How to do yoga with a toddler

Last week, I talked about how Blake and I have been trying to detox the summer away. First, we are trying to rework the way we eat. For more about that, see HERE. But we are also trying to change the way we exercise. We are both pretty good about exercising, at least a handful of times a week, but we have both been feeling way too many aches and pains for people our age. So, we decided we needed to get back into yoga. When I am consistent with yoga, my body feels a decade younger.

I have always loved yoga, but lately, I have not been doing it as much as I would like to. With the baby and Blake’s work schedule, I know there are a limited number of workouts I can squeeze into a week. And to be honest, I always opt for the workouts which get the quickest “results.” At Soul Cycle, I know I am going to get a major cardio workout + arms packed into 45 minutes. And I love that I see results quickly. But I feel the wear and tear on my joints after a few too many souls in a row.

So, we decided to start FINALLY using our gym’s daycare (which I have been too scared to use the first 15 months of BB’s life) so we can go to yoga together. Why is working out so much easier and better when you have a buddy? And we are committed to doing two yoga classes a week, plus some extra stretching and yoga at home.

I love stretching and incorporating yoga into my day at home, so BB has been watching me do it since she was born. Now she is at the age where she wants to try everything we are doing. A couple months ago, she started doing (what slightly resembled) down-dog out of nowhere. We realized she was starting to pick up on the yoga I was doing around the house, and it is the cutest thing ever. So I decided to make it a part of our daily routine together.

Let’s get a few things straight before I dive into the details. First, toddler “yoga” is a phrase I use very loosely to mean any sort of stretching or physical activity remotely resembling yoga that we can do together. Second, BB’s attention span is that of a gnat, if I can get BB to pay attention and enjoy doing “yoga” for 5 minutes, I consider that a HUGE win for the day. But, yoga is a calming and healthy habit to have and I am going to do everything in my power to hope that BB grows up incorporating it into her life. Third, winter is around the corner, which means I need a stockpile of indoor activities up my sleeve. Insert, baby yoga.

So here is how to get started with your tiny tot:

(1) Teach by example: babies love routines and they pick up on them pretty quickly. Incorporate yoga into your day with your tot. Even a few flows and some stretching will peak your baby’s interest. Before I start, I try to clean up the other toys and start with a clean room, so she understands we are moving onto a new activity and she can try to devote some attention to it.

(2) Let them tell you when they are ready: at some point, they will show interest in what you are doing. Let them try to imitate you and show them how fun it can be. Start basic, stretch your arms up, and show them how to do it. Then touch your toes, and show them how to touch theirs.

(3) Slowly teach them yoga techniques and poses: BB is still too young to REALLY do toddler yoga with me, but she loves trying to follow along. Here are a few of the first yoga techniques to try to master with your mini yogi.

Sitting: this might seem like common sense, but teaching a toddler to sit still can be like trying to catch water in a sock. Slowly, BB is learning to sit facing towards me with her legs crossed. We are calling it “pretzel pose.” Keeping your terms consistent really helps them catch on quickly.
Deep belly breathing: sit on the floor with your toddler facing you in pretzel pose, if you can get them to sit still. If not, just teach by example. Place one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest and show them how your belly and chest rise as you take a deep breath in. Really exaggerate your exhale to show them how your belly falls when you push the air out. Then, place your hand on their belly and chest and ask them to take a deep breath. She is still trying to master this, but in the meantime, she loves sticking her belly out as far as she can.
Overhead inhale: yoga is all about combining movement with breath, so teaching them to connect the two at an early age is key. BB is LIGHTYEARS away from this, but she loves trying to follow along. I simply exaggerate a deep, deep breath in, as I sweep my arm up and over my head. Then I exaggerate my exhale as I sweep my arms down and touch my toes. Do this over and over again as they *try to follow along.
“Fun” postures: BB loves downdog, so we do this often. Really, any pose where she can we upside down. And anything that involves lifting one leg off the ground. We do tree pose and seated/standing side stretches. All of these poses work on balance and building body awareness. She also loves when I “superman” her, so we do that a million times a day. I try to make it into a mini ab workout for myself.
Animal postures: BB is obsessed with animals and animal sounds. So, I try to incorporate that into our yoga sequences. FROG: is malasana. BIRDY: is badhakonasana. KITTY CAT: is marjariasana. BUG: is child’s pose. These are all animals BB loves.
Shavasana: BB has a very hard time lying down flat. For whatever reason, she really does not like to lay her head back. We try to end our yoga sessions with a quick shavasana. Usually, this last .2 seconds.

(4) Matching yoga clothes always help ;): FLEXI LEXI makes the world’s cutest toddler yoga clothes, and matching sets for mamas.

As she gets older and we find other ways to incorporate yoga into our routine, I will share what works and what doesn’t work!