SF Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga
Instructors
About SFPY Collective
The teachers you'll find here are some of San Francisco's finest prenatal and postnatal instructors; many have more than one certification and specialty. Although we work independently of one another, we all support the growth of prenatal and postnatal yoga in San Francisco.
SF Prenatal & Postnatal Teachers
Rachel Yellin
Having taught more than 1000 couples Childbirth Education and Birth Techniques Classes and attended births as a doula for 7 years, Rachel brings a tremendous amount of knowledge, experience, and heart to all of the yoga classes she's taught since 2002. As the creator of "Pregnancy, Birth & Beyond Audio Program", a private practice Hypnotherapist, counselor and Depth Hypnosis Practitioner, Rachel is committed to helping her clients and students be who they were born to be. She is known to many as a gifted teacher who offers a tremendous amount of support to her clients and community. Yoga students who are new to Rachel's classes can contact her to attend, as her guest, one of her regularly scheduled prenatal, postnatal or wall-ropes yoga classes at the Jewish Community Center of SF. More information about Childbirth Classes, Hypnotherapy & Depth Hypnosis, Yoga Workshops, and Weekly Yoga Classes, can be found at rachelyellin.com.
Kari Marble
Kari is a mother of two, a certified yoga and meditation teacher, massage therapist, infant massage instructor, and birth educator with a passionate and extensive specialization in the childbearing year and healthy family living. A student of yoga since 1989 and a teacher since 2000, Kari teaches classes that are highly regarded for their revitalizing and centering practice, educational content, and warm, nurturing community. She weaves into classes the opportunity to share openly, to discuss aspects of birth preparation and parenting, to practice techniques for deep breathing and relaxation; and to meditate, deepening inner awareness, connection to baby, trust in the body, and appreciation of the sacred. Kari designs prenatal classes to increase comfort and fluidity in the rapidly changing pregnant body, enabling women to feel a greater sense of strength, vitality, grace, calm, confidence, and playfulness. Postnatal classes include songs and poses with baby, along with a focus on yoga poses to help moms feel restored, energized, strong, open and ready for the joys and challenges each day brings. WelcomeOm.com
Jane Austin
Jane is founder and director of Mama Tree, a prenatal yoga teacher training as well as the director of Yoga Tree's pre and postnatal program.She has guided thousands of mamas through their pregnancy and beyond through her work as a yoga teacher, childbirth educator, midwife and doula. A mother of two, her refreshing ability to "tell it like it is" gives her yoga classes a lively, humorous and honest perspective of not only pregnancy and childbirth but also motherhood. In her yoga classes she creates a space for mamas to not only connect to one another but to connect to themselves and their babies! Jane continues to bring prenatal yoga to pregnant women everywhere with her new Prenatal Yoga DVD and her on line classes. janeaustinyoga.com
Michelle Wing
Michelle Corley Wing is an expert educator, and author, with 24 years' experience working with children and families holding multiple Yoga certifications and a Bachelor’s of Science degree from W.P. Carey School of Business at ASU. Her globally recognized It’s Yoga Kids® education system enables her to promote healthy movement and mindset habits for happy successful children worldwide. In addition to being inspired by the sparkling development of children, she is a friend, wife, and mother of two teenagers (and a cute Havanese pup) who enjoys hiking, tennis, living room dance parties, travel and family time in her favorite city, San Francisco.
Erica Taylor
Erica feels honored to help guide fellow mamas during this powerful time of transformation. Her classes incorporate tangible tools that can be used not only to prepare for birth, but also to empower and support mamas in mind and body throughout the transition into motherhood and beyond. Her style is uplifting and playful, interweaving movement, breathwork, song, and relaxation. Erica was first introduced to yoga by her own mom when she was just a toddler. She has since gone on to become a Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher, with over 150 hours of prenatal and postnatal training with Jane Austin and Barrett Reinhorn. Always curious about the body, she has earned certifications in acupressure, personal training, and anatomy. In these fields, she has studied how best to support women during the childbearing years, and will often incorporate this knowledge into her classes and guidance. Erica is also a professional photographer and a mama! When not on the mat or behind the lens, you can find her about town chasing after her adorable toddler (did she mention that he has huge dimples!?) ericatayloryoga.com
Cecilie Herring
Cecilie is a yoga teacher, mother of two, and family therapist. Cecilie's classes create an opportunity for you to dive into your own inner waters on your mat and deepen your connection to yourself and your baby through breath, body and mindful awareness. Cecilie has completed her 200-hour level yoga teacher training at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco (IYISF) as well as studied pre and post-natal yoga with Jane Austin. cecilieherringtherapy.com
Elise Collins
A yoga teacher for over ten years, Elise enjoys sharing yoga with pregnant women and new moms. Her classes offer a fun and safe space for women to feel emotionally and physically supported during pregnancy. Elise finds yoga helps increase stamina, flexibility and overall well being during a time of great change, the childbearing year. Her classes focus on a foundation of careful alignment and yoga poses specifically chosen to reduce discomforts that can occur during pregnancy, especially back ache, sciatica, swelling and wrist pain. Elise also enjoys writing and has authored two books, An A-Z Guide To Healing Foods, A Shopper's Companion and Chakra Tonics, Essential Elixirs for Mind, Body and Spirit. Pregnant women are always welcome in her weekly restorative yoga classes. For more information go to chakratonics.org
