For whom is YogaBirth designed?
For both newly expectant and veteran parents, a YogaBirth is customized to meet your and your birth partner's (husband, friend, loved one) specific needs, whether you deliver in a hospital, birthing center, or at home, and whether you plan to deliver naturally, with an epidural, or with prescribed drugs from your OB/GYN.

No prior yoga experience is necessary for you to join a Prenatal class or receive Birth Coaching, or for you and your birth partner to attend a Labor Prep workshop or YogaBirth Retreat . With the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommending yoga as a safe and effective method of exercise for pregnant women, you can rest assured that you've chosen the right path for labor preparation!*

"During labor, I was able to relax and even enjoy it because of Lisa's instruction. I used yoga to manage the pain of labor and to remain in control throughout the process..." Christine Suh, new mother more >

Endorsed by newly expectant and repeat parents, YogaBirth Labor Prep workshops, designed and taught by Lisa Pedersen, are one-time sessions that focus on your needs during labor and the role your birth partner plays in creating an optimal birth. The workshops can help you bond as a couple and feel gratitude for the life growing inside you.

We do practical work with birthing positions and breathing awareness for you. Your partner learns concrete ways to help and support you in breathing, and ways to hold you during a contraction. You can then feel that sense of teamwork toward the greater goal of delivering your baby, and will encounter childbirth with a greater sense of confidence, peace and strength. For those repeat pregnancies, the YogaBirth Labor Prep workshop is a way to help you focus on your new pregnancy, especially when you just don't seem to have the time to prepare for a birth as you may have had with your previous pregnancies.

Schedule your Labor Prep Workshop during your 2nd or 3rd trimester, as early or late as you think you'll need. And, come as often as you'd like! Some couples like the extra "practice" time or time spent together as a couple in order to further empower themselves for a wondrous birth.

To attend a YogaBirth workshop, please see our schedule and download and fill out our registration form. To set up a private session or a small group workshop for you and your mommy-to-be friends, call YogaBirth at 310.372.8400.

YogaBirth Prenatal Classes

"Thank you for so many things during this pregnancy: your kind spirit, yoga wisdom and gentle touch. You have touched my whole family in a very positive way!" Kelly Viklund, second-time mom more >

YogaBirth Prenatal classes will give you the opportunity to learn and practice highly beneficial and therapeutic techniques such as controlled breathing, focus, visualization and relaxation, with yoga poses tailored especially for your body's changing needs during pregnancy. You will attune to your inner rhythms, strength and wisdom. Women who have attended Lisa's classes have experienced relief from those symptoms typically associated with pregnancy, particularly sciatica, low back pain, edema, insomnia and stress. YogaBirth Prenatal classes will satisfy the veteran yogi as well as the yoga novice, since all of the poses can be modified or enhanced.

You can start YogaBirth Prenatal classes anytime during your pregnancy with your physician's consent. Lisa Pedersen's classes are ongoing – join us at one or all of those scheduled.

YogaBirth Coaching

Lisa Pedersen is available for private "Birth Coaching" where she works with the pregnant woman individually or together with her birth partner. The sessions utilize Lisa's experience as a body psychotherapist and prentatal yoga teacher to get people fully present to optimize the most positive birth experience. Some of the techniques Lisa draws upon include: yoga breathing, guided imagery and her over 15 years in the mental health field. YogaBirth Coaching can be scheduled at your convenience. These sessions are the best way to empower your birth!

YogaBirth Retreats

YogaBirth is pleased to offer a "get-away" weekend retreat before your baby is delivered. Take the time for you and your partner to relax and bond together by experiencing the YogaBirth Couples Labor Preparation Workshop, a prenatal-partner yoga class and other workshops tailored to meet the needs of a pregnant couple. YogaBirth Retreats are scheduled in Southern California's beach locations, where the Pacific Ocean awaits you for that sense of luxury and complete relaxation. Come and meet other pregnant couples who want the same thing as you… a YogaBirth!

*  YogaBirth in no way claims to take the place of medical advice. By attending a YogaBirth class or workshop, you are agreeing that you are under a physician's care and are physically able to participate.