What is Baby Yoga?
Yoga supports the baby's individual development, strengthening the physical body and maintaining flexibility. It induces a happy, care-free and lively parent-infant interaction, through safe games to play and enjoy, which are repeated again and again. This playful stimulation through yoga-based exercise is the best possible way of helping babies relish life and to deal positively with stress and know how to relax.
During a session the parent and baby unit will play, sing and stretch together, then relax at the end. As both are fully focused on each other the baby soon learns that exercise and relaxation are complementary and can do both. As with all baby classes, baby yoga is shared at the baby's pace, nothing is forced and we always work within their range of movement and ability or readiness for a pose/exercise. Classes are taught in 6 weekly sessions & are suitable for babies from 4 months to cruising.
Benefits for baby
The movements and massage can aid digestion and give relief to colicky babies.
Can help the baby sleep more deeply and can help improve sleep patterns
Strengthens and aids physical development
Aids digestion
Enhanced interaction & communication between parent and baby
Yoga helps to heal any birth trauma; the baby will also be better equipped to deal with shocks
The baby’s enjoyment of the positive stress of yoga will increase the babies ability to cope with future challenges
Tactile stimulation contributes to the development of the brain and the nervous system.
Benefits for Mother
Helps to regain strength and maintain posture
Tones the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor
Nurturing oneself whilst enjoying activities with your baby
Deep relaxation to help cope with the stresses of early parenting
It provides a daily routine of activity through which the parent can engage constructively with their baby from birth
What is SMART Toddler Yoga?
Stretch, Move And Relax Together is a continuation of the baby yoga approach for mobile babies, toddlers and pre-school children.
Using songs and rhymes alongside plenty of movement and stretching, this class is designed to support the transition from babyhood to independent movement. As babies make this transition to independence, physical contact with their parents is often diminished. The TOGETHER aspect of this class is an important way to sustain loving and playful contact, to continue a mutual focus between parent and child, and to provide a positive shared experience to carry young families through what can be a challenging time as they tackle tantrums and boundary testing. Classes provide an opportunity for parents to exercise and have fun with their children, promoting strength, flexibility and balance, with relaxation to contrast with energetic activity.
There is no pressure for parents & children to ‘perform’ but instead it allows the child to explore their independence, creativity and expanding social skills together with mum and/or dad.
A 6 week course for parents of toddlers from walking to 2 ½ years old.
Benefits for child & parent
Deepen the parent/child bond, creating ‘magic moments’ with your child!
Improve body-awareness for both parent and child
Playfully relieve stress and frustration
Increase your child’s attention span
Provide an outlet for social interaction
Nurture self-esteem and creativity
Build a fit, healthy lifestyle & boosts self esteem
Helps improve strength and flexibility.
Yoga increases concentration, focus, and attention.
Decreases anxiety and increases ability to relax
Yoga increases trust, compassion, teamwork and leadership skills of your children
Improves digestion and can ease gas pains in children
Yoga helps to release stress and breathe well
Strengthens the immune system of children
Learn ways to calm your child
Client Testimonials
Hi Julie - I found it very enjoyable, especially as it was small group so the babies could interact with each other. I was surprised by some of the things Pearl enjoyed - she loves being upside down and I'd never of known!
Hi Julie
Me and Liam are missing yoga classes Very much. I think this helps my baby to develop his brain, me learn how to have more fun together. And you couldn't find better teacher to do this as Julie, lovely person and my baby loves to spend time with Julie and listen all joga songs, as he was just 7month old(which i think is perfect to do this classes for a baby) learn to clap his hands and almost crawling. Atmosfere was great im from poland but Julie make me more relax and confident which help me to meet other mums and open at them. Thank you Julie we missing your classes very much. Best regards
Paulina Kalitan & Liam Swiecik
Hi Julie,
Hannah and I loved your classes. Hannah particularly loves the Mr Sun song and babyoke. I have been out and got a mum and baby yoga dvd which is fab but not as much fun as your classes.
Lots of love hannah and Theresa xxx
Hi Julie,
Isla and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the baby yoga sessions. I have learnt different ways to hold my daughter, enabling me to correct my posture and engage in different activities with her which she really enjoys. We have found the classes fun and engaging for myself and my daughter and a great way for the babies to interact with one another.
Thanks again. Carly Hurd x
Hi Julie.
Me and William really enjoyed the baby yoga sessions. William especially liked the flying and the inversion, I feel the sessions have helped with his core strength so he can now sit up unaided unlike during the first week when he just flopped over.
Loved the relaxation music to, and we now use this cd to get William of to lseep for his naps during the day...great :0)
Katie and William
‘Love baby yoga so much, the last 6weeks have seen George roll over for the 1st time and now pulling is knees under his belly ready to crawl, all thanks to you. He loves yoga we practice at home every day.’
‘Both myself and Sarah loved the Baby Yoga session's you gave us loads of yoga based games / exercise to play with Noah, it was clear on all the babies faces that they enjoyed it too. I really enjoyed "Going to the moon" "Giddy up horsey" & "Baby Hokey kokey". Learning the safe hold was very used full and there were too many exercises to mention that I will be working on. Noah slept like a log when I would get him home after class so it was also a great way to wear him out.’
‘I really enjoyed the baby yoga classes that we came to and we now do lots of bits from the class at home. It wasn't at all what I expected, much broader and more fun. I think it showed me that I can be one of the best toys for Thomas to play with given a bit of imagination! The exercises have made a difference but not in the way I thought. The leg and arm stretches and moves to encourage rolling haven't got Thomas rolling (he only likes to roll in his cot when he thinks no-one is looking!) but have helped his tummy and he seems to enjoy them. The exercises for me when standing over Thomas and stretching and being on all fours above him never fail to make him smile - even when he is crying - it's amazing how it always works, so I use this a lot for him rather than me!
I also hold Thomas up so that he can try standing on his legs in the way you showed us which also amuses him as he can look at the same things from a different perspective. He's got a lot stronger at that really quickly.
Thomas gets bored quickly so being given lots of different ideas to try is great and I really value having things to do with him other than laying or sitting him in front of toys.
Thomas loved the babyoke and being held that way too. I think that was great because there aren't many situations where you can give the babies a chance to all look at each other like that and have fun, even if you do socialise with other mums and babies.
Also one week you brought scarves to play with which I copied and we now play a game with one of my scarves where we hide!’
Downloadable PDFs
The Benefits of Baby Yoga related to Exercises [65kb]
Songs to accompany Baby Yoga [64kb]
Baby Yoga Do's and Don'ts [68kb]
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