Yoga for the little ones: babies and parents reap the benefits of yoga

I was recently talking to a mom-to-be about yoga for kids. She mentioned that she would be interested in learning more in a couple of years once her oldest daughter is in preschool. I asked him, “Why wait? Even babies can do yoga.” She was completely amazed. I told her that she had done yoga with my children and that I recommend it to all new parents.

Baby yoga includes numerous benefits. Yoga:

Improves digestion-A baby’s digestive tract is underdeveloped and sensitive. Yoga helps strengthen and massage the intestines, increasing baby’s comfort and stimulating absorption and elimination, making baby happier and parents’ lives easier.

Provides relief from colic.-Colic is frustrating for both the child and the parents. Numerous baby yoga poses can help calm parents and babies. Baby squats are extremely effective for this. Hold baby in front of you, standing with feet a little more than hip-width apart. On an exhale, quickly squat while holding the baby securely. Return to the starting position as you inhale. Repeat until baby calms down.

Encourage bonding-Yoga encourages spending time together. Touching, holding, committing to a purpose firmly establishes an emotional foundation for parent-child relationships. Other family members and caregivers can also participate in infant yoga and thus contribute to the emotional well-being of the baby.

Stimulates neuromuscular development-Repetitive movement and touch are the cornerstones for the development of neuromuscular pathways. Since the brain develops faster during the first year of life than during any other period, frequent and repetitive stimulation of the neuromuscular system is vital to lay the foundation for future learning and growth. Yoga helps with this goal.

Increases body awareness.Babies learn through physical interaction with their world. During the first year they go from newborn to walking. Yoga helps babies learn where their body parts are and how to move them to improve coordination, build strength, and instill a positive body image.

Reduce stressBabies’ lives are stressful. Everything is new, they can’t tell others what’s wrong, and they struggle to understand and control their bodies. New parents also have a high level of stress compounded by insomnia. Yoga can help both babies and parents grow and learn together, trusting their intuition and learning to relax.

Promotes a deeper and longer sleep.Babies need stimulation to grow. They also need sleep. Children’s yoga helps the baby to exercise the body and inspire the mind. Then baby is ready to relax and drift off to sleep for a nice long nap. Yoga also helps calm babies who have woken up during the night to go back to sleep. New parents will rejoice when their little one sleeps longer and deeper than ever before.

The joy of baby yoga is that it can be practiced anywhere, anytime your child needs personal attention. Ideally, a period of 5 to 20 minutes of yoga is scheduled into the day at a regular time. For example, if the baby is more interactive in the morning, do playful and stimulating poses. Alternatively, if the baby is often restless at night, she incorporates calming yoga into the bedtime routine. Bath time is often the perfect time to include some yoga poses, as baby is alert and has mom or dad’s undivided attention.

Above all else, infant yoga is about being present with your baby. Parent-child interactions come from a foundation of love and gentleness. The mutual experience unites families and helps the development of the baby, the parents to facilitate growth and everyone to recognize life as a wonderful gift to share.