Baby, Tot, & Tyke Yoga: Star Pose!

The other week when we went to the beach, we did a little yoga.  Miss Penelope and I love to do yoga outside spontaneously.  Yoga has so many benefits, but one of the reasons I love sharing it with Penelope is that it is a form of play.   And playing with your child is so important.  It shows them that they are important for one.  But it is also a way to work through any tension or stress from the day and reconnect.

Star pose is one of her favorites right now.  Especially, since she has been working on standing with her feet together and jumping in dance class.

For this pose, they start in mountain pose, with their feet as close together as possible and their hands in prayer position in front of their hearts.  Then they do an explosive jump and jump their feet into a wide angle and their arms out by their sides.

When you do it, to show them how, be very expressive, excited and always look them in the eye.  I am not sure why looking them in the eye helps them learn, but it does.  Say, Star Pose! As you jump into the pose and then wiggle your fingers as you say Twinkle! Twinkle!

Another variation is to move one hand up and one hand down, alternatively, as you rock from one foot to the other, all the while singing Twinkle,Twinkle Little Star, or the Itsy Bitsy Yoga version of it.

For babies or toddlers, you sit them in your lap or lay them on the floor on their backs and move their arms for them as you sing the song.

You can see a full list of all my yoga tutorials here.

What is your little one's favorite yoga pose right now?

You can find this yoga pose and more in the awesome book by Helen Garabedian.

By Best Kids Health Blog

Tree Pose

This picture was taken by Robin Adams Photography back 2006, right before I opened up my yoga studio. I used this picture in some marketing collateral.  Seems like another lifetime ago!  Otherwise known as life BP (before Penelope).

I love tree pose so stinkin' much.  It is one of those poses, where when you look at it, it looks so easy.  So you saunter your leg up, like it aint no big deal, and you can't do it.  You can't even have your foot on your foot and balance.  It humbles you.  It forces you to take a big look at yourself and forces you be honest with yourself in the present moment. 

At the same time, for some people, it is one of those poses you can fake.  Sure, you may be able to get your leg up and make a triangle with your bent leg, and balance.  But how is your form?  Are both your butt cheeks pulled in?  Especially, the cheek of your standing leg.  Is your knee cap of your standing leg, pulled up and your thigh engaged?  Is the weight of your entire body, spread perfectly and evenly across the bottom of your standing foot?  Is your bent knee at a 90 degree angle with your pelvis? Or is it pointed slightly forward?  Are both your hips facing forward?  Is your belly button pulled up into your spine?  Are your shoulders down away from your ears?  Are you staring at your drishti (a focus point on the wall, at eye level, to help you balance) and thinking of nothing but your breath?

It is a complicated pose, no doubt about it.  But the beauty of practicing and mastering, balancing yoga poses, is that whatever you accomplish in class can directly correlate to mastering balance in your own life.  Learning to live in a perfect state of balance, in regards to all things, in something I strive for and truth be told, one of the biggest lessons I learned when I had my studio, was how to keep my life in balance.  Tree pose is one of the things that helps me along.

Once you can do some sort of balance in tree pose, you will start to notice that one side may easier to balance on and that it changes by the day, by the hour and by the minute.  You will also notice, that moment you come out of the present and start thinking about your to do list, you will fall.  



For babies and toddlers, tree pose is a different experience.  It is one of pure joy and elation as they learn about their bodies and what they can do with them.  Tree pose, is one of my favorites to teach, because once a toddler can master this on their own, the look on their face when they do it for the first time, is priceless.   The picture below is of Ava Grace, age 18 months.  And me when I used to look young, pretty and full of life.  Now, I look like someone ran me over with a truck, ah, motherhood.

For toddlers, you show them how to do tree pose first.  But you show them the easiest way  you can.  With your foot by your ankle, or on top of your foot.  Later you can show them the full version of it, if you want.  But this is a really hard pose for them, so make it attainable at first.  Usually, it takes well past the 2nd birthday before kids can balance on one foot, so don't despair if it takes them awhile.   You can hold onto them,  or show them how to hold onto the wall.

For babies, you move their legs for them, like the picture (which by the way is more Robin Adams, and this is Ella Shea, age 6 months).  They can be seated or standing.  For babies, you are simply getting them to experience the movement, which helps them set the brain pathways for later and they will pick it up faster when they are older.

