Yoga for Mom and Baby
When the pandemic hit, I knew I had to create something FAST as moms were stuck at home with their infants. So I pivoted my former “in-person” Mom & Baby Yoga classes to be online.
I launched with a free class in January 2021 to see how it was received and was blown away at over a HUNDRED moms from all over North America that signed up. After the FREE class, I had a special offer for 6 weeks of online classes, same time every day (11 am - 12 pm, PDT on Thursdays).
1 hour of yoga and connection with other moms virtually. Sometimes baby is napping, sometimes they are grumpy, but it didn’t matter, because we are all moms and showed up however we were that day.
This has been the most constant class that hasn’t slowed down (my prenatal yoga offerings online have slowed down for the summer months, but moms still WANT TO MOVE (and need to move) and CONNECT with other moms at home with their babies.
The connection piece was key to not feeling alone and isolated.
So here is a bit of a MINI Mom & Baby Yoga sequence for you to do at home. This class is best suited for pre-crawlers. It is also best to check with your health care provider if you are unsure about exercising yet.
Babies love when you SING, make funny sounds, have sensory objects that you can shake or tickle them with. They also love eye-contact for deeper connection.
I had one of my lovely students pose for you with her son Carter. She has been taking my online classes since he was around 8 weeks and now he is around 6 months old!
I always start Mom & Baby Yoga Online with a CHECK-IN. In fact I encourage moms to CHECK-IN with themselves every time they sit on their yoga mat for a moment of self-care, place one hand on their heart and ask this simple question: How do I feel today? And not judge what comes up.
Then we target the Neck, Shoulders, Chest, upper-back, low back, and CORE. After we give birth we can feel like we are a puddle of emotions and unsure of who we are. These classes help moms gain back that inner fire, igniting the core in a safe way and reminding moms how strong and resilient they are as mothers.
So here are some of the poses we do in this sequence, we stay close to the ground so baby feels secure and that you are not going to far away. Video is at the base of the post!
This 28-minute practice is great to do ANYTIME your baby is happy and alert. The time passes so quickly before they are movers. This class is perfect to bond with your baby and to take a moment to be present and soak in all of their sweetness. And most of all, take a moment to stretch out all of those sore areas in your postpartum body.
As always, be gentle and make any modifications as needed.
Xo Hannah
PS. I am @wholemamalifestyle & @happydayyoga on Instagram.
