Yoga comes in a variety of forms and is often associated with quiet contemplation. Moving the body into stillness through a series of yoga asanas is a way to achieve a strong and flexible body whilst also calming the mind. However, this being said…! Yoga with your baby or toddler is a different experience altogether!

All children respond differently to yoga and it may be that you have a child who enjoys the peace and tranquility of yoga, that lies by or on top of you as you move through the poses, maybe moving into poses themselves as they breath and observe. Chances are that is not the case. Chances are that you have children who find yoga enormous fun and want to leap around or on you as you do it, want to try it themselves but get frustrated or with an older toddler, want your full attention and praise as they practice with you.

It is important that you allow your baby, infant or toddler the freedom to enjoy yoga, otherwise you will create a negative feeling whenever you try and practice. Yoga can take it’s different forms according to when you practice, for example a more meditative practice can come after the children have gone to bed or are taking a nap, with a more playful practice when your children are with you. If you can shift your focus away from achieving stillness with your body in perfect alignment to sharing this time of positive activity with your children you will benefit much more from your yoga. You will gain patience and your children will just adore spending quality time with you, a time when you are not cleaning, washing, working or any of the million other things that busy moms do during their day. Also your yoga practice together is a reminder of how good it feels to be a family and as you talk to your children and guide them, this will re-inforce their trust in you, perhaps overspilling into other areas of your life together. Most people will agree that in a typical family, mom is considered the provider of food and comfort and dad is often the one that kids loves to tumble around with. You know what I mean, when a baby falls it wants mommy and when it wants to be really silly and fall around laughing, daddy is usually the one to go for (of course there are also the amazing single moms who we admire so much for having both roles). Baby and Toddler Yoga is a way to indulge in that playful time together. Make the most of it! x

Suitable for mothers with babies over 3 months. If you have had difficulties with the hips and pelvis during pregnancy, take this pose nice and slowly, only opening out the hip when you feel ready. Pull in the pelvic floor muscles during the pose. The foot can be placed anywhere on the balancing leg. Bare feet is a must for this pose so you can both feel grounded to the floor and not slide down the supporting leg!

Todders especially are big fans of this pose and you can encourage them to lift the leg and raise their arms. I guess you could call this the Sapling Pose!

*If you have difficulty balancing to begin with, work near a wall so you feel secure.

Start in a balanced standing pose, feet together, spine lifting with tummy held a little in. Lift one leg (use the hand to place the leg) and regain your centre. Try not to let the hip push out to the side, making the body crooked and keep the body facing forwards. The knee and hip should be opening. If you can balance, place the hands together in forward prayer position. Check the body is tight and breathing is even. Focus the eyes ahead of you or around 45 degrees down towards the ground. Then if you are strong in the pose, lift the arms. You can take various arm positions in tree pose, lift the arms as high as they will go and reach tall through the middle finger or keep the elbows bent and pulling back a little. Alternatively, you can open the arms to a parallel position and open the fingers. Experiment with what feels good for you.

Tree is one of my favourite poses and I often visualise the body as the tree according to yoga philosophy, with the legs being the roots of the tree, grounded and sturdy and the upper body being the trunck and the branches, reaching up towards the sun.

REASONS TO DO TREE POSE/VRKSASANA:

Improves balance, strenghtens and tones thighs, lengthens the spine and improves flexibility in the knees and hips. Also improves concentration.

Miller takes a break as big sister Heidi steps in to do some toddler yoga.

Jill & Miller x