Get certified to teach Matrika Prenatal Yoga in this unique, self-guided online study program facilitated by Sharon Fennimore, MA. Yoga teachers who are registered with Yoga Alliance can earn up to 25 CEU credits for completing this course.
[red_box]Not only is being a prenatal yoga specialist a rewarding career, but considering the fact that over 80% of American yoga practitioners are women, it is imperative that all yoga instructors explore ways to support optimal reproductive health for all their students. The skills you learn in this training program will inform all of your teaching and the program itself is rigorous and demands personal and professional transformation. [/red_box]
What Makes Matrika Prenatal Yoga Special?
- Emphasis on Tantric subtle body anatomy
- Focus on how culture and reproductive politics impact fertility and pregnancy
- Learn how to support optimum fertility with yoga
- Use of Buddhist philosophy applied to teaching prenatal yoga
- Learn how to teach visualization and meditation specific to pregnancy
- Includes the use of yoga and meditation to prepare for labor and birth
- Postpartum care and Mom and Baby Yoga
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[white_box] Work at your own pace! This amazing online training offers complete flexibility and personalized instruction through optional private sessions (cost of private sessions NOT included in tuition). Distance learning is ideal for busy professionals trying to juggle career and family while also moving in the direction of your dreams. Perfect for expats or English speakers all over the world who do not have access to a training school, but wish to work towards their certification while traveling or living abroad. The training is designed to take around 100-hours to complete and students generally finish within 4-5 months, but you have 6-months of enrollment in the course with your tuition payment.[/white_box]
[button link=”https://app.ruzuku.com/courses/17563/about” color=”grey” size=”large” font=”bold” form=”round”]$278 Full Tuition[/button]
[headline_border]Course Curriculum[/headline_border]
[red_box] This intellectual approach to yoga as a science requires self-study and an investigation of the cultural, social and economic values that we hold around fertility, women’s health and specifically reproduction so that we can teach from our hearts. [/red_box] Informed by contemporary social theory and medical anthropology, Matrika Prenatal Yoga nourishes and empowers students physically, emotionally and spiritually. This method, philosophy and approach has been refined over almost 20-years by Sharon Fennimore , MA and DONA Trained Birth Doula and enjoyed by thousands of women.
In this online course, you will explore:
- Culture and Reproduction (Including Yoga for Fertility)
- Yoga During Pregnancy
- Common Pregnancy Complaints
- Teaching Matrika Prenatal Yoga (INCLUDING Tibetan Subtle Body)
- Practice and Professionalization
- Postpartum Continuity and Care (including Mom & Baby Yoga)
The online course includes: instructional videos, readings, discussion boards, audio and articles and readings. Interaction and participation in online discussion boards is required and we all learn from one another. Due to the nature of the course, your fellow students are located all around the world! In this way, we all share diverse practices, experiences and ideas. All trainees can download the Matrika Prenatal Yoga eBook and audio guide at no additional cost. Most of the practicum assignments require significant practice, planning classes and engaging in your community as you create a supportive professional network that is meaningful to you wherever you are in the world. Therefore, this isn’t just about sitting in front of your computer watching training videos! This is a dynamic, interactive and experiential program.
Your tuition also includes webinars and events scheduled during your enrollment
Online “events” such as webinars and teleseminars are scheduled regularly. These events can be attended live by joining online or by phone and are recorded and available for you to download and experience at your convenience if you can’t make it as scheduled. These events are all included in your course tuition.
