At Home Yoga with your Baby
Sensory Stimulation
Tactile, auditory and visual contact is important for a child’s brain development and emotional well being and helps assimilate trust and security. This leads to development of self-confidence, the foundation of a balanced body, mind and spirit. The yoga studio is a great place for babies to watch and listen to their parents and friends in the room, building visual and auditory tracking skills.
Language Development
By practicing certain yoga sequences parents can help establish routine, which builds on the infant’s knowledge of anticipation, which helps develop language.
Self-Regulation
Babies sleep better and longer as a result of the physical and mental stimulation gained through yoga. As they grow they will understand and know how to use yoga to help keep their minds calm, bodies healthy, and spirits singing.
Gross Motor Development
Yoga also focuses on building balance, strength, and coordination for parent and baby. For example, in Warrior 1 Pose, parents will hold baby close to their core, which builds strength in the legs, pelvic floor, and back, while the baby is building strength in the neck and torso. Yoga targets muscles in a safe and fun way.
Bonding
It is easy to get carried away with the “to-dos” of life. Baby and Me yoga reminds us that one-on-one time is precious and so beneficial for baby and parent. In class both the parent and child are having fun while building these strong bonds.
Try this with your Baby!
1.) Sit on the floor with your sit bones on a folded blanket or pillow, bringing a little extra height to the hips helps protect the lower back.
2.) Take the legs wide and press out through the heels, keeping your toes pointed toward the ceiling.
3.) Your baby can rest on a blanket in front of you between your legs.
4.) Keeping your back long, hinge forward through the hips. Let your hips do the work, keeping your back straight. You will feel a nice stretch in the backs of the legs.
5.) With each inhale lengthen within the bend, with each exhale bend another centimeter forward.
6.) Use this time to rub your baby with loving touch. Starting with your babies little toes and working your way to the babies crown.