So there you have it.  Tree Pose.  Let me know if you have any questions.  Did these pictures spark your interest in more yoga studio pictures by chance? When I was looking for these on the computer, I found more pictures Robin took of the studio, it really was a beautiful place.  Anyone interested in going down memory lane with me?

And tell me your Tree Pose story! 

Mama Yoga: Legs Up the Wall Pose

After child's pose, this is probably my most favorite yoga pose of. all. time.  Can you see a theme with my style of yoga?  I like my yoga to very restorative (read: lazy and easy).

I love this picture so much!  I had my husband snap this picture while we were in our room at Mammoth Mountain during our recent California trip.  Not that I was tired from snowboarding, since I didn't get to go, being on baby duty 24/7 and all.  I figured I have the rest of my life to snowboard, but Penelope will only be a baby once.  Riding in the gondola with her was fun enough.

In the picture, with me and Penelope, is my sweet friend Stacey, or as Penelope calls her EeCee.  Penelope really liked EeCee.  She is about 31 weeks pregnant and she is a real trooper.  Her boy (4 today!) is Wild with a capital W and even after chasing after him all day, she is always game for camping or surfing or whatever.  If I have another baby, I hope I have her energy and her patience.

If you don't have a lot of energy, Legs Up the Wall pose, is a great all around pose for everyone.  If you only do one yoga pose a day, or a week for that matter, do this one.  Doing this pose for 5 minutes is like taking a 25 minute nap.  It literally gives your body a break.

I first learned about this pose as a girl during a dance show. Actually, it was a video we were shooting for somebody, and we were about 12 years old.  The taping was taking all day long, and it was verging on child abuse, so our dance teacher/den mother gave us a break and lined us all up in a vacant room and told us to stay there with our legs up the wall for 20 minutes and we couldn't move.  Lo and behold, after 20 minutes we were all rearing to go.

Which makes me think, if you could get a toddler to do this for a few minutes, it would be a great thing to do when they need a nap, but are refusing to go down.

If you are pregnant, one of the reasons you get so tired is because your heart is working double time. It is exhausting for your body simply pumping blood back to your heart from your extremities.  Putting your legs up, lets gravity do the work for your body. 

If you get tired of having your legs up, you can do what we are doing in the picture above, for a modification.  It's basically Reclined Bound Angle pose with your legs up on the wall.

Also, if you are pregnant, you can put a rolled up towel or blanket under your right hip if you are worried about laying on your back for a little bit.  But remember, you will feel dizzy and light headed, long before your baby is getting less oxygen. If you are you doing this pose and you feel fine, then your baby is fine. 

Baby Yoga Round Up

Baby Yoga

• In and Out


• I Love You


• Kicky Kobra


• Rolio


• Padahasta


• Twistee


• Corkscrew


• Baby OM


• So Big!


• Tiny Tugs


• Bridge Pose


• Benefits of Baby Yoga

Mama Meditation: Saa,Taa,Naa,Maa

I love this meditation.  It is so simple and easy, and unlike a traditional meditation where you just focus on your breath, this one gives you something to do.  And for me, if their is movement and rhythm involved,  I am much more likely to do it at all, and much more likely to stay focused.

To begin, disregard the mountain of laundry behind me in the photo.  In true Mama Yoga fashion, this is how I roll.

Lay on your stomach, with your chin on the floor.  Keep your head straight, to keep your spine straight and in proper alignment.  Lay your arms down by your side, with your palms facing up.

Then you mentally chant the words, Saa, Taa, Naa, Maa.  As you chant each sound, close a finger and thumb together.

So, on Saa, you close your first finger and thumb.  On, Taa, you close your ring finger and thumb and so forth.

The reason you are on your stomach for this meditation is because it stimulates and balances your "Moon Centers".  Each woman has 11 Moon Centers and they are located in different parts of the body.

Your psyche resides in each Moon Center for approximately 2.5 days, and each Moon Center is associated with a different emotion or quality, so roughly when you have cycled through all the centers you have completed one menstrual cycle.  Moon Centers are a fascinating topic, I promise to write more in depth about them soon.

Isn't Penelope adorable?  You guys probably get so bored with us oohing and ahhing over our daughters, but we just can't help it, so bear with us. 

