om family

T

here is something very special

about baby yoga. Beyond the

nursery rhymes and songs that

accompany the asanas is a

deeper soul-nourishing aspect.

Like yoga for adults, you get out of baby

yoga what you put in; it’s not just about the

physicality of moving your body in and out

of a posture.

The eight limbs, or ‘branches’ of yoga (as

defined by Patanjali’s eight-fold path) can

play a big part in your life both on and off

the mat. Imagine that to reach the top of

a tree you need to climb eight branches.

When you reach the top, you can find a little

something called ‘enlightenment’. This word

sounds rather spectacular, but it doesn’t

have to be viewed in this way. Let’s break

it down to finding a truth, an answer, or

even taking a little stepping stone towards

the bigger picture. This now seems much

more accessible and realistic. With this in

mind, let’s take a look at how the eight limbs

translate from adult yoga into baby yoga.

THE FIRST LIMB IS YAMA.

This stands for ethics, integrity and how we

practice yoga. The five Yamas are: non-

violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, self-

restraint and non-hoarding.

TRANSLATED TO BABY YOGA:

Non-violence and non-stealing are self-

explanatory but the other three need a little

more exploration with regards to baby yoga.

Truthfulness: There is a lot of pressure on

being ‘the best’ in pretty much every aspect

How an understanding of Patanjali’s ‘eight limbs’ can tie in with a baby yoga

practice. By Colette Bruce

of life, including parenting. This can often

lead to forgetting your inner truths and who

you really are. By focusing on the yamas,

parents are able to really focus on what their

true and core values and beliefs are.

Self-restraint: Love, not control. You set

the tone for your day and parenting journey.

Remember love and people are often like

mirrors. What you outwardly offer is often

what you will receive back. So, if your little

one is crying and feeling angry or upset you

need to restrain from mirroring this all back.

Instead, focus on your own inner peace and

help them to find theirs.

Non-hoarding: Let’s explore this with the

focus of emotions (as well as the hoarding

of physical possessions). As a parent, it is

important to embrace growth and change. To

limbs

of baby

yoga

The

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