Pre-course Preparation
For this teacher training, there is recommended pre-course reading available to purchase by clicking on the the links below.
Reading and Websites
Don’t panic as we do not expect you to buy all these books – this is a list of resources you may care to look at.
You are invited to have a look at the website for Uma's book Yoni Shakti where you will find lots of audio and video material that gives you a flavour of the practices shared on the course.
Uma's menstrual guru for the past five years has been her very divine loveliness Alexandra Pope, author of the Wild Power, Women’s Quest Workbook, The Wild Genie and The Pill – are you sure it’s for you? All of these books are recommended reading for the course. Uma also really recommends browsing Alexandra's site to find out more about her work www.redschool.net
If you are looking for even further reading, then I can warmly recommend any one or all of the following books for uplifting and challenging perspectives on being a woman (don't agree with everything in them, but am interested to discuss this work with you!)
Another valuable resources to connect with is Women’s Waterworks by Pauline Chiarelli. This is fabulous, world best-selling guide to the female pelvic Ploor, written by a physiotherapist continence advisor. Chapter One is available as a free download or the whole book to purchase on the above link.
A good general overview of the background material that supports the course can be obtained from Nawa Yogini Tantra and Luna Yoga:
- Ohlig, Adelheid. 1994. Luna Yoga: Vital fertility and Sexuality.Ash Tree Publishing: Woodstock, New York. Comprehensive and inspiring – full of helpful modifications and good ideas. Sadly this book has been out of print for some time, and can be a very expensive title if you do find it. The French edition is often more easily available
- Muktananda, Sw. 1992 [1977]. Nawa Yogini Tantra.
Bihar School of Yoga. Munger. Full of insight and helpful yoga guidance on many aspects of womens’ health. Essential reference for this course, but be wary about the guidelines during pregnancy and birth. Apart from that, Everything else is trustworthy.
For an inspiring vision of the anatomy of the female pelvis, see The Female Pelvis. Other useful background reading is the Muladhara and Swadisthana chapters from Kundalini Tantra. I will also be referring to some of the restorative postures and remedies outlined in Judith Lasater’s book Relax and Renew (in particular the cycle of poses for “Moon Club”):
- Calais-Germain, Blandine. 2003. The Female Pelvis: Anatomy and Exercises. Eastland Press: Seattle. Useful reference for this module – try out some of the exercise if you get a moment.
- Saraswati, Sw. Satyananda. 1984 . Kundalini Tantra.
Bihar School of Yoga. Munger. Classic reference on chakra energetics. This is the approach on which the chakra and other energetical body information in the course is based.
- Lasater, Judith Hanson. 1995. Relax and Renew: Restful yoga for stressful times.
Rodmell Press: Berkeley, California. Crucial information and guidance on appropriate restorative poses for women’s health.
For an informative, sexy, fun and empowering guidebook to our female anatomy please see Women’s Anatomy of Arousal: Secret Maps to Buried Pleasure by Sheri Winston. There is also a fantastic interview of her with Aaron Alexander called Sex Tips, Womens' Anatomy of Arousal which can be found as a free podcast on iTunes.
I would also highly recommend that you explore two US websites in preparation for the course. In terms of approaches to prolapse and the general health and support of the pelvic organs in women, please take the time to visit Christine Kent's websites www.savingthewholewoman.com and www.wholewoman.com and take a root around the articles and testimonials she has collected. I have found her approach deeply inspiring and very helpful indeed, and will be sharing some yoga practices informed by her thinking.
I also very warmly recommend that you encounter the work of Dr Christiane Northrup, either in terms of her phenomenally useful books, especially Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom: A Complete Guide to Women's Health and Wellbeing or by visiting her website: www.drnorthrup.com
With both of these websites, to access the information and articles that are most useful you have to sign up as a member. I would advise that this is well worth doing, especially if you are planning to work in this area of women's healing. Enjoy your surfing!
In addition, many of the practices taught in the course are described and/or illustrated in detail in the following texts written by the course tutor, so for that reason, if you do not already have these texts, it may be helpful for you to have copies of:
