From the birthing room to the yoga mat
My name is Lianna. I'm a mother, dancer, pregnancy yoga teacher and practising midwife with over 20 years of experience supporting women through pregnancy and birth in Sussex and Kent.
For most of my career, I've worked in "out of hospital" settings, such as homes and birthing centres, where I've had the privilege of supporting women to birth in environments where they feel safe, calm and in control. In 2024, I was awarded Midwife of the Year by my Trust, which remains one of the proudest moments of my professional life.
Why I do this work
I've always been passionate about physiological birth - birth that unfolds naturally, without unnecessary intervention. Over the years, I've noticed something powerful: the majority of births I've facilitated have involved women using hypnobirthing and movement as tools to support their labour. And I've seen first-hand the incredible impact this can have.
Women who move instinctively, who breathe through contractions, who trust their bodies labour differently. They feel different. And that difference stays with them long after their babies are born.
I wanted more women to have access to these tools, not during labour when everything's already happening, but during pregnancy when there's time to learn, practice and truly embody them.
My journey to yoga
I came to yoga through my own body's complaints. Years of dance performance and some pretty bad habits had left me stiff, sore and struggling. I started practising mainly to stay mobile, but what I found went far beyond physical relief.
Yoga helped me sleep. It calmed my constantly busy brain. It balanced my body in ways I still can't fully explain. And then I had a thought, “If this is helping me, could it help pregnancy?” I saw an advert to train as a Yogabirth teacher and signed up less than two weeks later.
From practice to teaching
After a year of training, life had other plans. I was getting married, moving home, and it didn't feel like the right time to launch something new. So I put teaching on hold, continued working as a midwife, and kept up my own yoga practice.
But the pull was still there. I wanted to understand yoga on a deeper level. So I applied for a sabbatical from work and travelled to Koh Phangan in Thailand, to complete my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Moksha Passionate Yoga Education.
It was an incredible experience. And when I came home, I knew it was time.
Building something that matters
I launched my first pregnancy yoga class in June 2025. By July, it was full. By the end of July, I'd opened a second class.
The response has been amazing. Women are seeking this kind of preparation - a holistic, evidence-based approach, taught by someone who truly understands birth from the inside out.
Now, alongside my midwifery work, I teach pregnancy yoga and run pregnancy retreats across East Sussex. I'm passionate about helping women achieve the best possible birth experience, and also offer hypnobirthing courses as a qualified instructor with The Little Birth Company - a multi-award-winning training provider, accredited under IPHM (The International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine).
I've also trained in Reiki, biomechanics for birth and Inner Dance facilitation, because I believe in giving women as many tools as possible to feel empowered in their own bodies.
My qualifications
Registered Midwife with over 20 years of experience in Sussex and Kent
Midwife of the Year 2024 (awarded by my Trust)
Yogabirth Teaching 300 hours (May 2022) – the most in-depth pregnancy yoga qualification in the UK and the only training accredited by the Royal College of Midwives
Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training 200 hours – Moksha Passionate Yoga, Thailand (March 2025)
Hypnobirthing Diploma and Teacher Training – The Little Birth Company (September 2025)
Biomechanics for Birth with Molly O'Brien (April 2023)
Inner Dance Facilitator Training (September 2022)
Usui Reiki Level One (December 2025)
Usui Reiki Level Two (Feb 2026)
Yin Yoga training (April 2026)
What drives me
Every time I teach a class or support a woman through labour, I'm reminded why this work matters. Birth is one of the most powerful experiences of a woman's life, and how she feels during that experience stays with her forever.
My job, whether I'm in the birthing room or on the yoga mat, is to help women feel strong, calm and ready. To trust their bodies. To know they have choices. To walk into birth feeling prepared, not scared.
Are you ready to feel confident and take control of your birth?
Join me for your first class. All levels welcome, from complete beginners to experienced yogis preparing for their next baby.