Pelvic Health Yoga Mentorship

This mentorship provides advanced, specialized training in applying Yoga Therapy and Pelvic Health, focusing on whole-person support for people with pelvic health conditions. The curriculum integrates clinical knowledge with pain-informed and trauma-informed yoga philosophy and practice.

Program Highlights & Areas of Focus

Holistic Assessment & Physiology:

• Gain an introductory understanding of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) anatomy, function and evidence-informed biopsychosocial factors that influence the roles of the pelvic floor—focusing on the factors relevant to yoga therapy.
• Gain an introductory understanding of signs and symptoms associated with pelvic health conditions (including urinary incontinence, constipation, bloating, fatigue, chronic pelvic pain) through a whole-person lens. Common pelvic health related conditions such as endometriosis, vaginismus, dyspareunia, vulvodynia will be discussed within the context of relevancy to yoga therapy.
• Learn the nomenclature surrounding various PFM presentations based on current medical and scientific consensus, including updated terminology for over- or under-recruited PFMs (previously but inaccurately termed as “hypertonic” or “hypotonic”). Understand the relevancy and value for the yoga therapist to gain competency in use of terminology as part of an interdisciplinary medical team.
• Gain an understanding of the yoga therapist’s role and scope of practice in assessing people with pelvic floor issues/conditions including how a yoga therapist discerns the state or presentation of the pelvic floor without performing internal pelvic floor assessments.

Targeted Yoga Applications:

• Gain knowledge in applying specific yoga practices and principles for people with a variety of pelvic health issues (presenting with different states of the pelvic floor), including incontinence, constipation, chronic pelvic pain and associated pelvic pain conditions: Pranayama: Using breath for nervous system regulation, pain modulation, and pelvic floor awareness/down-regulation. Asana: Skillfully adapting postures and movement for a variety of PFM presentations that people may have, based on client’s needs and within a pain-informed lens (using evidence-informed Pain Care Aware pain-informed movement guidelines). Subtle Body: Exploring and understanding the nuance surrounding the use or avoidance of mula bandha while comparing and contrasting with what current scientific evidence and clinical best practice guidelines are recommending surrounding PFM contractions or kegels. Pelvic floor motor imagery or visualization techniques will be utilized and recent evidence surrounding PFM imagery will be presented. Restorative & Gentle Movement: applying a variety of evidence-informed movement flows that combine breath, PFM (excursion, relaxation and activation), hip synergists and PFM imagery to assist in addressing a variety of PFM presentations and conditions. Gain an introductory understanding of the application of these integrative movements and restorative poses and uses, including inflammatory and nervous system regulation, muscle efficiency (tension regulation and appropriate activation without over-recruiting and limiting/reducing symptom exacerbation).
• All practices will be applied using evidence-informed PCA pain-informed movement guidelines as well as through the lens of a whole-person, biopsychosocial-spiritual approach.

Trauma-Informed & Ethical Practice: Navigate client communication and boundary setting, recognizing the intimate nature of pelvic health. Learn to use inclusive, non-pathologizing language and apply trauma-informed principles to create a safe space and encourage client self-agency in practice choice.

Individualized Client Work: Develop skills in designing highly individualized treatment plans, tracking progress over time, and knowing the appropriate ethical boundaries for referring out to complementary healthcare professionals.

Key Dates & Details:

🌟 Kick-Off Session | January 8; 9:00am-12:00pm MT
Kick off the mentorship with a live educational Pelvic Floor Health Yoga overview from Shelly.

🌟 On-demand video training library
Included in your mentorship is access to Shelly's on-demand video training library. (Watch trailer)

🌟 Client work
Commit to working with 3 clients over the course of the mentorship. With each client, conduct intake, assessment, & develop treatment plans. Hold 3-5 follow up visits.

🌟 Mentorship Support | March 5th, 9-11 MT (additional dates TBD)
Receive small group mentorship support from Shelly.

🌟 Final Presentations | April 23 & 28 from 9-10 MT (additional dates TBD)
The mentorship concludes with a final presentation where you'll showcase the full details of one of your client case studies, highlighting your key learning and growth and receiving feedback.

• This mentorship qualifies as one of your 7 needed mentorships for 800 hr yoga therapy certification.
• All sessions will be recorded and posted to the Learning Platform if you're unable to attend live.
• Investment: $300