TESTIMONIALS
“Sharon of Matrika Yoga offered an insightful, thought provoking training program that far exceeded my expectations. I was challenged to examine my ideas and beliefs about pregnancy and culture, and I now have a much better understanding of pregnancy and the obstacles a pregnant woman faces. I feel that I am now much better equipped to lead prenatal yoga, and I would absolutely recommend this program to anyone looking to learn more about pregnancy or prenatal yoga.” ~Nicole
“I maintain nothing but absolute gratitude to you and Matrika Prenatal Yoga. At the outset of training, I yearned for a missing link, in between 42 years of obstetrical nursing experience and 51 of yoga practice! How I found your program and that “link” was nothing short of miraculous! Your insight into the wonder and miracle of birthing is in itself a spiritual gift. Your compassion and love for the pregnant client is apparent as well as intuitive empathy for the pregnant psyche. The reading list was comprehensive and the webinars fun and informative. I respect your genius fully.” ~Ambika
“Sharon was an excellent instructor and an amazing sounding board. I loved that she so clearly articulated her personal opinions and beliefs without forcing them on us, her students. This is a unique skill and, from my experience, one many instructors struggle with. Sharon did a great job at sharing information, offering feedback and discussing alternative/contrary thoughts/experiences/beliefs without ever seeming critical or offended. She offered a ton of excellent information and I left the program prepared to lead others through a prenatal sequence.”~Megan
“The training was very in depth and challenging. I feel that after completing the program, I am well prepared for teaching prenatal yoga.” ~Kate
“I really enjoyed the option of online learning as well as personal time. Sharon’s approach is a flexible alternative for trainees looking to expand their learning while continuing with their responsibilities. The pranayama and meditations were my favorite part.”~Natalie
“Yoga Matrika provides more than just a great educational journey on the basics of Hatha Yoga, Yoga Matrika expands on the typical 200 Hour course offerings by ensuring that the course material is delivered and received in a way that is most beneficial and valuable to the student and the path they are on for their life, teachings, and personal yoga journey. Yoga Matrika shares their unique insights and personal mentorship on every topic and does so for every student so that no one is felt left out or passed over. Yoga Matrika truly helps each student tap into their true potential and identify with what they want to offer the world as a person, a continuing yoga student, and a yoga teacher.” ~Brandi
[headline_border]How Does a Distance Training Work?[/headline_border]
STEP ONE: Pay Tuition and Enroll
As soon as you pay tuition, you will have immediate access to the online course. The first section of the course is an ORIENTATION and you will be introduced to the main topics in the course, the graduation requirements, the assigned textbooks and start your studies.
STEP TWO: Participation
It is important that all students engage with the course materials and assigned readings through online discussions. There are prompts given for most online discussions, but students are encouraged to ask questions and be active participants and leaders in the conversations. Watch all the videos, use the practice suggestions in your home practice and try out the techniques in your yoga classes.
STEP THREE: Connect with the Trainer
Regularly email your questions or problems in your training to Sharon and stay connected. Your trainer has over twenty-years of experience teaching prenatal yoga and you are encouraged to communicate with Sharon regularly through the course. Unlimited email communications are included in your tuition.
STEP FOUR: Make the Program Your Own
You can get “lost in the crowd” at an in-person training and online, but this program inspires you to consider yourself a professional and act like it too. You are given assignments that ask you to be curious about pregnancy and birth, to explore what options are available in your area and to start to create professional support and referral networks. The more time and energy you invest in the practical and professionalization assignments, the more confident you will feel.
If you want more personal guidance or mentoring, Sharon also offers, at an additional cost, packages of four private mentoring sessions that can be scheduled at your convenience and never expire. These are not included in the cost of tuition, but many students have found that this extra investment helped them complete the training and feel more confident in their ability to teach the highest quality prenatal yoga class possible—even with little experience. You are not obligated in any way to purchase mentoring sessions, but 
just know that Sharon is personally available to mentor you if you wish for that kind of attention and professional coaching and guidance.
The tuition does NOT include the required textbooks for the course. The books required for the course, when ordered new from Amazon cost approximately $80 USD. Most of these books will be excellent reference volumes as you plan prenatal classes for the rest of your career. You are under no obligation to purchase the books, so feel free to borrow from the library, colleagues or buy electronic versions or used copies. Depending on your location in the world, if you are having a hard time finding any of the assigned books, I can usually work with you on locating alternative titles that you can obtain. 
Who facilitates the course?
