How Natural Medicine Can Promote And Improve The Health And Well Being Of Mothers And Babies. This workshop is for doulas, massage therapists, midwives, maternity nurses as well as to pregnant women and would teach a holistic vision of care, based on the understanding of the basic principle of Ayurvedic medicine. The aim of the workshop is to promote a conscious pregnancy, helping mothers to awaken or deepen a sense of responsibility toward their own psychophysical wellbeing as a way to love and nurture their babies. It will be an important aid professionals in their role of supporting and guiding women during their pregnant and postnatal periods, as well as to massage therapists who aim to promote and enhance their clients’ health and well being. This special event gives precious information and advice based on an ancient Indian medical science called Ayurveda. During the two day workshop students will acquire knowledge of the basic principle of the Ayurvedic science in relation to conception and pregnancy. The important concept of the Panchamahaboutas/Five Elements and their relevance for understanding the human body functions will be explained together with the theory of three Doshas/body constitutional elements and the concept of Agni/digestive power. Students will learn the important concepts of gunas/qualities and karma/ function as a mean to understand why food, thoughts and actions have destabilising or balancing effects on the body. Great emphasis will be given to diet and life style as means to ensure the well being of mothers and babies. Trainer Maria Margherita Tessarin has studied and been practising Massage and Yoga for over ten years. She started her journey into natural therapies in the 1990s studying Aromatherapy and becoming qualified in Swedish massage. Having successfully undertaken a three years course in Ayurveda at Thames Valley University in London, she completed her studies in India and Germany. She trained in India at Arsha Peetha Vidhya Trust in Coimbatore, at S.D.M. Ayurvedic College and Hospital in Udupi, Pune, Germany and London. She has been practising Ayurveda as an Ayurvedic consultant and Therapist, focusing particularly on women’s health and well being. After attending the doula training with Marcia Blackstock, she has chosen to become an Ayurvedic doula. Her role is to inform and support pregnant women during their pregnancy, acknowledge them of all the psychophysical issues pregnancy brings about and help them to be overcome them in a relaxed and joyful manner. She sees pregnancy and labour as a journey of self discovery and empowerment and values them as the most important time in a woman life. Her aim is to awake women inner potential and support them in their special journey into motherhood.