This meditation is supposed to help you break old habits, assist you going through transitions and change and any accompanying emotional turmoil.  I don't know about you, but that is my life all day, every day, it seems.

I have been doing this meditation before bed, every night, for the past two months.  It has been a nice way from me to transition from laptop/work mode to shifting into relaxation/sleep mode.

Enjoy!

Yoga for Your Child: Frog Pose

Frog Pose, for your child, is essentially Garland Pose (also known as Squat Pose.)  So Mamas, when you are demonstrating this pose for your child, YOU get all the benefits!  And whether you are trying to conceive, pregnant or somewhere on your post partum journey, this pose is SO good for you.

What I love about watching Penelope do yoga, and other kids for that matter, is witnessing how natural yoga comes to them.  Check out her form-absolute perfection on her first try!

Her heels are firmly planted on the ground, and the weight of her body is evenly distributed throughout her feet.

Her  knees are pointing up and her toes are directly forward.  Often times, the only way and adult with tight hips can get into this pose, is by turning the feet outward at angle and splaying the legs open a bit.

Her pelvis is under and her spine is perfectly straight.

She was even able to put her hands in prayer and balance.

When they are in frog pose, you can say "What does the frog say?!"  And reply with;  ribbit, ribbit!

I also will do the Baby Signs for frog (you just stick your tongue out.)

As they get older, they can start hopping and jumping around like Frogs!

Just FYI, most of the baby yoga poses I post, I learned at my Itsy Bitsy Yoga training. The founder and creator, Helen Garabedian, has a great book and dvds that you can purchase to help your home practice. Or you can go to her website and try and find a class near you!

Child Yoga: Donkey!

Donkey is the next stage of advancement after your child has learned Down Dog and later mastered. It's such a fun yoga pose for your child.  The pride they feel when they can accomplish it, is priceless.

So just like any other pose, you show them the pose first and then ask them to do it.

For Donkey, you show them Down Dog first and then say "lift your leg for Donkey!"
You can say; "What does the Donkey say?  He says Hee Haw!

This is the child version of one legged Down Dog, but when you show them, lift your leg slightly and keep it somewhat bent.  They are not going to be able to do a perfect one legged Down Dog, so show them the version of the pose that is attainable to them.

And remember, however your child express this pose or any other pose, is absolutely perfect. They are perfect, their little bodies are perfect, their individual gross motor skills development is perfect just as it is.

As long as you are breathing, you are doing yoga!

Just FYI, most of the baby yoga poses I post, I learned at my Itsy Bitsy Yoga training. The founder and creator, Helen Garabedian, has a great book and dvds that you can purchase to help your home practice. Or you can go to her website and try and find a class near you!

Butterfly Pose for Tots

Butterfly pose is such a fun and easy pose for your toddler. You can start teaching this pose as soon as they have mastered sitting up. In fact, most babies, as they are learning to balance while sitting up, will naturally put their feet together in front of their bodies,  to create a more stable foundation for themselves.

First you need to do the pose yourself and show little one what it looks like.

As a totally unrelated side note, I am having a really hard time finding the right word to describe our babies/tots/toddlers/little ones/kids. It's starting to drive me insane. Penelope is not a kid but she is not a baby, clearly she is a toddler, but the poses I talk about here are not just for toddlers they are for babies too and even older kids for that matter. Ahhhhh!! So if anyone has a good word that encompasses all those things PLEASE let me know.

Ok, back to Butterfly pose.

So once you have done the pose your self you can help your little one (see what I mean!!!) by putting their feet together for them. Then show them how to move their knees up and down by gently, doing it for them.


Then move your own knees up and down and show them again. And say Butterfly!!! You do it!!!!

I like to say Butterfly slowly and rhythmically, almost like I am chanting and I move my legs in the same rhythm that I am speaking.

Then I like to say, now open up your feet like a book! I do the sign for book, and then I open up my feet. So the outside of the feet stay together and inside of the feet open up.  Then again, I say your turn!!!

Then I usually do the sign for Butterfly and go back to "flapping my wings".

In an older kid class, I may take my first two fingers and use them as my "antennae" and play around with them really getting into pretending we are butterfly's.

Butterfly pose is a great pose for Mama's too, it is one of the best poses for releasing tension in your hips, groin and inner thighs.  Which is oh so important if you are trying to conceive or are pregnant.

