5 poses for you and your baby.
1. Baby Yoga: Hello, Baby
This creates a secure attachment with the parent/caregiver
- Sit on a soft mat or blanket with your legs open. Place baby on their back between your legs. Be sure baby can see your warm smile and say, “Hello, (baby’s name). It’s yoga time.
- Gently hold the baby’s legs (around the knees) and rock them in and out towards his chest without putting any pressure on the joints. This will relax the baby’s hips and help to calm and center the baby.
- Say this rhyme as you slowly and gently rock baby’s legs.
Hello, baby.
It’s yoga time.
Hello, baby.
You look so fine.
- You can also gently rock the baby’s feet, arms, or hands.
♥Baby yoga creates an enhanced sense of well-being and bond between an adult and infant♥
2. Baby Yoga: Seeing Eye-to-Eye
This encourages eye contact and visual building skills
- Yoga is a wonderful way to make eye contact with your baby. The comfort of being held and touched encourages baby to look at you-a winning combination for all kinds of skill development. Sit comfortably on the floor with your legs stretched out and lay a soft blanket over your legs. Place baby on their back in your lap so that they are facing you.
- Make physical contact by placing your hand on the baby’s tummy as you say, “Look at me? I’m smiling at you!”
- As you gently massage baby’s arms and legs, try to maintain eye contact by making interesting faces and sounds. Notice if baby begins to imitate what you do.
♥Early experiences in a warm and secure relationship with a loving adult guide brain development. When babies feel secure, they are more likely to explore the world around them and build synaptic connections♥
3. Baby Yoga: Muffin Man
Experimenting with rhythmic movements and small motor skills
- Yoga can be slow and peaceful or fast and rhythmic. Use the familiar song ” Do You Know the Muffin Man?” To get baby bouncing and clapping. Baby is at just the right stage to learn how to cross the midline of the body in a clapping activity.
- Sit baby in front of you so they can see your hands. Show him how to put their hands together and then take them apart to make a clapping motion.
- As you sing and clap, invite the baby to clap along with you. Try adding a bouncing motion to the rhyme and watch to see if baby can bounce and clap at the same time.
♥Yoga with babies builds body awareness, self-confidence, and motor skills♥
4. Baby Yoga: Side to Side
Building visual and motor skills
- Hang a mobile or small toy above and to the side of the changing table or crib.
- Place baby on table and invite them to make eye contact with you as you say, “Let’s stretch. It’s yoga time!”
- Gently bring baby’s left leg over their right leg. Notice if baby continues to look at you or if their eyes follow the movement of their body.
- Bring their leg back to center and draw baby’s attention to the hanging mobile. Notice if baby rolls their body towards the mobile just turns their head.
- Invite baby to stretch again-this time with his right leg over left. Watch to see if baby stays focused on the mobile when you stretch.
♥By the 9-12 month stage, baby’s vision centers of the brain are growing quickly to the point where babies can use circular vision to look in a variety of directions♥
5. Baby Yoga: Stir it Up
Developing a sense of trust and security with an adult
Baby yoga activities challenge baby to explore new movements with the gentle support of a caring adult. In this activity, baby is being encouraged to experiment with picking up her feet as a prelude to walking.
- While sitting on your knees, hold baby gently but securely under their arms facing away from you.
- Slowly lean your body side to side as you say this little chant (or sing it to the Bob Marley tune)
Stir it up, little baby
Stir it up, oh yeah
Stir it up, come on baby
Stir it up, oh yeah
- As you rock side to side, baby will eventually start to “stir” by lifting one foot and then the other.
♥Shared baby yoga poses create an enhanced sense of well-being and a bond between adult and infant♥
Namaste.
