Mum and Baby Yoga at 889

Mum and Baby yoga is a safe welcoming space for you to attempt to squeeze in a little bit of yoga whilst your baby naps (if you are lucky) or plays on a blanket beside you.  Our wonderful doula and yoga teacher Tiffany Merrit teaches this class, and I sub it for her occasionally (lucky me – it is my favorite class to teach!). 

We usually start with gentle stretches for the shoulder and neck (tight spots for mamas with all that feeding and constant lifting).  We flow into sun salutations, just like a normal class, and you are free to take a break at any time to attend to the needs of your little one.  We often incorporate the babies into the postures.  They can be lifted over head in lunges, or sit on your knee in Warrior 1 and Warrior 2.  They can lie on your mat and you can talk to them in Downward Dog.  Specific attention is given to retoning and strengthening the pelvic floor muscles and abdominal area.  Sometimes we teach the little ones yoga and do specific massage techniques or postures to help their digestion or prepare them for sitting up.   Many of these little baby yoga poses have songs that go with them which the babies love!  On a good day the babies fall asleep while we relax in Savasana.  But more often or not, someone is crying with a wet diaper, and someone has thrown up a little bit, and we just do our best to flow through it all with a sense of humor, a smile, and a total relaxation of all our pre-baby expectations.

Mothers form some strong friendships in this class and it is a great place to meet up with others, and share stories and tips.  No yoga experience is necessary.  Bring your babies favorite toy to keep them happy and a little blanket for them to lie on.  Some babies just like to watch the whole class from the safety of their portable car seat, while others really like to be involved!    Tell your new mama friends about this great class!  Every Wednesday at 11:15am.