And as always give them lots of praise when they do the pose.  Try not to say good job, but other things like yay! you did it!  what a beautiful butterfly!  how does it make your legs feel?!

Just FYI, most of the baby yoga poses I post, I learned at my Itsy Bitsy Yoga training. The founder and creator, Helen Garabedian, has a great book and dvds that you can purchase to help your home practice. Or you can go to her website and try and find a class near you!

Penelope the Yoga Teacher

This is one of Penelope's favorite things to do.  She likes to play yoga teacher and put her dolls into yoga positions. Oh, she makes her Mama proud.

Here she is putting Dolly into Plow Pose or maybe its Toes to Nose.

And now she is rolling her over to do Kicky Cobra.
So fascinating to see all the ways that yoga becomes intertwined in her daily life and how she expresses herself through yoga.

Just FYI, most of the baby yoga poses I post, I learned at my Itsy Bitsy Yoga training. The founder and creator, Helen Garabedian, has a great book and dvds that you can purchase to help your home practice. Or you can go to her website and try and find a class near you!

10 Ways to Add Yoga to Your Daily Life

1.  Start your day off with yoga.  Before you even get out of bed do a simple child's pose or cat/cow.  If you are even more motivated, do a couple of sun saluations and literally greet the sun with yoga!

2.  While in the car driving, you can chant Om or Sat Nam.  This is great to do if you are feeling rushed and scattered.  It's also a double wammy of distracting a fussy baby/toddler.  Penelope loves to chant Om with me.

3.  I usually to a modified down dog in the shower, like I do at the couch sometimes.  I also usually roll my shoulders and stretch my neck, by dropping my ear towards my shoulder on both sides, while the hot water beats down on my muscles.

4. Play a yoga game with your little one.  Penelope likes to help me stretch these days by pressing on my back as I do a forward bend to reach my toes. Or she likes to crawl underneath me and play peek a boo while I do Down Dog.

5.  While I am laying down and nursing her to sleep, I like to roll and stretch my ankles.  I point and flex my feet several times. Often times this is called "pumping" your feet, and it is a great way to increase circulation to your feet and help your lymphatic system work better (which is what helps take out toxins in your body), if you are pregnant or just tired and on your feet all day, read: All Moms.  Sometimes if I can finagle it, I will even bring both my feet into the air and do legs up the wall pose.

6. Before I sit down at the computer to write, I stretch my wrists in all directions.  I also roll my neck and shoulders.

7. If I pass a door way, I try and stop and stretch my shoulders by facing the door way and putting my hand on the wall then slowly turning my body away from the wall.

8. Do yoga with your child.   In order for your child to learn the yoga poses, you have to actually get up and show them how to do it.  Take full advantage of this time and enjoy the stretch for yourself as well as teach your little one.

9. If you are cleaning up a toy box or sorting laundry, try doing it while squatting.  This is a powerful yoga pose for any woman, it aids in digestion, promotes blood flow and circulation to reproductive organs and keeps inner thighs strong and flexible.

10. Take 10 deep breaths while doing the dishes or folding laundry.  Try to breath in through your nose and out through your nose as slow and even as you can. At the same time, try to focus completely on your breath.  Bringing your full awareness to your breath.  If your mind wanders, and trust me it will, just be kind and come right back to your breath and try again.  Remember that in order for stretching to be yoga, all you have to do is breath.  No matter what your pose looks like, as long as you breathing you are doing yoga.

What do you do to incorporate yoga into your daily life?

Benefits of Baby Yoga

From the book, Itsy Bitsy Yoga, by Helen Garabedian, the Top Twelve Reasons Why Babies and Toddlers Need Yoga:

1. To help them sleep better and longer
2. To improve digestion and ease gas pain
3.To turn fussiness into happiness
4. To promote a healthy, physically fit lifestyle
5.To strengthen the parent-child bond
6. To increase neuromuscular development
7.To cultivate self-esteem and positive body image
8. To boost the immune system
9. To reduce stress and develop relaxation techniques
10. to reduce anxiety
11. To increase body awareness
12. To aid the natural development of movement from birth to walking

Baby Yoga: Tiny Tugs!

Oh, God, this picture makes me want my hair back. My pre-pregnancy, pre-post partum falling-out-like-I-was-a-cancer-patient hair. Hair that I had time to blow dry. I want that hair back. Ah, memories.

