What Is Baby Yoga?

Yoga is the practice of using various positions and poses to promote one’s health physically, mentally, and spiritually. With baby yoga, the only catch is practising these poses with your little bundle of joy in your arms; either mom or dad can practice with their baby. Baby yoga has deemed to be proven worthy of its countless benefits, and it’s a terrific way to spend some extra one-on-one time with your little one. Get your yoga mats out and take the enlightening pathway into the uplifting world of baby yoga! Are you still feeling a little sceptical? Fret not, as we bring you the benefits of baby yoga for both parent and baby, we’ve also compiled some easy beginner poses that anyone can practice.

Benefits Of Baby Yoga

 

Flexibility

We tend to assume that yoga practitioners are incredibly flexible, which is true; yoga improves flexibility, but don’t be quick to try and put your leg behind your head, that kind of flexibility comes with years of practice. Baby yoga can help your baby achieve improved flexibility, with a better range of motion. With flexibility comes great control of balance; it will, in turn, help your baby stabilize when learning to walk.

Strong Bonding Exercise

The entire practice of baby yoga focuses on your baby and their bodies, but it does not take away from you, both of you work as one. When performing the poses and positions, the parent is to keep eye contact and guide your baby into said poses; this creates a safe space, making sure they’re comfortable and calm. The practice also requires parent and baby to be at skin contact, feeling each other’s heartbeats; this will only create a deeper bond with parent and baby. Bonding helps your baby grow, both in the mental and physical aspects; it aids the release of hormones, helping the brain grow!

Relives Gas Problems

Babies are very familiar with having gassy tum-tums; this is because when they are being fed milk from a bottle or even when they are breastfed, they tend to take in air along with the milk. This taken-in air turns into gas, and this leads to all sorts of stomach problems such as constipation, bloating, tummy pains, and aches. These stomach problems cause much discomfort and even indigestion; some babies even face sleep issues because of the caused discomfort. Baby yoga can help relieve babies of gas troubles; certain simple yoga poses can remove the gas quickly. For example, laying your baby down on their backs and moving their legs gently in a cycling fashion can help relieve stomach pains.

Brain Development

Yoga poses can help stimulate your baby’s brain, strengthening it. It keeps your baby’s brain engaged, energized, and to explore. Certain poses help little ones develop motor skills, giving them the ability to stand and walk faster than usual. As your baby tries to follow the poses, it encourages the brain to process the information, developing sensory stimulation, and awareness.

Body Awareness

Babies recognize body awareness even when they’re just newborns; it is recommended to start encouraging this instinct as soon as possible. Just like infant swimming, activities as such gives little ones more control over their body and with that, awareness over their bodies. Learning and being aware of their bodies from a young age itself helps little ones take ownership of their bodies, giving them higher self esteems when they get older. As little ones explore their abilities in a much deeper sense and realize the development they gain, they will want to go further with those abilities.

A Calmer Baby

Many poses are designed to help your little bundle of joy to fall asleep faster, poses such as the ‘Happy Baby’ and ‘The Twister’ are meant to help the baby relax. With baby yoga being a helpful cause to gassy bellies, which most of the time is the main cause of lack of sleep in babies, your little one will have nights of sound sleep. Try and routine baby yoga time right before bedtimes as it usually relaxes your little one, sending signals that its time to go to bed, just like when you read them a storybook or sing a lullaby.

Beginner Baby Yoga Poses

 

Downward Facing Dog

A simple pose suitable for 6 to 10 months old toddlers that have begun to crawl. Start by demonstrating it to your little one by having both hands on the floor while your rear end is pointed upward. Encourage them to replicate your pose by looking at them upside down and then right side up again. Should they require more encouragement, support them as they perform the pose. The Downward Facing Dog pose stretches the muscle in shoulders, hamstrings, calves, and hands.

Happy Baby

Seems familiar? This particular pose may not look like a yoga pose but rather more like a baby just being babyish. This pose helps your baby stretch, opening the hip muscles, and also aiding with digestion. Have your baby lay down on their back and let their legs be up in the air, have your little one grab their feet with their hands and sway away like a rocking chair. Your baby’s first intuition might not be to grab their feet, but in time, they’ll follow that instinct. Do the pose with your baby, so they can learn to imitate it, aside from being a baby pose, its also an adult yoga pose that helps open hip muscles.

Hand Exercises

Babies are born with a fisted hand, and until their palms and fingers are open, they will not be able to crawl. Their hands must be strengthened so they can crawl and explore, which is where baby yoga can be of great assistance. Stretching and reaching out hands is a simple hand exercise that your baby can do, your little one may not be so quick to mimic your gesture, but in time, they’ll have it in the bag. Pass toys or other objects back and forward with your baby to get them stretching their fingers open.