The Zen Baby Philosophy

I aim to care for both parent and baby, to teach with awareness and with respect for the individual to build confidence and trust.

The Zen Baby approach is based on the principles of yoga, nurturing a deeper understanding of ourselves and our relationship with others. My aim is to help both parent and baby relax in their shared enjoyment of the movements. A stable base of trust is formed and the baby can move happily into exploration and the journey to independence, forming a deep-rooted foundation for future physical and emotional security as an adult.

Gentle birthing and parenting of our babies sets the tone for a non-violent upbringing of children and the promotion of greater peace in the world.

Culture Origins and Inspiration

The inspiration for the approach to baby yoga came from the Peruvian Amazon native people where my instructor, Francoise Freedman, the founder of Birthlight, conducted her field work for Cambridge University. She observed the wonderful ways in which the Amazonian families handled and cared for their babies and applied the ideas to her own baby yoga teachings. Some traditional techniques used with infants in India have also been incorporated and adapted into the sequences I will teach you and your baby.

The Principles and Concepts of Yoga

Yoga is an exploration into one's depth, nature, and potential as a human being. It is a personal journey to fulfillment through awareness and understanding, a way to relate to the outside world and to the people around us. We only become wise through experience felt within the body and from the heart. The word "yoga" comes from the Sanskrit word Yoke meaning to join, or form a union. Yoga offers a holistic approach to health and to life. There is a union of mind, body, and spirit, an understanding of both the intellect and of the emotions. Spiritual and physical aspects of yoga include the inspiring principles of awareness, respect, self-referral and balance.

Physical yoga (Hatha Yoga)

The physical aspect of yoga combines poses, breathing, and relaxation to strengthen and cleanse the body. Yoga poses stimulate the various endocrine glands according to an eastern mapping of energy centers in the human body. Most classic poses stretch and tone the skeletal muscles, which encourages symmetry in standing, sitting, and walking. The entire body is then free to move without strain on the spine. Balance and good posture endure that all the joints function well. This in turn benefits the body's vital organs, such as the heart and the lungs as well as the digestive and nervous systems.

Yoga for Babies

Babies have open hearts and minds and are ready to embrace new experiences. They are eager for communication and interaction. Their bodies are flexible and unfolding. Yoga provides the stimulation of touch, movement, and rhythm as well as the stillness of deep relaxation. The loving handling of babies during yoga sessions and the shared enjoyment of the experience for both parent and baby promote early bonding and create a secure and happy foundation of well being.