Your lead trainer is Sharon Fennimore, MA. She designed this course and has almost 20-years of experience teaching prenatal yoga and meditation. Sharon personally responds to all email, conducts all private sessions and facilitates all online discussions. Sharon is a DONA trained birth doula and holds two Masters Degrees in East Asian Studies and Cultural Anthropology. She has worked with thousands of
expectant women and their families over the past 15-years and has been offering prenatal yoga teacher training courses for over seven-years.
[button link=”https://app.ruzuku.com/courses/17563/about” color=”black” size=”large” font=”bold” form=”round”]Full Tuition $278[/button]
[headline_border]Commonly Asked Questions[/headline_border]
When Can I Start the Training?
You can start at ANY time. Enrollment is on a rolling basis. As soon as you pay tuition, you have immediate course access.
Can I finish the program faster than 6-Months?
Sure! Due to the nature of the practicum assignments that are required for graduation, it is impossible to complete the course in less than three-months. But, you work through the course and the requirements at your own pace and can schedule your final exam whenever you wish. Most participants complete the course in five-months.
I’m not an RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher). Can I Still Take This Training?
There are no pre-requisites for this training program. Anyone can enroll.
What if I don’t like the course? Can I get a refund?
There are no refunds. It is recommended that you sign up for the FREE course Yoga During Pregnancy just to get a feel for the online course platform. Send an email to Sharon with any questions BEFORE you pay tuition: sharon@yogamatrika.com. Once you are enrolled, if you are unhappy for any reason, Sharon will do everything possible to fix the problems and make an individual plan for you that works for what you need.
Despite being motivated and my best intentions, I need longer than 6-months to complete the course! Can I extend my program?
Yes! Every student has a single opportunity to extend their program by 6-months with a $100 payment. You don’t need to grovel, beg, ask for extension or get permission. There is a section in the online course with a link to make the extension payment, make it, and the program is automatically extended for six-months. Only one extension per student no matter what. No exceptions.
Does this online training allow me to register with Yoga Alliance as a RPYT?
No. Yoga Alliance standards do not permit distance learning for the Prenatal Yoga Specialist designation. Yoga Matrika used to have a Registered Yoga School (RYS) and Registered Prenatal Yoga School (RPYS), but these programs are no longer registered and Yoga Matrika’s teacher training programs are no longer associated with Yoga Alliance. You will receive a 25 CEU credit certificate for Yoga Alliance continuing education credits upon graduation. This is the maximum number of distance learning CEU credits that Yoga Alliance will permit to count towards the required 30 CEU credits.
Technical Skills Required
In order for you to get the most out of this course, you need a minimum of technical skills including, but not necessarily limited to:
- Being able to sign-in to the online course and create a password
- Ability to follow links, download PDF files, audio files (mp3) and video files (mp4)
- Ability to open WORD files, type into the document and then “save as” a PDF
- Must have consistent internet access
- Must know how to use SKYPE or FaceTime and have the electronic devices and/or accounts set up so you can use this technology for private sessions
Do you wonder if you have these skills or not? Are you concerned about your ability to use your skills in an online course environment? I suggest that you try out this free course. This course is the EXACT same format as the teacher training and if you learn how to navigate this course, comment, and download the eBook, then you will know for certain that you can take the training course too. If you have a hard time with this free course, then send an email to Sharon and discuss your concerns. Because this course includes personal attention, we can usually find ways to work around any technical concerns, but since there are NO REFUNDS for any reason, let’s try to make sure you feel confident about taking an online course BEFORE you enroll. Just send an email to Sharon: sharon@yogamatrika.com
Requirements for GRADUATION
This is a 100-hour distance learning program, that leads to certification in yoga for fertility, pregnancy, birth and the immediate postpartum period. Upon program completion, you will be certified to teach Matrika Prenatal Yoga and any other classes, workshops and retreats of your own design that you create based on this training. You will receive a graduation certificate and personalized letter from Sharon Fennimore explaining the curriculum and your special skills. You are NOT guaranteed certification based on enrollment or tuition payment alone! Choosing this track is a significant commitment to becoming a specialist in working with women and supporting optimal fertility, nourishing pregnant women, their infants and their families and support system. There is significant reading, writing and practicum requirements and certification requires your active participation in the online course discussion boards. The reading level of many of the articles is graduate level academic work.