This is a picture of Ava Grace Lake, one of the girls I was a nanny to, when she was about 4 months old. Speaking of memories, it feels like just yesterday that she was a baby! Now she is a 5 year old, with beautiful brown eyes and the most gorgeous brown curly hair. I still can not wrap my head around the fact that babies actually grow up and turn into little kids. So weird. I am very curious about what Penelope will be like when she is 5 or 25 for that matter.

But I digress, on to Tiny Tugs!

Lay babies on their back. They can be on the floor or on your lap facing you. If they are on the floor, you can have your legs like mine in the picture and do a little stretch for yourself as you lean forward to put them into the pose. If they are on your lap, sit with your back against a wall for support and bend your knees up so they can see your face good.

You gently hold one leg and the opposite arm. Then you extend their arm and leg out. Try and get their arm to touch the floor and pull their leg out straight to give their shoulder and hip a good stretch. Then let their arm and leg relax by bringing the arm down and putting a little bend in their knee.

While you are extending their arm and leg you sing/say "Tiny Tugs!" Give them lots of eye contact, smiles and encouragement!

Just FYI, most of the baby yoga poses I post, I learned at my Itsy Bitsy Yoga training. The founder and creator, Helen Garabedian, has a great book and dvds that you can purchase to help your home practice. Or you can go to her website and try and find a class near you!

Perfecting Down Dog!

Sweet baby girl is perfecting her Down Dog these days. It's so beautiful to see her do yoga throughout her day. She will just be playing or crawling around and get the urge to do some yoga and bam! She wipes out Down Dog. She is really into Warrior and Kicky Kobra too.

When I first posted the Down Dog tutorial she was just beginning to learn the pose. The learning progression was so fun to watch as she figured out how to do Down Dog on her own. First, she would just watch and watch as I did Down Dog. Then she started cocking her head to the side, because she was trying to imitate how my head looks upside down while in the pose. Then, when I started helping her, by lifting her hips up, she would keep her head up and want to look around. Then, she figured out that when I lift her hips, she puts her head down. Then, she start getting on all fours and just putting her head down. And finally, she put her head down and lifted her pelvis!! All by her self!

I will never forget her little face the first time she did it independently and perfectly. The look of pride and accomplishment was priceless. She knew she did it just right and she thinks she is so awesome for it. Which of course she is. I think the self esteem that children get out of yoga is one of the best things about practicing yoga with them.

As they continue to grow and learn, there is always an opportunity for them to learn a new pose and to praise each milestone as the learn they complexities of each pose. Yoga gives me more opportunities to say Yay! Penelope! You did it!

Just FYI, most of the baby yoga poses I post, I learned at my Itsy Bitsy Yoga training. The founder and creator, Helen Garabedian, has a great book and dvds that you can purchase to help your home practice. Or you can go to her website and try and find a class near you!

Send Me Your Pictures!

A few weeks ago on a Friday Link Love post I mentioned that I would love to see some your pictures of you and your babe doing yoga! I have seen a couple trickle in but I would love to see more!

Also, if you have been inspired to do a Recycle, Reuse, Refashion of your own, send those pics to me as well. 

You can send them to info at mamaandbabylove dot com or stephanie dot brandt dot love at gmail dot com.

So send them and I will do a show and tell!  Can't wait to see them!

:)

ABC's of Yoga for Kids

This is kinda a lazy yoga tutorial, but its been a crazy busy week so far, and today I am keeping a friends baby, who is about the same age as Penelope.  Let's just say, I am really glad I don't have twins!

Here is a great site that a friend posted on her facebook page this week.  It's a book, that shows pictures of kids doing yoga poses.  They are all animal related and it looks super cute!  I will have to add this to my wish list for Penelope.

They even have a coloring book and poster.

And they offer a couple of free downloadable coloring pages that are just adorable.

On a side note, Itsy Bitsy Yoga classes start up TOMMOROW.  I am so excited!  Hope to see you there!

Tot Yoga: Warrior!

This is the tot pose for Warrior. This pose is so much fun once baby can stand! They don't have to be able to stand by themselves, just be able to stand while holding onto something. They love it!

First to get them to come over to the wall. Try to let them crawl over or walk over themselves. You can stand facing the wall and pat your hands on the wall to get their attention. To get them to comprehend this pose, you do it to give them a visual. Stand facing the wall, with the palms of your hands touching the wall, then lift one leg up behind you and say Warrior! Don't lift your leg too high, just below knee height, similar to what they will actually be able to physically accomplish.

