om family
be able to adapt and keep up with your little
one who is ever evolving and transforming.
Emotional hoarding and trying to keep
everything as it was, just won’t work. This
is where being present in the moment is so
important and can help to blow away those
metaphorical cobwebs that build up.THE SECOND LIMB IS NIYAMA.
Self-discipline and spiritual practice. The
five Niyamas are: cleanliness, contentment,
spiritual purification, the study of the sacred
texts and devotion to one’s higher self.
TRANSLATED TO BABY YOGA:
Cleanliness is an easy one to translate
into parenthood and baby yoga (and it is the
one that probably takes up most of a new
parent’s time!).
Contentment: It’s not all about Instagram
perfection! Life is real, whereas Instagram
really is not that real and often encourages
feelings of inadequacy. Life often changes
with the pitter-patter of little feet and baby
yoga can help parents to embrace these
adjustments. Relaxation and bonding help
to create a strong bubble within which
parents and babies can heal, bond and
grow together without any comparisons or
interference from the world around them.
Spiritual purification: This can be
translated quite simply to baby yoga via
the practice of asana, pranayama and
meditation. These work together to cleanse
and purify the body and mind. Babies can
easily become overstimulated through their
surroundings, new experiences and senses.
Baby yoga offers parents a positive way to
interact with their baby that can help keep
over-stimulation at bay and strengthen
bonding through a rush of feel-good
hormones.
Study of the sacred texts: This may be
the only area that is not necessarily covered
in baby yoga. However, parents are free
to explore this in their own time. What is
studied though is information and the study
of babies and their development and how
this links with the practice of baby yoga.
Self-study: Often people feel there is
a shift that comes from within when they
become a parent or reach any major life
milestone. This can be different for each
person, but baby yoga can really help to
empower mothers and fathers through this
journey. By offering the time to connect with
their baby and with themselves parents are
able to delve deep within and listen. From
this comes the opportunity to reflect, grow
and strengthen as a mother/father, as a
woman/man and as themselves.
Devotion to ones higher-self: This isa very natural part of baby yoga. Parents
explore their practice not just for themselves
but for their baby and their whole family.
This in itself is a beautiful offering to
something greater and something more than
just ourselves. What else is there greater
than a new life and the nurturing of new life?THE THIRD LIMB EMBRACES THE ASANAS
(POSTURES).
TRANSLATED TO BABY YOGA:
Babies are gently and lovingly guided into
their asanas by their parent. Just as in adult
yoga, the poses and movements explored
in baby yoga aid with physical and mental
wellbeing in a variety of ways.THE FOURTH LIMB IS PRANAYAMA
(BREATH CONTROL).
TRANSLATED TO BABY YOGA:
You may be surprised to know that this part
of baby yoga doesn’t just apply to the parent
but is very much experienced by the baby
as well. By focusing on asanas that guide
the baby’s arms into big, open stretches and
movements, deeper breathing is encouraged.
Parents learn different ways to engage with
their own breath creating calmness within
their body and brain. This is an extremely
important part of baby yoga as infants
are programmed to pick up on stress cues
from their parents. Babies are constantly
observing and learning and by watching their
parents practice pranayama they will begin
their education about relaxation and its
importance.THE FIFTH LIMB IS PRATYAHARA:
Withdrawing the engagement of our five
senses (touch, taste, sight, hearing and smell)
offers and encourages the opportunity to
step back and focus on ourselves from within.
TRANSLATED TO BABY YOGA:
Although parents may not close themselves
to all of their senses (they may be holding
their baby, listening out for their baby while
exploring this) they are able to shut out
the rest of the world and create a bubble
encasing just the two of them. This allows for
the mind to refocus on simplicity, bringing
everything back to love.THE SIXTH LIMB IS DHARANA:
The practice of concentration, which
precedes meditation. The thinking process
is slowed down by concentrating on a single
mental object
TRANSLATED TO BABY YOGA:
Baby yoga focuses on the physicality of
both baby and parent (gentle stretches are
offered for parents) as well as their mentalstrength and wellbeing. The single mental
object which is focused upon within baby
yoga is the baby...love for the baby, care
for the baby, aiding the baby through the
asanas. Everything comes back to the baby.
This concentration and focus on your
baby encourages the body to release
oxytocin and prolactin hormones which help
both parent and child to feel happy and full
of love. The simple focus and concentrated
gaze held between a baby and a mother’s
eyes send a message to the brain of security
and love. The Dharana is a constant in baby
yoga and is felt between mother and child.
When practiced and perfected, parents are
able to slip into this when out and about with
their little ones enabling them to comfort,
soothe and settle them without the worry of
what others are thinking, saying or doing.THE SEVENTH LIMB IS DHYANA:
Meditation, dissolving separateness into a
deep river of peace.
TRANSLATED TO BABY YOGA:
At the end of each session, we go into
relaxation and mothers are able to explore
relaxing with their baby. They may choose to
sit, stand or walk. The focus here is for both
mother and baby to feel safe, happy and
relaxed. Parents can tune into their breathing
and zone out of the room or listen to a
meditative story with their baby which helps
to guide them into a relaxed state. Time
flies with little ones and this can really help
to engage parents in the art of appreciating
and drinking in the moment and the bond
that they share with their baby.THE EIGHTH LIMB IS SAMADHI:
(ENLIGHTENMENT).
TRANSLATED TO BABY YOGA:
This isn’t a goal that you reach once and
then you have it forever. This is a constant
practice, a constant project to work towards.
In baby yoga, it translates into finding your
‘mama flow’ and nurturing it so you are able
to feel confident in your parenting choices
and journey.Becoming a parent can be a massive life-
altering experience not only physically but
also emotionally. It is during this very raw
time in the first year that baby yoga can help
to draw out all your core values, feelings and
beliefs, helping you to be the best version of
yourself. Drawing on the eight limbs of yoga
can be a good template to follow as you and
your baby both grow together.Colette Bruce is the founder of Little Lotus
Baby (littlelotusbaby.co.uk)Worldmags.net