YOGA + MOVEMENT
MOM + BABY YOGA BY SHARI VILCHEZ-BLATT (SHE/HER)
Huh? Baby yoga? C’mon! No, seriously … baby yoga!
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f you think about it, baby yoga makes perfect sense. Babies are going to do it anyway, with or without our help. They develop through yoga poses, which can aid in their gross and fine motor skills. When the baby first lifts up their head during tummy time, that’s their cobra pose. When the baby first gets up on their hands and knees and looks up to the world, they’re in their cow pose. When they look down again, cat pose. Take an infant who sits on their own, and look at their stunning posture. Now make a noise behind them to make them turn and twist to see. Gasp! Look at that perfect twist coming from the upper body … a twist we as adults strive to achieve. Before they stand, babies will come into a down dog pose and lift up from there. Babies are natural yogis! What about mom? She may have had a strong practice before her pregnancy. Why mom-and-baby-yoga instead of getting a sitter and going back to your vinyasa adult class? Why not go to the gym or spin class to get back into shape? Well, you’re a mom! Your post-delivery body might not agree due to your lack of sleep, and bonding time is important. Why not enjoy this practice together? What is mom-and-baby-yoga? The way I teach it, anything goes in the class: crying, feeding, fussing, and changing — on mom or baby’s part. All are welcome. I try to manage mom’s expectations regarding what might happen in class. So, if an infant screams the entire hour, we’re OK with that! I’m there to support mom and let her know
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we can help. We’re OK with the sounds and smells; there is no such thing as “zen” in this class. If it happens, it’s truly a miracle. I try to do half the class for mommas, and half for the babes. But baby might decide they need our undivided attention, and we’ll abruptly switch gears to baby yoga if needed. I invite moms to approach class with a sense of humor — they might get a great yoga workout and baby might too, or they will nurse the majority of class. Maybe baby will sleep through the whole class. You never know. Sometimes it’s just great to get out of the house and make a mom friend (and a baby friend, too).
“Babies naturally move through many of the primary yoga poses in their developmental process from birth through creeping, crawling, standing, and walking.”
Introductions are important in a momand-baby-yoga class. I set up the room in a circle formation, as it lends itself to community and playful space for the babes in the center. I like to go around the circle and give the moms a chance to introduce themselves and their babies, tell how old their little one is, and highlight any milestones they may want to brag about.
We tend to keep sleeping through the night on the down-low, but if a mom’s earned the right to brag on this, they go ahead! I also take requests to best serve the mommas. In this class, I really want to listen to their needs. These women purely serve the needs of their infants. I want to give them an hour where they can be served and take a moment to find and listen to their breath. Requests include heart opening to ease hunching from breastfeeding, lower back exercises to counter constant bending down and lifting baby up, upper back and shoulder exercises (to relieve pain from holding baby, nursing, and fatigue), core strengthening, hip openers, and overall movement exercises. Some moms are just happy to get out of the house and meet another new mom in the same boat. When it’s baby yoga time, mommas move their infants into the poses. Depending on the energy and developmental milestones of the babies, we might start with babies on their backs or seated, and begin with a song or an “Om” to teach them it’s now their time. Babies naturally move through many of the primary yoga poses in their developmental process from birth through creeping, crawling, standing, and walking. They need to do this to develop the natural curves in their spines, as well as build strength in their muscles. Baby yoga aids in digestion — how amazing that you can help an infant experiencing gas pain and discomfort through yoga poses! Yoga assists their developmental process, aids in brain development, builds healthy sleeping patterns, and soothes a baby. Yoga can also be a great bonding tool for mom, baby, and Dad too!
MNYOGALIFE.COM