Britt Fohrman
Britt creates a healing, inspiring, and supportive environment for pregnant women in her prenatal yoga classes. She brings these qualities to her work as a birth doula, bodyworker, photographer and HypnoBirthing childbirth educator. A yoga teacher since 1997, Britt finds that her most profound yogic and spiritual education comes from witnessing women giving birth. These teachings are woven into her prenatal yoga classes along with elements of Iyengar and Restorative yoga, mindfulness meditation, fluid movement, HypnoBirthing, breath awareness, mantra and sound. Every class includes poses mammas can use during labor and birth, partnered with traditional wisdom and stories that build confidence and understanding of the birthing process, completed by time in deep physiological relaxation, restoring mammas' vital energy, connecting them with their babies and laying the foundation for a relaxed, manageable and mindful birth. Britt also offers private and group classes or workshops in Iyengar, Therapeutic, Gentle Hatha and Restorative yoga. brittfohrman.com
Sharone Mendes Nassi
Sharone Mendes Nassi works closely with expectant Moms throughout their pregnancy to help them find comfort, courage and joy. With an extensive background as a Yoga teacher and a Doula, Prenatal Yoga was the natural evolution to her work in the birthing community. Sharone opened up Carmel Blue in North Beach to help create a studio, a store and a community place for expectant and early parents. After 10 years of teaching prenatal and yoga and leading moms groups at Carmel Blue, Sharone is now offering private sessions in the convenience of your home or a private yoga space, please reach out: carmelbluesky@gmail.com
Verena Rueckert
Verena RYT200 completed her Yoga Teacher Training through Integral Yoga Institute SF, the Prenatal and Postpartum Yoga Teacher Training at IYI New York with Beth and Lara who are well known in perinatal yoga community. Verena was always fascinated about the science of Yoga and did Raja Yoga Teacher Training to deepen her understanding. Right now she works on her Ayurveda Yoga Specialist Certification which has amazing tools to balance the body and mind.
With Verena's background as a pediatric nurse in Germany and her Postpartum Doula practice, she has always been dedicated to helping people on their healing and well being journey. When she discovered how Yoga and meditation helps her clients to reconnect with that deeper peace and support the pregnancy and postpartum body and mind, she felt called to share the tools of the Yoga healing power with others. Yoga, and especially the comprehensive aspect of Integral Yoga and Ayurveda, has a miraculous way to balance your body and mind to make more energy available and prepares you effectively for birth.
Learn more about Verena at BumblebeeSF.com. or IYI SF
Soizig Le Boulch
In addition to being a Yoga Teacher and Prenatal Yoga Teacher, Soizig is a Birth Doula, Spinning Babies® Aware Practitioner, bodyworker/CMT, self-care educator, & wellness aficionado who loves to tap into and nurture the innate wisdom of the body and support body-mind connection. In The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche writes that through meditation and being fully present in each moment, "Slowly you will become a master of your own bliss, a chemist of your own joy, with all sorts of remedies always at hand to elevate, cheer, illuminate, and inspire your every breath and movement." Soizig is on this journey to become a master of her own bliss and a chemist of her own joy. This is why she practices and teaches Yoga and Breema® ("The Art of Being Present”). Her other well-being offerings (TRE®, Self-Breema®, Stress Management, etc.) and birthwork (Doula, Prenatal Balance, "Mother Roasting," etc.) are further expressions of that journey, with the wish to also elevate, cheer, illuminate, and inspire others. To learn more about Soizig, please see Soizig.com.
Darya Mead
Darya Mead is a producer, writer, yoga teacher and mom and has been practicing yoga for more than 30 years. She and her husband have two boys. She came to yoga through dance and has explored and practiced Jivamukti, Ashtanga, Bikram styles but connects most deeply with Iyengar yoga. She has studied with many teachers in the Bay Area and beyond, and has taught here in San Francisco for more than 25 years. She loves to teach and write about yoga. Darya is a trained Doula and teaches pre-natal, mom and baby as well as preschool and kids yoga. Darya also loves teaching seniors and folks in all stages of life. Her classes are a combination of vigorous poses and relaxation, and often infused with humor and practical ways to integrate yoga into other parts of your life. She writes about health/ wellness, travel, food, parenting and the arts, and loves to travel, hike, swim, cook and cross country ski when not practicing yoga.
Lindsey Weinstein
Lindsey Weinstein is a Mom, a Certified Child Birth Educator (CBE), and a Registered Pre & Postnatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT). Working with pregnant & postpartum women has fast become one of her favorite ways to share yoga's vast benefits and it's profound teachings. Lindsey studied pre & postnatal yoga with Jane Austin of Mama Tree Yoga, in San Francisco and has completed Leslie Howard's Yoga for Pelvic Floor Teacher Training. Having herself been a student of pre & postnatal yoga, Lindsey found the benefits of this particular type & time of practice immeasurable, and is determined to share those benefits with as many pregnant & postpartum women as possible. Lindsey feels passionately about empowering women on their journey to birth and beyond and has a sense that by sharing the teachings of yoga with these women, she is sharing the benefits of yoga with future generations! She recently blended her love of yoga & of working with pregnant families to create BellyFull Birth, blending yoga and child birth education together.
