Yoga for new parents
by Nitsa Trand
The benefits of yoga, an ancient method of meditation, are
by now accepted by millions of Americans. It is one of the
fastest-growing and most popular methods of exercise in
the country. Yoga reduces stress, increases flexibility,
strengthens the cardiovascular system, and tones muscles.
It's no wonder that adults take time out of their busy day
to do yoga at their fitness center, or at their homes by
buying videocassettes or DVDs. If yoga can accomplish so
much, why should it only be for adults? The benefits of
yoga can be enjoyed by young children as well.
The basic definition of yoga is "an exercise practice,
originated by the Hindu, which promotes harmony between
and control of the body and mind". Babies can benefit from
this practice. Babies may seem to live carefree lives, and
not experience discord between their body and mind. Yet
even babies experience stress, particularly when they are
teething, or when dealing with digestive problems.
Obviously, a baby will not be able to master the intricate
movement expected of advanced yoga practitioners. When
doing yoga with your child, concentrate on staying
relaxed, soothing your child, measured breathing, and
controlled movement.
Yoga has many benefits for babies. It may help a child
learn to stand, crawl and walk faster, since yoga tones
muscles needed to accomplish these tasks. It's also
important that your child understands from his/her
earliest days the importance of learning methods to reduce
stress and anxiety. Yoga has been demonstrated to improve
digestion, and since most babies experience problems in
this area yoga may make them more comfortable overall. The
most immediate reason for both parents and babies is that
yoga helps your baby sleep better and longer.
Yoga with your baby may even improve the health of your
entire family! Just like any physical exercise, yoga
boosts the immune system. Children that do yoga will be
better able to fight off infections and viruses that can
end up affecting the entire family.
Before you know it, your baby will no longer be a baby.
The bonding time you spend with young children will help
them for their whole lives. Often it can be difficult to
find the time for an extended program of yoga or another
physical exercise because of the demands of other family
members, of work, and of maintaining a household. However,
giving your child the gift of better health, less stress
and a stronger body is something that will pay dividends
throughout both of your lives.
| Nitsa Trand is the head of
Yoga XP, LLC - which is
a top resource for yoga on the internet. For questions or
comments about this article, please visit:
http://www.yogaxp.com |
