“The experience of movement combined with touch is possibly the richest stimulation we can offer babies from birth. In yoga, this stimulation occurs through the mutual involvement of parent and baby, at a pace at which the baby can absorb and integrate it. As yoga postures induce deep relaxation in adults, so in babies they bring about a state of great contentment and promote “”peaceful deep sleep.”

Francoise Barbira Freedman, Founder of Birthlight

The quality of the closeness between parent and baby has been proven to have lifelong benefits.

Baby Massage provides benefits for both the baby and the parent and is wonderful way to enhance the unique relationship you have with your child. Evidence shows that loving nurturing contact between care givers and infants has a significant impact on their physical, emotional and mental development.

Baby Massage includes all the elements of attachment, including eye contact, smiling, soothing sounds, touch, smell and interaction.

Benefits of baby yoga can include:
In a 40 minute baby yoga session your baby is given as much physical activity as they would receive if you handled and carried them all day.

Increased activity helps your baby sleep more deeply and help settle their behaviour.

Provides a daily routine of fun activity through which you can engage and play with your baby from birth.

Baby India doing the ‘toes to nose’ position at the St Pauls class, Morley
Developmental
All your baby’s systems are stimulated including the digestive and nervous systems.

Stimulates baby’s awareness of their environment, increasing their curiosity and inquisitiveness of their surroundings.

Develops balance, co-ordination and control.

Physiological

Helps you and your baby get to know each other, enhancing communication.

Through the high quality of attention the baby receives the baby leans to interact, socialise and actively play with others
The deep relaxation that is part of yoga helps parents cope with the stresses of early parenting.

Baby yoga will give both you and your baby an immediate sense of well being and is a mutual process with a great deal of non-verbal communication.

Can’t beat relaxation at the end of class
What to expect from baby yoga
Groups are open to babies from 8 weeks to pre-walking. Movements and positions are adapted depending on the age, confidence and ability of each child.

In baby yoga, every stretch is balanced with relaxation so you and your baby will learn that tension and relaxation are complementary. Babies enjoy and benefit from the effects of touch, movement, rhythm and relaxation and as parents we share in this enjoyment with them.

Doing yoga with your baby means playing, stretching and then relaxing together, experiencing the benefits of tactile stimulation whilst helping to develop supple joints, strengthen the spine and enliven all the body’s systems.

We combine postures for parents to do with their baby as well as gentle postnatal positions to help mothers re-align and strengthen their bodies after childbirth. Songs, rhymes and games are all used to engage your baby in play early on.

Yoga is introduced slowly, allowing the baby to become familiar with a new way of moving and being handled as well as the unique way of interacting and having the space for relaxation.

Mini Me Time baby yoga classes provide a supportive environment where discussion time both before and after the group activity is facilitated by the instructor. This is a time when parents can share their parenting experiences, voice their highs and lows, get support from others in the group in a safe and inclusive space.