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MATRIKA PRENATAL PROGRAM Graduation Requirements
In order to graduate from the Matrika Prenatal Yoga teacher training program and obtain certification to teach Matrika Prenatal Yoga, within 6-months of enrollment* you need to have:
#1: Actively participated in ALL of the discussion boards of this online course with these minimum guidelines:
- Provide meaningful initiation of a minimum of two discussions for each section of the course.
- Provide meaningful responses to the discussions started by other participants in the course that show you are doing the readings, watching the webinars and engaging deeply with the material for a minimum of three discussions in each section of the course.
Please do not comment just to fulfill this requirement. I’d rather you not participate in a particular discussion if it is not an area of interest to you or you don’t genuinely have a question. I will be monitoring all discussion boards and generally just want to see active participation and ongoing dialogue.
#2: Work through the entire course including watching ALL videos: As the course facilitator, I can “see” all of your activity in the online course including what activities you open, the videos you watch and how long you take for each item. We are all professionals and adults and you have made a significant investment in this training. If I have concerns about your participation in the online course, I will send you a private email. It’s up to you to take the time and really do the work of the online course.
#3: Send written practicum assignments for review to Sharon: Sharon personally reviews all submitted work and will produce a graduation and CEU certificate within 2-4 weeks from the date of submission. All work must be submitted typed and as PDF files. All assignments are due within 6-months* of date of enrollment in the course.
*Oops! Taking longer than six-months? No problem! You can extend your program another six-months for $100. Every student is entitled to one extension. You don’t have to request it, just make the extension payment in the STUDENT RESOURCES section of the course prior to your 6th month of enrollment and you will automatically be given six-additional months to finish the program.
Is This the Right Program for YOU?
Online learning is not right for everyone. This program works best for 200+ hour trained yoga teachers (or equivalent training and experience) with a minimum of one year of teaching experience who either live outside of the United States and have little to no access to in-person training programs OR teachers who have full time jobs and/or young children that make attending a training program in-person impossible. You must be highly motivated, organized and committed in order to complete this significant online course. There is a lot of college-level reading of articles written for academic audiences, participation and personal and professional practicum work and assignments that must be completed in order for you to graduate. Only students who complete all of the graduation requirements will be given a graduation certificate. Your enrollment does NOT in any way guarantee your graduation or that you will receive a certificate. There are NO REFUNDS for any reason, including if you decide that this course is too much work, fail to do the work or meet the graduation guidelines.
Many people make the mistake of thinking that an online course is “easier” to manage because of the flexibility when, actually, the opposite is generally true. Before you enroll, take a look at your calendar and see if you can block off a minimum of 4-hours a week for the next five-months. If there is a week when, say, your sister is getting married and you know you won’t be able to get any work done, or you have weeks when you single-parent because your partner is traveling for work, then you have to find another week when you could put 8-hours into the course. What tends to happen is that many students lose their momentum and then start to procrastinate when they feel that they have been gone from the course for so long that they can’t possibly “catch up”. If this happens, it’s best to send an email to Sharon and make a specific plan for moving forward.
Enroll NOW for ($278): Sign-up here for immediate course access!
Fine Print
- No refunds for tuition for online programs, mentoring packages or training retreats for ANY reason. If you are unhappy with the program, at any time, for any reason, please remain calm and contact Sharon as soon as possible (LONG before you get so frustrated you think you are just going to quit!): sharon@yogamatrika.com. Although there aren’t any refunds, we can usually work out an alternative plan so you get the training you need at no additional cost. This is a program with a lot of personal attention and all problems are solvable.
- There is absolutely no guarantee of graduation or certification. Your work and training portfolio will be evaluated and your ability to complete the program and obtain certification documents will be based on the merits of your participation and quality of the portfolio that you submit.
