Pregnancy is a neurological and autonomic event, not only a physical one. This course explores the nervous-system and cognitive changes of the perinatal period — the autonomic shifts of pregnancy, the hormonal surges behind “pregnancy brain,” and the postpartum brain changes now understood as matrescence, a normal developmental transition rather than a deficit.

Participants learn to pace breathwork precisely for a pregnant nervous system: which breath ratios calm without provoking breathlessness, and which practices (breath retention, forceful cleansing breaths) are contraindicated and why. A significant part of the course is devoted to building a trauma-informed, side-lying Yoga Nidra practice suited to the physical constraints of pregnancy and early postpartum. Perinatal mood is addressed honestly, with a clear line drawn between what yoga can support and when a client needs referral to a perinatal mental-health professional.