10 Safe Yoga Poses For Mom And Baby

Yoga is an incredibly beneficial workout for the mind and body. For babies who practice with their mothers, it can be the foundation for a healthy lifestyle. Yoga helps because while the mind focuses solely on the pose being performed, the body strengthens. As a result, according to experts at the Cleveland Clinic, self-regulation is practiced while working on body awareness. And fortunately, you don’t need professional classes to take advantage of all these benefits, because there are safe mom-and-baby yoga poses you can perform at home.

Traditional mom and baby yoga classes allow you to socialize, learn, connect with mothers and babies, and more. While there may not be a socialization aspect to yoga classes at home with a baby, learning and connection are certainly important for mother and child. In addition, while babies learn the art of yoga and listen to their bodies, mothers learn patience and work hard on concentration. So these classes are beneficial not only in the short term, but also in the long term.

Here are some safe yoga poses for moms and babies to do at home.

Double dog

Downward-facing dog is a great way to help toddlers begin to build muscle strength in their arms in order to succeed in motor skills.

According to the Children’s Medical Office (USA), while toddlers load their arms to strengthen the muscles in them, they are also working on stretching, balance, and breathing. So doing this movement every day will not only serve kids well at play, but also improve their balance and coordination when walking.

How to do it

This is the classic “muzzle-down dog,” in which you need to rest your hands and feet on the floor and raise your pelvis high. Do it with your baby down – so you can control how he’s holding on and see progress.

Swing pose

This is a wonderful fun activity for children that they will ask for themselves. But swing pose also has health benefits.

This asana stretches the shoulders and strengthens the arms and cortex muscles. And since it is the center of the body that is the key to a good sense of balance, the swing is well-suited for babies, whose abs have been one of their weakest points since birth.

How to do it

Sit on the floor facing each other, feet resting on the baby’s feet. Extend your arms forward and hold your baby’s hands. Rock back and forth with him as far as you and your baby are comfortable.

A three-legged dog with its face down

Many yoga asanas focus on balance and strength. And the three-legged dog pose is no exception.

By working on balance through strengthening the body, kids will also become more coordinated by lifting their legs up. The stronger the legs become, the higher they can lift off the ground, and the better the balance and coordination of movement will be.

How to do it

Stand in the regular dog asana of the first exercise. Then raise your right and left legs alternately, pulling them back and up as much as possible. Help your baby in the beginning.

Tree pose

Toddlers will really have to concentrate on their bodies to successfully perform tree asana.

When children lift their foot off the ground to put it on a standing leg, they will need to concentrate on their body and nothing else. This is because without concentration, they are likely to lose their balance.

But as they master the movement, kids work on strengthening those concentration skills, as well as core muscles and balance. Which will serve them well during games, sports and other activities.

How to do it

Stand up straight with your arms folded over your head. Slowly lift one leg, bend it at the knee, twist it to the side and press the foot to the other leg. Hold.

Seated forward bend

Although this tilt looks like a very simple asana, this forward tilt has more benefits for toddlers than first meets the eye.

When performing this forward bend, babies’ brains are calmed. Any emotions that led to tantrums go away. And in the process of improving emotional well-being, babies will also work on stretching the spine and hamstrings.

How to do it

Sit on the floor, feet together. Reach your hands to your toes and try to lie with your belly and chest on your feet. Pull yourself up with your whole torso and stay in this pose.

Lotus pose

When little ones have too much unspent energy or have tantrums, doing lotus asana may be just what is needed for calm.

The classic and well-known lotus pose aims to calm the mind. This means that toddlers may have to sit on their mother’s lap at first to avoid fidgeting. But once they understand what to do and how to do it, lotus pose can become part of your bedtime rituals together.

How to do it

Sit on the floor, spread your legs apart and bend at the knees. Place your feet on the thighs of the other leg or bring your feet together as close to your body as possible. Keep your back and head straight and don’t lean on your tailbone.

Fetal pose

The pose in which babies can naturally find themselves is fetal asana. And, without realizing it, this is how they gain tremendous health benefits for their bodies.

This pose helps stretch the spinal column and hip ligaments, which helps release tension in the body. The pose also helps with relaxation and digestion. Thus, this may be one of the most beneficial yoga poses.

How to do it

Sit on the floor on your knees, bend forward as much as possible so that your forehead touches the floor. Arms can be stretched forward or backward.

The inverted triangle pose

The inverted triangle pose is good for stretching and strengthening the entire body. In this pose, the legs, muscles around the knee, ankles, hips, groin muscles, hamstrings, calves, shoulders, chest, and spine all stretch well at the same time.

Although this is a pose that kids may need to adjust or be helped to do, it will become easier and easier for them to stretch properly as they practice.

How to do it

Stand in a downward-facing dog pose. Alternately raise your right and left arm with your torso turned toward your arm and stretch upward as much as possible.

Wide squatting

In many cases, toddlers do this squatting position on their own while playing and trying to get up and sit down.

According to experts, coordination, strengthening the legs and knees, and keeping the lower back flexible are all benefits that toddlers get from doing the wide squat pose. But since they’re usually already pros at this exercise before they start (thanks to their high ligament elasticity and frequent training), you shouldn’t be surprised if your toddler can stay in this asana longer than you can.

How to do it

It’s a squat with your legs spread wide apart. The most important thing is not to squat as low as possible, but to stay in this position as long as possible.

The pose of a happy child

Babies are fascinated by toes. Why not practice a yoga asana in which they can be seen so clearly?

The happy baby pose causes the brain to slow down and focus. In this way, fatigue can begin to disappear, leaving room for good cheer, exactly what all moms want for their babies.

How to do it

Lie down on your back. Lift your lower torso up, and then gently bend your knees apart to your chest. Grab your hands on your feet and stay in that position.

Yoga not only helps mom and baby feel good, but also helps them sleep better – and according to Oxford scientists, young moms lose up to 800 hours of sleep in their first year!