If they don't pull up by themselves you can try and place them in a standing position. Then lift one of their legs up and say "Warrior!!" "Yay! You are doing Warrior!" "Good job!"
Then lift their other leg up and repeat the praise.

When they crawl or walk over to the wall, give them praise. When they pull up and put their hands on the wall, give them praise. When you or they lift their leg, give them lots of praise! Don't expect them to be able to do it right away, most times its takes them seeing you do it and having you help them several times before they can do it on their own.

Here is a quick little video of Penelope doing Warrior. Her first in fact!
Sorry it's not right side up, I have no idea what the hell made it come out like that. I swear, the second I think I have all this online, web, blogging stuff under control, something else pops up I need to learn. Stay tuned folks, I'll get it together one day. ;)


Just FYI, most of the baby yoga poses I post, I learned at my Itsy Bitsy Yoga training. The founder and creator, Helen Garabedian, has a great book and dvds that you can purchase to help your home practice. Or you can go to her website and try and find a class near you!

Current Giveaway: 5 Class card for Baby/Tot Yoga!!

If you haven't heard, Itsy Bitsy Yoga classes are back!  Baby Yoga starts September 13th and Tot Yoga starts September 9th.

In honor, I am giving away one 5 class card ($40 value)!!!

You can enter up to SIX times in the following ways, but remember to leave a COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY.  1) add MBL to your blog roll (1st timers only) 2) become a fan on facebook (1st timers only)  3) mention the giveaway on your blog, or 5) on facebook, or 6) on twitter.  If you don't have a blog, you can enter two additional shares on FB or Twitter.  A winner will be randomly selected on September 8th 12p EST.  Good luck!

Baby and Tot Yoga are BACK!

This is a video of Penelope learning how to take a deep breath and say Om!  She JUST figured this out.  All it took was one hour of yoga with older toddlers (This week I starting teaching a local preschool, one hour a week) doing it and she figured it out.  I am constantly amazed at how quickly babies learn and how much yoga they can actually do.

To do this with your child, simply take a deep breath.  I exaggerate the breath for her now, but when she is older, I will be less dramatic and more "yoga like."   And you say something like, "Mama is taking a Deeeep Breath!  It makes me feel calm and happy.  Can you take a deep breath?!"  For an older toddler, you can add, "Put your hand on your belly and feel it move up and down when you take a deep breath."

Below is the description and information about my new yoga classes I am starting the beginning of September.
So if you are local, come on out!  If your not local, don't worry I am still going to keep doing a yoga tutorial every Wednesday here at the blog.

Join Stephanie Brandt Cornais, and her tiny assistant, as they share their yoga journey with you. Stephanie has been a yoga teacher for 10 years and teaching kids yoga for the last 5. She previously owned Mama and Baby Love yoga studio. She is a new mom to Penelope was born on 11.11.09. You can find her at her blog, MamaAndBabyLove.com

Class will be in her home (in Southwood. 3801 Piney Grove Drive), in her dinning room turned yoga/playroom!

Baby Itsy Bitsy Yoga classes contain dozens of unique yoga postures designed to support baby’s development. Each class is filled with calming, nurturing ways to enhance bonding and improve baby’s sleep and digestion among other things. During a Baby Itsy Bitsy Yoga class, babies enjoy yoga while on their backs, tummies, or held in loving arms. For parents, this class is a special opportunity to meet other moms, get support, and learn about baby's emerging personality. Most of the yoga we do in Itsy Bitsy Yoga is for baby, but you will also learn breathing and relaxation techniques as you practice a bit of yoga yourself. No yoga is experience required.

If your baby is not yet crawling being with our Baby Itsy Bitsy Yoga class. Baby Itsy Bitsy Yoga class is Mondays, 9:45 to 10:30a.

Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Tots is a supportive, fun-loving, and active yoga class. As tot’s mobility increases, classes offer tot-centric poses that encourage and support their physical explorations. Tots become more confident in their moving bodies as they practice yoga both in and out of class. During a Tots Itsy Bitsy Yoga class crawlers and walkers playfully practice yoga postures while they are standing, sitting up, walking, and jumping. Parents also get to do a little yoga, but no yoga experience is required.

