research findings in the development of simple but effective movements. With an exceptional teacher training programme we now have over 1,000 certified instructors. Birthlight offers training in:
Birthlight classes offer a relaxed environment in which you can prepare for conception and enjoy the various stages of your pregnancy to the full with your growing baby. Once you have your baby in your arms Birthlight postnatal classes are there to help you and your family make the most of this experience, taking you through to your child's third year. Birthlight's Full Range of Classes
The Birthlight philosophy
Birthlight aims to care for both parent and baby, to teach with awareness and respect for the individual and to build confidence and trust. The Birthlight approach is based on the principles of yoga, nurturing a deeper understanding of ourselves and our relationship with others. Our aim is to help both parent and baby relax in their shared enjoyment of the movements. A stable base of trust is formed and the baby can move happily into exploration and the journey to independence. Deep-rooted foundations are established for their future physical and emotional security as adults. Gentle birthing and parenting of our babies sets the tone for a non-violent upbringing of children and the promotion of greater peace in the world.
Cultural origins and inspiration
Françoise Barbira Freedman, founder - director of Birthlight.
Birthlight was founded by Françoise Barbira Freedman. French born, Françoise obtained her doctorate in Anthropology from the University of Cambridge, where she has done research and taught in medical anthropology since 1980. After spending long periods of fieldwork in Peruvian Amazonia, including two pregnancies and stays with her young family, she was inspired to share the gentle approach to parenting of her Amazonian hosts among friends in the UK. Also a trained yoga teacher and therapist, Françoise used the idiom of yoga to create innovative programmes of movements and nurturing relaxation for mothers to be and new mothers with their babies. Some traditional techniques used with infants in India have also been incorporated and adapted into the sequences.
Having a background of competition swimming and swimming instructor, she also developed Infant Aquatics and Aqua Yoga original programmes. All these activities took place informally in Cambridge around Françoise four children and friends of friends until demand grew and the time came to produce books and videos. Parents and professionals who used these products asked for training and the Birthlight training structure was put in place as a development to training courses offered to Yoga Therapists at the Yoga Biomedical Trust in London.
For further information please visit the main Birthlight website.
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