- Online programs are not for everyone. With flexibility comes extraordinary personal responsibility. You must also have the technical skills to register for the online program, upload documents and submit work as PDF files. Consistent access to a computer and the internet are imperative.
- You should be able to set aside 15-20 hours for each month of your program for working online, reading, practice, and writing assignments. It is important that you put these hours in your calendar and stick to a schedule. Otherwise, it is unlikely that you will complete your program in time. If something “comes up” then you must re-schedule your time.
- The cost of required textbooks is not included in any of the above fees.
- The cost of additional contact hours with Sharon Fennimore are NOT included in any of the above fees. An additional mentoring program of four SKYPE sessions can be purchased for $400. These sessions are entirely optional and not required for graduation, certification, or CEU credits.
- These programs provide an esoteric and intellectual approach to the science and practice of yoga. This may challenge your current practice or ideas about yoga and meditation. Personal mentoring sessions are designed to help you incorporate this information into your own practice and unique teaching voice. Be prepared to be challenged and inspired!
For the past 20-years, I have refined an approach to yoga during pregnancy that is inspired by Tibetan yoga subtle body anatomy and informed by contemporary reproductive science. Using this unique style, I have worked with thousands of expectant women and their families to help them feel empowered, vital and filled with joy–not fear–during their pregnancies. I have also trained yoga teachers and professionals all over the world who work with pregnant women so that this nourishing practice can be shared with as many people as possible.
WHAT MAKES MATRIKA PRENATAL YOGA SPECIAL?
- Emphasis on Tantric subtle body anatomy
- Focus on how culture impacts the experience of pregnancy
- Use of Buddhist philosophy applied to yoga
- Visualization and meditation specific to pregnancy
- Gentle, yet incredibly powerful practice for strength and grace
Course Details
For more than ten-years, I offered this training in-person through my school, registered with Yoga Alliance, to develop the most comprehensive curriculum possible. This past summer I decided to close my yoga school that was registered with Yoga Alliance and I am now in the process of revising my online programs to meet my own standards and goals. In the meantime, I am offering the full course online as a self-study program at a significant discount. If you are a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with Yoga Alliance, you can earn a 25 CEU credit certificate for your participation in this course. All participants who complete the course will receive a PDF of a signed graduation certificate that you can use as part of your teaching and training portfolio.
Work at your own pace! This amazing online training offers complete flexibility and personalized instruction through private sessions if you would like to work personally with the facilitator (private sessions are NOT included in the tuition). Distance learning is ideal for busy professionals trying to juggle career and family while also moving in the direction of your dreams. Perfect for expats or English speakers all over the world who do not have access to a training school, but wish to work towards their certification while traveling or living abroad. The training is designed to take around 100-hours to complete and students generally finish within 4-5 months, but you have 6-months of enrollment in the course with your tuition payment.
This course is intellectually challenging and requires a great deal of significant personal reflection, reading, discussion, writing and research as well as observing and practicing. Whether you are taking this course for professional development or because you need the certification to continue teaching, this experience will expand your teaching skills and deepen your practice. The online course module is really a way for you to organize your self-study. It is also the way that you will document your time spent on the course.
Tuition and Schedule
The full-cost is $278 (USD) and you can start the program at any time. It is designed to take approximately 4-months to complete and you have six-months of enrollment included in this tuition. This tuition does not cover the costs of any of the required textbooks. The total price for brand new textbooks from Amazon has been around $80 USD for most of my students. Many of the books can be borrowed from friends or local libraries and you can likely obtain used copies from Amazon or other sources at a significant discount. There are no private sessions included in this tuition. If you would like to invest in private SKYPE or FaceTime sessions with Sharon Fennimore, you are able to purchase a special mentoring package of four-sessions for $400 once you are enrolled in the course.
Graduation and Continuing Education Credits
Upon graduation, you will receive two certificates:
- 25 CEU Certificate to Use for Continuing Education Credits with Yoga Alliance*
- Graduation Certificate and Certification as a MPYT (Matrika Prenatal Yoga Teacher)