Pelvic Floor Teacher Training
20-Hour Pelvic Floor Yoga Teacher Training
with Leslie Howard
Sept 5 - 8, 2024
in person and online
Save $125 when sign up with early bird pricing now through August 1!
About the training
We are thrilled to host Leslie Howard, Oakland-based yoga therapist and pelvic floor expert, for this hybrid teacher training at Circle Yoga this September! Be sure to sign up by August 1 for early bird pricing.
The 20-Hour Pelvic Floor Yoga Teacher Training is for yoga teachers and experienced students. We will delve deeper into how to teach students with pelvic floor issues, applying Leslie's approach to Pelvic Floor Yoga™. Medical studies conducted at the University of California–San Francisco have demonstrated the effectiveness of Leslie’s techniques for improving women’s pelvic health, including a 70% improvement in incontinence for women participating in a pilot study.*
Topics in this training will include:
• Cultural, medical and historical contexts of women and the pelvis
• Current understanding of the pelvis, sexuality, misconceptions and modern medical care
• In depth anatomy of the pelvis, hip flexors and rotators and connective musculature and how they translate into pelvic health
• How posture affects the pelvic floor
• Identifying hypertonic vs. hypotonic muscles and the difference between a strong muscle and a tense muscle and a loose muscle
• The role of emotion on the breath and how this impacts the pelvic floor
• How to teach breath and asana to women who need tone in their pelvis and as well as those who have too much tone
• How to hold a safe environment for women
• Guidance on gender-neutral language and working with transgender students.
• What to do with the pelvic floor during all stages of pre and post natal
• Restorative yoga for the pelvic floor
The training includes an e-book version of Leslie’s Pelvic Liberation: Using Yoga, Self-Inquiry, and Breath Awareness for Pelvic Health, which is the required reading. The training can be used for continuing education for Yoga Alliance and the International Association of Yoga Therapists.
* Read more about the 2014 pilot study on yoga therapy intervention for urinary incontinence. Leslie's protocol was also used in this 2017 pilot study on using therapeutic yoga for women with chronic pelvic pain. A larger study focused on using yoga therapy intervention for women's pelvic floor health just ended, and publication is expected in summer 2024. This study is showing even greater rates of improvement in chronic pelvic pain for participants.
About Leslie Howard
As a yoga practitioner and teacher, I specialize in the use of yoga for many issues particularly pelvic floor problems. After suffering from hypertonic pelvic syndrome, I found relief from my symptoms by a careful application of Iyengar-style/influenced yoga and breath work and since then I have continued to refine and develop the application of yoga for the pelvic floor for myself and others. University of San Francisco, CA hired me to design two studies using my methodology. Both studies had overwhelmingly positive results for alleviating incontinence and pelvic pain (70% reduction in symptoms for incontinence and a 42% reduction in pelvic pain). To this end, for the past 20 years, I have taught people of all ages to practice yoga to alleviate pelvic floor conditions through a combination of small group teaching, public workshops, and national and international conferences. I call my approach Pelvic Floor Yoga™. Learn more about Leslie.
Schedule
Participate in this 20-hour training either online or in person at Circle Yoga in Washington, DC. The schedule is as follows:
Thu, Sept 5 – 1:30-6:00pm
Fri, Sept 6 – 12:30-8:00pm
Sat, Sept 7 – 3:30-8:00pm
Sun, Sept 8 – 12:30-5:00pm
The schedule includes a one-hour break on Friday and shorter breaks otherwise. For those attending in person, restaurants and a grocery store are within easy walking distance.
Each session will be recorded and available to registrants for 30 days following the training weekend.
Fees and Registration
Save $125 when you sign up early!
Early Bird Fee (by Aug 1): $525
Registration Fee (after Aug 1): $650
Contact us to inquire about payment plans.
Scholarships
Circle Yoga offers as many partial scholarships as we can support to people who wish to take teacher trainings at the studio. If you would like to participate in the 20-Hour Pelvic Floor Teacher Training but are experiencing financial hardship, we encourage you to apply for a scholarship. Learn more and apply.
Refund Policy
If you need to cancel your registration for the 20-Hour Pelvic Floor Teacher Training, submit your request in writing here at least one week before the training, and your registration fee will be refunded minus a 20% administrative fee. No refunds will be given for cancellations made within less than one week of the training.