Baby Yoga
Prices and locations for the courses are:-
Royston Health and Complementary Centre-£50 for 5 weeks (for both baby and
crawling courses)
Standon and Puckeridge Community Centre £50 for 5 weeks
Hertford Natural Living Centre £50 for 5 weeks
Stansted Mountfitchet £50 for 5 weeks
Cheshunt-via Allsorts Children's Centre
Individual classes £125 for 5 weeks
Private groups -please call for information
For times and dates please see the home page
What is Baby yoga?
Baby yoga is for babies aged 12 weeks and over and includes for both parents and babies all the components of classic yoga. The yoga is fully integrated for both mother and baby.
A typical class will include:-
- Time for the babies on the yoga ball
- An introductory song
- Post natal breathing exercises
- Stretches for the parents
- Movements for the babies lying on the floor, sitting up and with parents standing
- Parents stretching and strengthening exercises with a particular focus strengthening the pelvic floor and tummy and removing any tensions in the body
- Joint relaxation of the body and mind.
- Lots of sensory aids
Using breath throughout the practice of yoga is important; it enhances the flow of energy, is calming, helps to focus and prevents straining or forcing muscles.
Songs and Rhymes are used sporadically as babies love this.
Classes combine some repetition with new movements.
Classes are fun and informal allowing some time at the end to socialise with other parents and enjoy home made cakes.
Many parents attend more than one course.
Baby yoga for crawlers and cruisers is the same but moves are adapted to the older child with the use of balls, parachutes and scarves. The pace is faster. There continues to be post natal moves and relaxation for parents.
For babies the sessions provide a combination of gentle movements, songs and play to benefit them physically and emotionally. Baby yoga shares many similar benefits as baby massage and may help with wind, constipation, colic,and sleeping. The moves help strengthen the baby's body and prepare them for each stage of development.
For parents the sessions provide time to bond and enjoy your baby in addition to gentle exercises for yourself including gentle stretching, toning and strengthening of core muscles including pelvic floor muscles and always ending with relaxation. There is always time to socialise at the end with other parents.
No prior knowledge of yoga is required and each movement is at the pace of each individual parent and baby.
Also available:-
- Baby yoga classes with advanced post-natal exercises
To book or for more information:-
Please phone Penny on 01920 821838 or 07944 416572- email me on the contact us page.
Baby Massage-Research
Research is now being done into the positive effects of massage and touch on both parent and child. Please contact me if you would like to know more.
Baby Massage and Premature babies
There has been much global research undertaken into baby massage and premature babies. What has been evident when looking at these studies it that the majority of babies who are regularly massaged experienced greater weight gain and better performance on developmental tasks than those who did not. Research has also shown many babies sleep better and their cortisol levels (stress hormone) decreased after a massage
Baby Massage and Depressed Mothers
Studies have shown that in a controlled group, mothers who massaged their babies over a period of time can reduce their levels of depression and improve the quality of mother-infant interaction.
Baby Massage in general
Research papers have shown that baby massage may have benefits such as mother-infant interaction, sleeping and crying and on hormones influencing stress levels. Some studies have shown that Oxytocin (a hormone) is released not only in the person receiving the massage but also in the person administering it. Oxytocin is a hormone that is important to mothers for many reasons including controlling and stimulating the explusion of milk and aids in bonding and attachment. For babies it induces social memory and calmness in the infant. Children who receive massage become more socially mature and less aggressive with fewer physical complaints. Research has also shown the positive effects of massage for various conditions such as asthma, cancer and autism in for children.
Baby Massage and Reflux
Massage on any area of the body is able to assist a reflux baby by stimulation of the vagus nerve and thus an increase in effectiveness of muscle control and regulation.
Baby Yoga - Research
There is mounting evidence from both neuroscience and from therapeutic techniques that movement in young babies and children is crucial to the formation of neural pathways and, therefore thinking. Primitive reflexes need to be matured or intergrated into movement patterns that are under our control. The only way for this to happen is for babies and young children to be given plenty of opportunities to move, to strenghten muscles, to practice movements and to learn to control them.
In addition baby yoga just like massage involves those crucial elements of bonding for both parent and baby and allows parents and babies to benefit from both movement and stillness which can can so aid re-energising parents and influence stress levels.
What is wonderful to see is that relaxation techniques are increasingly being practised not only in complementary medicine but also in conventional medical settings to help with mild anxiety and depression
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