You may have read about celebrity baby yoga enthusiasts such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Gisele Bundchen and wondered is this just another fad? In fact yoga poses come much more naturally to babies than to adults and have numerous benefits. Here are my top 6 reasons why every little baby should practice baby yoga daily..

Better sleeping; It’s known that babies who do yoga tend to sleep better and display more settled behaviour in general. With regular, non-forced, slow and gentle movements, yoga babes tend to be more relaxed and contented. This can lead to a restful night’s sleep and as babies do most of their growing during sleep it can promote both their physical and mental development.

Helps prevent colic and constipation; All the babies’ bodily systems are stimulated during baby yoga, including their digestive system. Poses such as gently bending your baby’s knees towards their chest can help to relieve tummy tension, wind, colic and constipation.

Increased body awareness; Baby yoga is thought to promote brain development and motor skills through tactile stimulation. Movement, guided by the parents, stimulates nerve and muscle development. Babies tend to be more mobile, confident and have better head control. It’s also thought to improve balance and co-ordination skills and some babies crawl earlier. However, the younger the baby, the smaller and slower the movements will be.

Bond with your baby; Baby yoga will give you more confidence in handling your baby and once you’ve learnt the exercises, you will be able to use them at home to continue the bonding, soothing and playing that naturally comes with learning baby yoga poses.

Baby yoga is a great social environment for mother and baby; Baby yoga, as well as other mother and baby classes offer a very welcome time for you to go out and meet other Mums with similar interests to you which is vital for your mental health. Active interaction with parents is the foundation for future positive social relations over the early years and beyond. This has the added effect of improving your baby’s learning and social development.

It Establishes Long-Term Exercise Habits for Baby; Practiced daily, baby yoga forms the foundation for future regular exercise for your little baby.

What does a baby yoga class involve?

Massage and stretch; You usually start with a dry massage over clothes and then move on to a series of simple stretches that give your baby some gentle muscle stimulation with no force.

Simple yoga moves with baby; You will move onto the yoga movements which can be done sitting, lying or in standing positions. There’s lots of singing and play incorporated into the routine which lasts for about 30 minutes. Just enough time before baby gets too tired!

Relaxation; The class ends with a relaxation for you and your baby and a welcome cuppa with light refreshments follows.

Aileen runs Baby Yoga Classes in Ballyowen Castle Community Centre in Lucan and for more information please contact Aileen on 0868560049.