I encourage prenatal yoga students to “graduate” to parent & baby yoga classes once their babies are 6 weeks old (8 weeks for women recuperating from cesarean birth). Singing and moving with your babies is fun and energizing. Moms, dads, partners, caregivers, grandmas, friends and, of course, babies love to experience and enjoy the rewards of postnatal yoga, including opportunities
- for self-care
- to grow your bond with your baby
- to learn new songs and grow your baby’s vocabulary
- to foster community with other families and caregivers
Babies’ eyes sparkle, and everyone laughs when they feel the rhythm of their movements and hear themselves sing fun and silly lyrics. Having your baby in your arms, on your tummy, resting against your thighs or sleeping peacefully at your side is a delightful way to bond with children and witness their growth from week-to-week and day-to-day.
We do the bridge position (setu bandha) with baby resting on our hips while singing “Bumping Up and Down,” a song made popular by Raffi. This is amazing ab and gluteal muscle work! You are most welcome to come to class to experience it. I’m subbing postnatal yoga tomorrow at 11 a.m. at Integral Yoga Institute and teach postnatal yoga at St. Luke’s Hospital on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month.
Visit Too Small to Fail for more information on the benefits of talking, reading and singing to your children. Here are lyrics to more great children’s songs.