Labor Skills Workshop

With Sandi Smith-Grove: ERYT200, Licensed Midwife and Prenatal Educator

A man and woman sitting on a blue yoga mat in a spacious room, smiling and laughing while doing yoga together, with a laptop in front of them and a water bottle nearby.

What to Expect

Open to the pregnant person and her primary birth partner, an all-level workshop to help prepare for labor and birth.

Offered in a concise format, allowing the pair to learn and engage in hands-on comfort strategies that can be used throughout labor. The takeaway from our time together will give options to implement when labor begins.

We begin with a foundation in breathing strategies based in yoga traditions, helping individuals remain calm, grounded and present during birth and beyond. Moving through a gentle yoga sequence to stretch and move the spine; adding in positions, movement and massage that can bring comfort to the birthing person, allowing both to approach labor with confidence. Affirmations are sprinkled throughout and our time is concluded with a deep relaxation.

All trimesters and birth philosophies welcome, no yoga experience necessary. This workshop complements any birthing preparation classes you may be taking. Wear comfortable clothing you can move in, bring a light snack and water bottle.

2 hours - $120/per pair

Multiple hands placed over a pregnant belly, forming a heart shape, with a woman dressed in a white dress with small black polka dots.

Meet the instructor

  • Sandi Smith-Groove: ERYT200, LM

    Sandi is an ERYT200, Licensed Midwife and Prenatal Educator who began her work with pregnant people at the same time she began practicing yoga, in 1992. Her belief is that yoga is a practice which can benefit any one and any body and is a path to maintaining physical, emotional and mental wellness, as well as helping reduce stress and anxiety.

    Sandi combines two of her passions, yoga and serving expectant and new parents, into her Prenatal and Postpartum yoga classes and Prenatal Partners workshops. She believes that the female body is strong and powerful, yet benefits from nurturing and compassion, especially during the season of gestation and change. Helping pregnant people connect with their bodies and their babies, focusing on the breath and finding balance, discovering the strength within, while learning to let go are interwoven into her classes.

    She began studying with Diane Valentine as part of a healing regime after back surgery, and completed her teaching certification at The Yoga & Movement Center in Walnut Creek. She has received teaching certifications in Yoga for Healthy Aging, Prenatal Yoga, Relax & Renew® Restorative Yoga, as well as the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction program for Health Care Providers.