What is a baby yoga class actually like?

I can tell you what my baby yoga classes are like, although they do vary week to week. Take today for example - I usually do 5-10 minutes of baby yoga towards the start of the class, but the babies were quite happy chilling on the mat so I started with yoga for the mums to take advantage of them all having their hands-free.

Introductions

In general, the first 10 minutes or so are for introductions and a quick catch-up. I like to ask everyone to introduce both themselves and their baby, plus baby’s age. I don’t want you to be known only as “Emma’s Mum” - I want you to be known by your own name in my class, it’s something that is really important to me. I also ask you to consider sharing a highlight from your last week, and maybe a lowlight too if you need a space to talk (sleep/lack of sleep often comes up!). In particular, I ask you think about a highlight for YOU, not just something that your baby did that was new or adorable.

Breath Work

Once that’s done, we sit and do a few minutes of breath work. Don’t worry if you’ve never done that before, I talk you through it each week. It’s a chance to slow down, and learn how to catch hold of all the millions of thoughts that race through your head at any given moment. The mental load when you’re a new parent is no joke, and it can become really overwhelming sometimes, so taking these few minutes is really key for your mental wellbeing and hopefully a skill that you can use outside of my classes too. We also tie in some gentle core and pelvic floor exercises with the breath work.

Baby Yoga

Next, it’s usually Baby Yoga Time but as I said, we’re flexible (pun intended). I like to say that my Parent and Baby Yoga Class is mum-focused, yet baby-led. I created these classes as a way for you to look after yourself, but bring baby along so you don’t need to worry about childcare. The baby-led part refers to the fact that babies rarely let you do the whole class (though it’s not impossible - one baby slept the whole way through the class today, so his mum got a completely uninterrupted yoga practice!). You can stop any time to feed, cuddle, change, rock - whatever your baby needs. Sometimes the babies all kick-off at the same time, so sometimes I just stop for a minute or two so that I’m not adding to the noise. We go with the flow (pun also intended).

So, back to the baby yoga. I’ll talk you through some gentle, fun movements to do with your baby. Some of them go along with well-known songs and rhymes, some will be totally new to you, but I know many of my clients are still doing these moves with their children 5 years later :) They are designed to be fun, encourage bonding, brain development and gross motor skills.

Yoga for You

The yoga for you involves a variety of yoga postures, always with lots of options so you can do what feels right for you. I have training in post-natal yoga so everything you do is safe and helpful for your post-natal recovery. The postures will help you tease out the aches and pains that are an inevitability of holding, cuddling, feeding and carrying your ever-growing baby, not to mention all the gear that comes along with them like car seats, prams and changing bags. Yoga will help you build up your physical strength. It can also help you emotionally connect with your body, something that may have been impacted by your pregnancy or birth experiences.

Relaxation/Savasana

If you’ve been to a yoga class before, you hopefully know that yoga ends in savasana, or relaxation. Now, when there is a room full of babies, sometimes the relaxation isn’t as relaxing as we hope it’s going to be, but we always give it a go anyway. Sometimes, it looks like everyone lying down cuddling or feeding their babies. Sometimes people are sitting, feeding or cuddling. And sometimes, some people are standing, swaying or pacing with the babies. When the intention is savasana, it’s still savasana, no matter what it looks like. Ending with a couple of minutes where we come back to our breath is powerful and not to be skipped IMO.

So that’s what my Parent & Baby Yoga classes are like. What do you think? Fancy giving it a go? Book now or get in touch with any questions you may still have. Have a look at the photos below to get more of a feel for my baby yoga classes. They are a real highlight of my week, and I hope they will be for you too.