Yoga for Prelinguistic Communication 61In addition, the caregiver could produce the monosyllabic locative
action terms “up” and “down” simultaneously with the movement,
exposing the child to these early words.
Figure 4.1c Bridge pose
Cobra pose (Figure 4.1d) provides another opportunity for the
caregiver and her infant to be positioned face-to-face. In cobra,
the caregiver lies prone on her abdomen with her legs extended
straight behind her, tops of the feet flat on the floor, arms bent with
hands touching the floor beneath the shoulders. In sphinx pose,
which is similar to cobra, the caregiver lies prone on her abdomen
with her legs in the same position as cobra, but her arms are bent
at the elbows with her forearms touching the floor beneath the
shoulders. In both cobra and sphinx, the baby can lie on a folded
blanket on the caregiver’s mat at the level of her shoulders or be
seated in front of her if able to do so unassisted. In either position,
the baby can gaze at the mother and reach toward her face. In
cobra, the caregiver can produce a prolonged /s/ sound with teeth
together and lips spread into a smile to mimic the sound of a
snake. Appropriate infant-directed speech such as “I see you!” can
be added to either pose.