I Love You

This is a great pose from the wonderful Helen Garabedian of Itsy Bitsy Yoga.

You can practise this with your baby lying on his back or sitting

1. Bring hands into the heart for ‘I’
2. Bring hands out to the sides and spread arms wide for ‘Love’
3. Cross arms across the chest and let your baby give herself a big hug for ‘You’

Repeat, saying ‘I Love You’ in a singsong voice for as long as your baby is happy to do it.

Benefits:

This pose opens up the chest and stretches and strengthens arms.  It encourages your baby to open up and reach out into the world and includes a positive mantra as well.

Little Star

This is a pose that all babies love, practised to a song that everyone knows.  As it is a balancing pose, babies will need more or less of a challenge, depending on where they are developmentally.  Babies who are taking their weight on their feet on their own can be held around the waist.  Walking babies can be held by the hands to increase the challenge.  Smaller babies can do it too, by sitting astride one of your outstretched legs and rocking from side to side as you hold them carefully round their waist.  Newborns should lie down and you can gently move just their arms up and down as you sing.  Children love doing this one right up to the age of about 7 (at least my children do!)  At this point, they can do some star walking as they sing, some star jumping and wriggle their fingers to be twinkling stars.  So, you can get all your little stars involved.

1. In your chosen position, hold your baby in one of the holds outlined above and shift your baby’s weight onto her left foot
2. Then return her left foot to the floor, which will give the support to lift her right foot off the floor.
3. Rock from side to side with your baby, lifting her feet from the floor alternately as you sing
4. Use the rocking movement to create some momentum as your baby lifts her feet.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are

Benefits:

Teaches babies and children balance and co-ordination to a favourite song that they can instantly engage with.  It offers a great bonding opportunity as you can star balance together, or kneel facing your baby and sing directly to him.  As your baby develops, he can begin to take more weight on his feet, preparing him for cruising and walking when he is ready.