Renee Peterson – Renee Peterson Yoga and 5Koshas Yoga
Registered Prenatal Yoga Instructor and Certified Viniyoga Wellness Instructor
What do you do?
For the past several years I have been teaching yoga to beginners and beyond, to prenatal and postnatal moms, and most recently, co-teaching yoga to toddlers and their parents/care-providers at 5Koshas Yoga. I also teach yoga to individuals, couples, and groups of people outside of the studio setting.
What education, classes or training were helpful to you?
Working with women, children, and families as a social worker for over 15 years combined with Viniyoga teacher training and specialized certification training as a prenatal and postnatal instructor have helped and influenced my style of teaching yoga. Some of the foundational principles of social work are also true in teaching yoga. Being non-judgmental, starting where your client/student is at, supporting and empowering people to move toward improving their situation and/or health and well-being.
Viniyoga teacher training encompasses the study of breath techniques, how the breath affects the nervous system, the importance of sequencing the postures to prepare the body for each posture and to adapt postures to accommodate physical limitations. Specialized training in prenatal and postnatal yoga was also beneficial to teach yoga postures that are safe at each stage of pregnancy, and to address common pregnancy concerns.
Why did you choose this sort of work?
I started going to yoga classes to build strength in my body and to manage chronic headache pain. After practicing yoga for a couple of years, I learned about a yoga teacher training being offered in Wausau through River Flow Yoga Teacher Training School.
Initially, I took the training for personal development without the intention of teaching. As I became more confident with my practical yoga teaching, and opportunities became available, my life just naturally evolved into teaching yoga. I have always enjoyed working with women, children, and families and as time went by I pursued training in prenatal and postnatal yoga. This past year I started co-teaching Little Yogi & Me, a class designed for toddlers and their parent or care provider.
What do you like best about your work?
Through teaching yoga I have an opportunity to meet so many wonderful people. Hearing feedback from students about how the yoga practices benefit them by reducing their discomfort is very rewarding.
For prenatal yoga it is especially rewarding to offer an hour of self-care to moms-to-be. Prenatal yoga classes aide moms in preparing for labor and delivery and help them minimize discomforts common in pregnancy. It is great to hear from moms how the breath techniques and postures they learned in prenatal yoga prepared and benefited them during labor and delivery. Meeting their babies in postnatal yoga classes and then seeing them later in the Little Yogi & Me classes is so much fun!
What advice would you give girls who want to get into your field?
Start taking yoga classes. Learn different styles of yoga with different teachers and a variety of studios. Research yoga philosophies and talk to yoga teachers to learn as much as you can.
In general, when you are considering a field of study, do something you are passionate about. Pursue your interests through school activities and community involvement. Volunteer in your community, try out different experiences, study, ask questions, and pursue career(s) that interest you. We are all unique individuals, with so much to offer one another and our community.
What is an example of something you’ve had to overcome to get to where you are now?
The fear of speaking in front of groups of people is something I have always struggled with. Practicing yoga and continuing to study yoga on a deeper level has helped to build my confidence. Practicing and teaching yoga is something I truly enjoy and that passion makes it so much easier to do—even in front of groups of people!
When choosing a career, do something you enjoy. Taking the first step is the starting point to building confidence in yourself. Each step you take gets you closer to your goal.