The SMART training course is for those working in nurseries or pre-school settings and those wishing to run classes for parents and carers to share playful yoga-based practice with toddlers and pre-school children. This course has proved very popular so far, and was very well received internationally with both parents and students in Russia in March 2008.

Although there are many other classes for pre-school children, SMART classes are special in the way that the practices are designed for adults and children to share.

At the end of satisfactory completion of the course, you will have the Birthlight SMART class certificate for teaching yoga to toddlers and pre-school children with their parents and carers.

Stretch, Move And Relax Together is a continuation of the baby yoga approach for mobile babies, toddlers and pre-school children. Using songs and rhymes alongside plenty of movement and stretching, this class is designed to support the transition from babyhood to independent movement. As babies make this transition to independence, physical contact with their parents is often diminished. The TOGETHER aspect of this class is an important way to sustain loving and playful contact, to continue a mutual focus between parent and child, and to provide a positive shared experience to carry young families through what can be a challenging time as they tackle tantrums and boundary testing. Classes provide an opportunity for parents to exercise and have fun with their children, promoting strength, flexibility and balance, with relaxation to contrast with energetic activity.

The Birthlight approach is fundamental to this course, which makes it unique. Children and their parents are brought together in an holistic, yoga-based experience that not only enhances their physical wellbeing and stimulates language, listening and developmental skills, but also nourishes the spirit and strengthens family bonds. From these firm foundations, children are better equipped to face the challenges that await them in the wider world, and parents are re-connected with their own inner child, their creativity and intuition.

Birthlight has a well-established, research-based background in the application of yoga to enhance the joy of pregnancy, birth and parenting. As a training organisation, we have a solid base of well-trained, experienced teachers, who are now ready to extend their knowledge to take the next step to applying the Birthlight approach to working with older babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers and their families. The Birthlight tutors have a diverse wealth of experience to bring to the development of all courses. The strength of Birthlight training is that is draws upon a solid multi-disciplinary foundation, including Yoga, Midwifery, Education, Music, Drama and Dance, Montessori and Early Years Teaching, Child Development, Baby Massage, Anthropology and Holistic Therapies. The practices at the heart of the SMART course have been tried and tested by the Birthlight tutor’s team over many years, and we are now ready to offer a well structured training programme to those who wish to further develop their work with mobile babies and young children.

The Course Structure and Qualification:
The course commences with three days of practical training, with direct tutor input and hands-on experience. This is followed by independent study and written course work, including a case study of a class for six weeks. During the course work period, the trainees will have distance learning support from the tutor and will be awarded the qualification on satisfactory completion of all work. (Please note that if course work is not completed within a maximum time period of 12 months, trainees are required to attend another two day practical workshop).

Successful completion of the course will certify candidates to teach Birthlight Smart classes for children aged up to 4 years with their parents or adult carers. (Birthlight are currently working to gain NVQ accreditation for training course, and this certificate would be the equivalent to NVQ level 2.)

Read past trainees comments and testimonials

For pregnant women: gentle yoga exercises and relaxation techniques to help during labour and beyond...

From birth to mobility: a gentle, fun class introducing the principles of baby yoga and massage.

From mobility to pre-school: Stretch, Move and Relax Together – more yoga for mobile babies and toddlers

For pre-schoolers: Stretch, Move and Relax Together – songs, stories, yoga and relaxation.

Who can apply?

This course is ideal for those working in Baby Yoga, Health Visitors and Sure Start staff working with babies and pre-school children, childcare professionals in nurseries and pre-school settings, Infant Massage instructors, Yoga Bugs instructors, Yoga teachers holding a 'Yoga for Children' teaching qualification.  Those trainees who do not hold a Birthlight Baby Yoga diploma are required to take an additional bridging module on infant development to enable them to understand fully the foundations from which the Birthlight courses have grown, so that they have sufficient background for the SMART course. This additional module will be delivered through distance learning, using specific reading materials, a short answer exam paper, and a 2000 word essay relating to the principles of the Birthlight approach to supporting the bond between parents and children. There will be a small additional charge to cover tuition fees, marking and administration of this additional module (see fees section).

Fees 

Birthlight Members and Baby Yoga diploma holders: £330

Non-members and those needing bridging module: £415.00
(this includes Birthlight membership fee for the first year)

You will also need insurance to teach. This is currently around
£32 per annum, and can be arranged through Birthlight.

PLEASE NOTE: You will need a doll for this course. If you do not have one these can be purchased from Birthlight for £50. There is a cheaper option that looks more like a toddler available from Argos at £19.99 (My Little Cousin/brother, and Smoby dolls Roby and Roxanne), but these do not have such flexible knees, so are not quite so easy for demonstrating with. The choice is yours.

BOOKING NOW

Next course:
Monday 25, Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 July 2011 at
The Heathcourt Hotel, Moulton Road, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 8DY.

This is a non-residential course; there is plenty of accommodation available nearby, from budget B&Bs to hotels.

Contact Melanie Hamilton Davies
Mobile: 07989 804928
Email: melanie@birthlightclassesnewmarket.co.uk

---

Melanie is an acclaimed international teacher and one of the Birthlight core tutors who has trained directly with Francoise Freedman on the first ever Baby Yoga and Massage Diploma. She has been tutoring Baby Yoga courses for more than five years. Melanie has a teaching background of more than 16 years in mainstream education, during which time she was involved in training other teachers. She brought Baby Yoga classes to Newmarket in January 2002, where she has taught a wide range of mums, dads and their babies ever since. In October 2003, Toddler SMART (Stretch, Move And Relax, Together) classes were introduced as a continuation of Baby Yoga, to help children make the transition through to independent movement. Melanie has continued to develop her yoga work to meet the needs of this new generation of growing yogis, and is also qualified to teach yoga to children. Melanie continues to further her own training.

In addition to working as a Birthlight tutor, Melanie runs weekly classes in Newmarket and has also been involved in Community Education Projects for family yoga and relaxation, as well as postnatal mother and baby yoga and massage for teenage parents in conjunction with Suffolk Education Authority.

Read past trainees comments and testimonials