Baby Yoga can help you build a life-long bond with your baby. Babies are naturally flexible and love movement. They love being touched in a gentle and mindful way. A Baby Yoga class will teach you moves and routines that help build their trust in you. Baby Yoga fosters communication without words before Baby can speak. Focussing on them and maintaining eye contact throughout the exercises helps you tune into their moods and needs. You gain confidence as you help your baby to relax, feel comfortable and safe. It’s a source of pleasure for you both, a joint experience that will enhance your connection. 

When and How to Start Baby Yoga

Baby Yoga can be done from when the baby is about 6 weeks old. Watch and listen carefully. Only do what the baby enjoys. Once your baby is old enough to crawl they will let you know if they have had enough by moving away.

You can tell them it is the beginning of the session and ask permission. Through the repetition of the word “yoga” Baby will learn the cue. “Will we do some yoga?” or “This is yoga time”.

Tips

The parent's breathing is important while doing yoga with Baby. You can count an inhale for 4 and exhale of 4 to help calm down and relax ready for the session. This makes it easier for your baby to accept what is happening.

There are lots of rhymes for Baby Yoga, like “North South East West, who is the baby I love best?”. Rhymes add to the fun and reassure Baby with a caring voice. Praise when your baby has completed a routine builds their confidence in themselves and in you. Keep eye contact throughout, shower them with affection and tell them how wonderful they are.

Benefits

The movement releases tension. You need to collaborate to perform moves paying attention to each others’ intentions. New babies can seem fragile. Learning some Baby Yoga moves will reassure you and encourage you to handle your baby.

Whilst you are paying such close attention to your baby, their body is releasing feel-good hormones. They are encouraged to brave new experiences, knowing they have your support. 

Enjoying it Together

The more you do a routine and Baby becomes familiar with it, the more they will chuckle and laugh so it’s a joy for you too. You can incorporate lifting and carefully swinging Baby. When Baby sees you do a pose and is able to do it themselves they feel a huge sense of accomplishment. The endorphins these movements release include oxytocin, the hormone of love, so it will increase your love for your Baby. This can help you bond if you are struggling with postnatal depression.

There are some simple moves to help Baby’s digestion and this makes life so much easier for both Baby and parents. It can help with colic so prevent long hours of crying that stresses out parents.

Make it part of your Routine

Baby Yoga is a great way to connect with your baby after work. As part of the bedtime routine it reestablishes your affection for one another and after the initial excitement relaxes Baby ready for sleep reassured that you are there and fully tuned into their needs. Regular practice signals to Baby's body that it is time to shut down and rest.

Once you have a few yoga moves in your repertoire, you can use them at any time to calm your baby down or just amuse them. 

Your baby will feel nurtured and loved if you do yoga regularly. It fosters deep emotional connection.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska