Recently
in the media, the public have cried in horror at the images and video clips of
an apparently ‘crazy’ lady throwing a child around in her version of ‘baby
yoga’ and we too, found it more than a little worrying to see crying babies
being flung and twisted on their fragile, developing limbs by someone who to
them, is a complete stranger. So the
first thing to point out here is that this is not baby yoga and secondly, we fail to see nothing but potential harm
coming to these babies.
A
baby’s body and nervous system is very fragile and it is for this reason that
many health experts warn that babies should be handled with care. Shaking a baby can lead to brain damage so
throwing a baby as Lena Fokina demonstrates, is extremely dangerous.
Sadly,
this kind of behaviour may also have led to a misconception about what baby
yoga actually is and the enormous benefits it can have not only on baby’s
development and the relationship with the parent but also, on parent’s state of
mind. The benefits of yoga for both parents and babies are phenomenal. Here we
explore some of those benefits and in our follow up article, we’ll be giving
you ideas for yoga and play that you can try with your baby at home:
Benefits
of Early Movement
When
babies first leave the womb, they experience a huge shift not only physically
but also mentally. They are suddenly
required to navigate a world which has become larger and air filled and in
order to do so, they must learn to breathe efficiently and move efficiently,
taking into account, gravity. Their spine begins to change and bends in new
places and as they grow, their body has to adapt to carrying the huge weight of
the head on their shoulders.
Yoga
movements help babies chart a more direct path of growth and development.
Babies who have the opportunity to explore movement have greater confidence and
ability when it comes time to sitting, crawling, and walking. Babies who move
with freedom as well as intentional guidance learn early about relating to
gravity and relating to people.
Parents
and caregivers play an essential role in a baby's early movements. Dr. Richard
Walls, a pediatrician in La Jolla, California, says the evidence is clear that
sustained physical contact and activity with an adult is a primary stimulus of
growth in young children. Doing yoga with a baby fosters this beneficial
interaction.
According
to psychiatrist Erik Erikson, whose Eight Stages of Development are widely
taught basics to understanding growing children; learning trust is the basis of
healthy social-emotional development. The physical contact of a loving adult
fosters trust and starts baby on the lifelong journey of learning about
relationships—to one's self, to others, and to the world. This contact encourages
use of the parasympathetic nervous system thereby resisting stress, bolsters
his immunity, circulation, and physical growth. Other psychological studies
have shown that when a strong bond is formed with the primary care-giver, a
child is given the security required to go away and explore the world,
fostering self-confidence and self-esteem they are given the feeling that a
safety net exists to which they can return.
Baby
yoga classes nurture the parent/child bonding, deepens parents' observations of
their babies' growth, and helps parents actively participate in their babies'
neuromuscular development. They allow parents a place to focus, relax, and
enjoy movement with their children, under the guidance of an educated yoga
teacher.
Spatial
Awareness Space,
or ether, is the medium through which people connect to all things, according
to Ayurveda, an ancient sister science to yoga. A baby reaches through space to
tug at mom's earring or plead for dad to share his sweet potatoes. But it
usually takes a few months before babies are comfortable leaving the arms of a
loving adult to be set down for movement.
Doing
yoga with an older baby who can sit, crawl, or walk excites activity on many
levels and encourages a baby’s first social interactions. A child's vision is
stimulated, fostering both spatial differentiation and depth perception. She
may start to imitate her parents and learn by example. Yoga encourages
exploration of range of motion, an important expression of potential.
Sharing yoga mindfulness and yoga moves with
a baby will launch her education about relationships. Whether bolstering
spatial differentiation, depth perception, range of motion, or interpersonal
trust, practicing yoga moves with a baby is a boon to her neuromuscular
development and to the parent-child bonding experience.
