Being a midwife. Providing holistic care for women.
A newborn’s first cry. The relief after a successful birth. A mother’s first steps back into her daily routine. Midwives support women through some of the most defining moments of their lives.
And they experience something that no textbook can fully describe: just how closely the body, posture, breathing, movement, and self-confidence are all interconnected.
After pregnancy and childbirth, many women want more than just strong pelvic floor muscles. They want to stand up straight again. They want to feel stable. They want to be able to trust their bodies.
This is exactly where midwifery and CANTIENICA® body in evolution intersect.
For more than 30 years, Benita Cantieni has been researching the connections between the pelvic floor, posture, deep muscles, and movement. From the very beginning, midwives have been important partners in dialogue and companions on this journey.
The CANTIENICA® method does not view the pelvic floor as an isolated muscle group, but rather as part of an intelligent interplay between bones, joints, fascia, ligaments, the diaphragm, and muscles.
This perspective opens up new possibilities for pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum recovery, and long-term support for women.
What Midwives Observe Time and Again
A woman begins postpartum recovery six months after giving birth. Her scars have healed. Her medical test results are normal. And yet she doesn’t feel comfortable in her own body.
She describes a feeling of instability. Her back hurts. Her shoulders are hunched forward. Her pelvic floor feels weak. She leaks urine when she coughs.
Many midwives are familiar with stories like these.
CANTIENICA® does not look for the cause where the problem manifests itself, but rather in the interaction of the entire musculoskeletal system.
When the pelvis loses its alignment, the biomechanics of the spine change. When the diaphragm cannot move freely, pressure regulation in the abdominal cavity is altered. When the deep stabilizing muscles can no longer function reliably, other structures attempt to compensate.
The result is a range of symptoms that are often considered in isolation, even though they are related.
By Midwives, for Midwives
The connection between CANTIENICA® and midwifery has existed since the method’s inception.
Midwives were among the first professionals to recognize the potential of biomechanical relationships in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery.
Today, many midwives use this method and incorporate individual elements or entire training programs into their work. For some, CANTIENICA® is a valuable addition to their postpartum recovery classes. For others, it becomes a second source of income.
Everyone gains a deeper understanding of the female body.
Stories About the Pelvic Floor
Overcoming Incontinence and Back Pain
“After the birth of my first son, I struggled with back pain and incontinence. I tried many things—from traditional pelvic floor training to Kegel exercises—but nothing really worked for me in the long run. With CANTIENICA®, my symptoms gradually disappeared. Today I can dance, jog, jump, and teach without being limited by incontinence. At the same time, I’ve come to understand how closely the pelvic floor, spine, breathing, and posture work together.”
Those who understand their own bodies have confidence in their bodies, and that confidence grows within them
In this conversation, Benita Cantieni and Karin Altpeter-Weiss reflect on the significance of the CANTIENICA® method for women and midwives. They discuss self-empowerment and body awareness during pregnancy, childbirth, and beyond. Karin shares her experiences as a midwife in supporting women in tapping into their inner strength.
How Pelvic Floor Exercises Can Also Change the Way You Play the Violin
The story has become a classic: A young mother is looking for a workout that will help her recover after childbirth. She finds it, and she discovers how the workout affects her violin playing. The young mother is, in fact, a professional violinist and music educator. Susanne Berendes realizes that she had simply accepted physical pain, just like most of her colleagues—as if pain were an inevitable part of being a musician. She works tirelessly to show musicians how suffering can be replaced with ease.
Frequently Asked Questions from Midwives
The CANTIENICA® method does not view the pelvic floor in isolation, but rather as part of a biomechanical system comprising the skeleton, deep muscles, diaphragm, fascia, and movement. Many midwives find the training to be a valuable complement to their existing expertise because it allows them to experience these connections firsthand.
Yes. Many midwives are initially interested in the method because they want to provide even more precise support to women during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery.
Over time, many more possibilities open up.
The CANTIENICA® training program opens up additional career opportunities in the areas of pelvic floor health, posture, movement, prevention, and healthy aging. Some midwives incorporate individual elements into their postpartum recovery classes. Others offer one-on-one coaching or movement classes. Some build up a second source of income over the years.
This creates more career diversity and additional income opportunities.