If your tot is mobile but less than 24 months join the Tot Itsy Bitsy Yoga. Tot Itsy Bitsy Yoga is Thursdays, 9:45 to 10:30a

**Tot Yoga starts September 9th.  Baby Yoga starts September 13th.**

Registration not required. Just show up! Price is $10 for a drop in, or you can purchase a 5 class card for $40 ($8 a class).

If you have an older toddler, they are welcome to come. They are welcome to watch, participate, or we can set the older kids up in the living room with age appropriate toys or even some cartoons.

If you are pregnant, most all poses are safe, gentle and appropriate.

For questions or more information please email Stephanie Brandt Cornais at Info@MamaAndBabyLove.com

I look forward to sharing yoga with you and your family!

Baby/Tot Yoga VIDEO: So Big!

 This is a video of Penelope doing her first yoga pose all by herself!  It's called So Big.

The way you do it is you sit on the floor with your legs together and feet pointed up towards the ceiling.  Make sure both sits bones on are the floor (your sits bones are the bony bottom part of your pelvis).  You can feel those bones better by rocking side to side slightly.  This pose is a modified from the adult yoga Staff Pose.

Then raise your arms up over your head, as if you are trying to reach the ceiling.  Your spine is nice and straight and you are looking straight ahead at your child.  When you raise your arms, you say "SOOOOO!!!"

Then you bring your arms down and try and touch your toes and say "BIIIIIGGGGG!!!"  I do it pretty dramatically, as you can see in the video and make a thump on the floor when I bring my hands down.

It's a great stretch for Mama's.

For a baby Penelope's age (9 months) or older, till about 20 months, you alternate between showing them how and helping them by raising their arms for them and bring them down for them, as you say
"SO BIG!!"

If you have been doing yoga with your baby since they were born, like us, this the time yoga gets really fun and exciting.  You can really start to play and interact with your baby at a different level.  Its so amazing to watch them learn.  Their little brains are like sponges!   They are just so smart and absorb everything you do and say.

Penelope will do So Big if I prompt her or she will just randomly do it when she is playing the floor with a toy.  All of sudden she busts out the yoga and makes her mama proud!


Check out the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyVxwHkWJys

And let me know what you think about the video!  Do you like it better than pictures for our weekly yoga tutorial?


The one today was kind of haphazderly planned.  She was doing it and I grabbed the camera real quick.   If you guys like it, I can do more videos, but spend more time on the explanation of the pose in the video.

Just FYI, most of the baby yoga poses I post, I learned at my Itsy Bitsy Yoga training. The founder and creator, Helen Garabedian, has a great book and dvds that you can purchase to help your home practice. Or you can go to her website and try and find a class near you!

Baby/Tot Yoga: Moon Toe!

Penelope is growing up!

We have recently started to only do Tot yoga poses! She no longer wants to be on her back, whether we are doing yoga or a diaper change. A lot of babies naturally do Moon Toe as a part of their body development. If you see them doing this on their own, say "Yay! Moon Toe!!" and you are a head of the game, as far as word association goes, in teaching them how to do this pose on their own.












































To start, you put them in your lap, facing out. Then gently hold their toe out, like so. Eventually, you want them to grab their foot and then you move their legs, but when they are just learning the pose, they usually don't grab their foot. Once you have moved them into position, you sing/say "Moon Toe!" You go back and forth, doing the pose on each leg.












































Then you can do "Double Moon Toe!" By bringing both feet out.

You also want to show them how YOU can do the pose.

Especially for older tots, who will not let you "move" them into the pose and only want to do it themselves. It's a great stretch for Mama, but if you haven't stretched in a while, don't bust your leg up fast. Be gentle with yourself, until you are more flexible, and bend your knee if you need too. Once you have your leg up, say things like, "Watch Mama do Moon Toe!" or "Mama's Turn!" and then you would say to them, "Now, its your turn!" Don't be discouraged if it takes awhile for your baby to pick it up on their own. Repetition is key. Eventually they will get it, and then you wont be able to get them to stop!

Just FYI, most of the baby yoga poses I post, I learned at my Itsy Bitsy Yoga training. The founder and creator, Helen Garabedian, has a great book and dvds that you can purchase to help your home practice. Or you can go to her website and try and find a class near you!