Abdominal Therapy for Professionals: Pregnancy through Postpartum

Abdominal Therapy for Professionals: Pregnancy through Postpartum class enriches your ability to support clients in their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum (the fourth trimester) journey.

This work was shared with Rosita via traditional midwives including our beloved Miss Hortence Robinson. Please see the video below about Ms Hortence.

It’s been refined with the input of modern-day midwives, doulas, and fertility specialists over the years.

Dr Rosita Arvigo worked closely with her local community in Belize. Helping families across generations, she loved nothing better than massaging babies in the belly, watching them grow after birth and then later supporting them as they created families of their own.

As Abdominal Therapy practitioners we find a sweet joy in doing the same. We love to meet people at the start of their journey, often before conception and then work with them through and beyond both pregnancy and birth. We truly believe babies recognize our voices and touch after months of being massaged in the womb.

In this five day class, we know you will be as enchanted as we are with the work you will share with your pregnant and recently birthed clients.

This class is open to massage therapists and midwives who have bodywork experience as well as doulas and birth keepers with experience in the birth world who are not necessarily qualified massage therapists.

**Prerequisites for this class: **

Entrance will be subject to an interview and will be at the discretion of the Educators.

Proof of professional certifications

Proof of professional liability insurance if required in your location.

You Will Learn:

• The history and lineage of Abdominal Therapy.

• Traditional birthing wisdom to support your clients.

• How to perform and teach Your Abdominal Massage (YAM).

• Pregnancy anatomy and physiology.

• How abdominal therapy supports those on a fertility journey both naturally and assisted.

• Some of the common causes of discomfort during pregnancy and how to alleviate them.

• How to apply our techniques in a side-lying position suitable for all stages of pregnancy.

• Ways to support your clients as they prepare for birth and useful tools and resources.

• Basics of fertility awareness

• The importance of postpartum care and why it can make a difference as to how menopause may be experienced later in life.

On Completion You Will Receive:

Membership to the ATC

Certificate of attendance.

Membership of the Collective Cafe, our secure platform

Access to our extensive educational resources in the Collective cafe.

Ongoing professional support in the Collective cafe.

Massage therapists in the United States may receive up to 34 CE’s through the NCBTMB for this workshop.

Your Educators: Donna Zubrod and Vivian Menjivar are co-founders of the Abdominal Therapy Collective along with Dr. Rosita Arvigo

Donna Zubrod:

I am passionate about teaching and treating female reproductive health. I inspire and empower clients and students to embrace body literacy and self-care practices that nurture and heal body, mind, emotions, and spirit. I am a healing partner for all cycles of your life. A multi-certified bodywork therapist, fertility awareness educator, and birth doula since 2010, I have spent more than a decade guiding and teaching thousands of people how to have healthier, more embodied and empowered lives, spanning fertility challenges, painful reproductive cycles, uncomfortable pregnancies, and more.

My practice, Seven Generations Reproductive Wellness, is where I provide my services safely in-person in the North Carolina Triangle and online globally. I am an inclusive partner to all those with female anatomy and their support partners. I am known for my high-quality, bold teaching style that includes a mastery of anatomy. Having received advanced training certifications in a wide range of innovative modalities, most notably the Abdominal Therapy teachings of Dr. Rosita Arvigo, I am also on a path to complete Justisse Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner (HRHP) certification training in 2021, allowing me to integrate non-religious fertility awareness method education and reproductive health counselling into my holistic healing practice.

I am dedicated to providing the care and bold education that I wished I’d received about my own reproductive health as well as during the pregnancies and births of my two sons. Don’t feel like you have to take those steps alone. Let me join you for the journey. I’ll gladly meet you where you are.

I’m an anatomy geek and an astronomy enthusiast. To relax, I love to belly dance, play in my garden, and go hiking and snowshoeing with my family in the Canadian Rockies. Those who know me well say I’m sassy, classy, and a bit badass-y.

Initial consultations with me are complimentary and I invite you to connect with me. I look forward to working with you.

Vivian Menjivar:

My goal as an educator is to spread Abdominal and Pelvic Therapy globally until there is a practitioner in every village and town, ensuring that all benefit from healthy reproduction and digestion. This therapy is needed now more than ever.

In 1999 I learned about Abdominal Therapy, formerly called "Maya Uterine Massage, for myself, having suffering from a uterine and bladder prolapse and a laundry list of problems. These included most of the signs and symptoms of a displaced uterus and congested pelvis.

After studying Spiritual Healing and Professional Care training with Dr. Rosita Arvigo in 2000, I knew I would be doing this work on myself and others for the rest of my life. This work became my life’s work. I became certified in these Techniques in 2002 and became a Self Care Instructor in 2004.

I am blessed to have helped many thousands of adults and children with the Abdominal Therapy techniques, founded by Dr. Rosita Arvigo, in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia, over the last 20 plus years and countless others with Maya Spiritual Healing. I have been teaching classes in North America and throughout Europe, and Asia since 2004.

I help individuals heal physically with Amma Therapy and Abdominal Therapy, Heal Spiritually and Emotionally with Plant Spirit Medicine and Wisdom work, Maya Spiritual Healing.

I am a New York State Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Amma Therapist (Chinese Medical Massage) I received my Bachelors degree in Amma Therapy from the New York College for Wholistic Health Education & Research on Long Island, NY and my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Long Island University.

I have attended many holistic trainings throughout the last 20+ years including Cranial-sacral therapy, Myofascial release, 5 Element Acupuncture, Esoteric Healing, Sacred Women’s Teachings in the Abenaki Tradition, Integrative Nutrition Health Coaching, and Birth Doula training. I integrate most of these therapies into my therapies.

As a Plant Spirit Medicine healer, I have been working as a bridge between humans and Mother Earth & the natural world, helping people heal deeply both emotionally and spiritually.

I am also an initiated Fire-keeper, having trained in the principles of Fire Work— expanding and enriching our relationships through the connective and transformative power of Fire. Together with the spontaneity, inspiration, and life challenges brought by those in attendance, I lead community fires to offer an opportunity for personal and group transformation.

I am currently studying Traditional Greek Hippocratic Medicine and Women's Herbal Medicine.