Above all, however, something develops that many midwives value: the relationship with the women does not end after the postpartum period and recovery. What begins as support over a few months can turn into a partnership that lasts for many years.
Many CANTIENICA® instructors support their clients through various stages of life—from pregnancy and postpartum recovery, through the years of raising a family, to menopause and beyond.
For some midwives, CANTIENICA® is not just a continuing education program, but a long-term investment in their own professional future.
No. Many midwives incorporate individual principles into their existing practice. Others develop postpartum recovery programs or their own courses. The training is a good complement to the midwifery profession and can lead to an additional area of practice.
The best way to learn about the CANTIENICA® method is to experience it for yourself. Listen to the podcast, read testimonials from midwives, or visit a midwife who works with CANTIENICA® Körper in Evolution. Most midwives choose this method because they’ve experienced its effects firsthand.
Midwives already have a solid understanding of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery.
The CANTIENICA® training program does not replace this knowledge. It complements it by providing a biomechanical perspective on posture, alignment, breathing, and movement.
In the process, many midwives discover new connections:
- How does pelvic alignment affect the pelvic floor?
- What role does the diaphragm play during pregnancy and childbirth?
- Why can back pain, incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse have the same biomechanical causes?
- How can body awareness be guided with precision?
- What types of movement are beneficial for women before, during, and after childbirth?
The training does not cover obstetrics. It broadens understanding of how women can regulate their bodies from within.
No. Midwives complete the same Level 1 training as physical therapists, doctors, movement educators, and other professionals.
This was a deliberate choice: The training program teaches the biomechanical fundamentals of the CANTIENICA® method—regardless of one’s professional background.
Many midwives particularly value this interdisciplinary exchange. They contribute their knowledge of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery while also benefiting from the perspectives of other health and exercise professionals.
After completing Level 1, participants have the opportunity to take part in continuing education courses relevant to licensing.
The “Pregnancy & Postpartum Recovery” workshop focuses specifically on working with pregnant women and new mothers:
- Which exercises are appropriate during which stage of pregnancy?
- How can mothers and their babies be best supported through conscious pelvic floor exercises?
- What exercises promote good posture, back stability, and well-being during pregnancy?
- How can women be specifically prepared for childbirth?
- How can you ensure a safe and sustainable postpartum recovery?
- What exercises help with rectus diastasis, pelvic organ prolapse, and shoulder and back problems?
- How can the organs, pelvic floor, abdominal muscles, and deep muscles work together optimally again after childbirth?
This continuing education program combines the biomechanical principles of the CANTIENICA® method with the specific demands of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery.
Interested in the training program?
Here’s what you’ll learn in the CANTIENICA® body in evolution Level 1 Bronze Basic Training Course
- Understanding anatomy from a biomechanical perspective
- Carefully observe posture and movement patterns
- Provide verbal and hands-on guidance to people
- Targeted activation of the deep muscles
- Recognizing the connections between the pelvic floor, the spine, breathing, and movement
- Customize and Teach Exercises
The training program is designed to be completed while working and combines self-study, hands-on training, and personal coaching.
After completing Level 1, various specializations are available.
Why Midwives Rely on CANTIENICA®
Karin Altpeter-Weiss has been supporting women for decades as a midwife and CANTIENICA® instructor. In this interview, she explains why body awareness, posture, and conscious work with the pelvic floor have effects that go far beyond traditional postpartum recovery—both preventively and therapeutically.
An experienced midwife shares her story
Becoming Friends with Your Body
Topic: Late Postpartum Period
Benita Cantieni
Postpartum Recovery with a "Tiger" Vibe
To prevent long-term health complications such as uterine prolapse, incontinence, and back pain, targeted postpartum exercise is very important after the birth of a child. Benita Cantieni’s Tigerfeeling program ensures optimal strengthening of the pelvic floor. With exercises for the abdomen, legs, buttocks, chest, and shoulders, it delivers quick results, is fun, and helps you achieve a great figure.
- Revised and updated edition of the best-selling title with a new design
- The Best Exercises for a Strong Pelvic Floor: Holistic Training for the Whole Body
- Bonus: breathing exercises to help maintain an upright posture
Hardcover, paperback, 176 pages, 17.0 x 24.0 cm, approximately 60 color illustrations
Known for …
