Mamaste: Yoga routines benefit mothers, babies

Sun salutation: Greet a new way to stimulate child
In her Mamaste classes, Karen Prior guides her students through many yoga postures specifically geared to help new mothers interact with their babies. The Sun Salutation, or Surya Namaskara, is a common sequence of yoga postures that Prior has adapted for her Mamaste program. These postures can improve strength and flexibility of muscles in the spinal column while warming up the body and toning the abdominal muscles. The Sun Salutation is demonstrated by Emily Siemers and her daughter, Dylan.

1. Place the baby on a blanket at the top of your mat.

2. As you exhale and fold forward into a forward bend, reach down and draw the baby’s legs up, pressing her knees into her chest into a "wind reliever” pose. Do this two or three times to help relieve the baby’s gas pains. Step back into a lunge, smiling and talking to the baby or singing a song to the baby.

3. Step back into a plank position, lower your knees to touch the floor, then lower your torso and head and kiss the baby on her belly, raising and lowering a couple of times to make the baby laugh.

4. Inhale and arch up into the Upward Facing Dog.

5. Exhale and press back to Downward Facing Dog, keeping your knees slightly bent. Turn your heels out a bit to get release across the hips.

Inhale and walk your feet forward into a forward bend. Say "hi” to the baby, bicycle her legs and touch her toes to her forehead. Inhale up to a standing position.

Repeat the sequence several times.

Flying baby
Demonstrating the Flying Baby pose are, left, Lisa Wolfe with son Abraham Wolfe Mischler, and Emily Siemers with her daughter, Dylan.

In the Flying Baby pose, Mom gets help in strengthening her abs and gently stretching her lower back while the baby benefits by strengthening the muscles that support the cervical and lumbar spine. This exercise is good for babies 6 weeks and older.

→Getting into position:

Sit with your legs extended in front of your body. Baby is on a blanket at your side. Bend your knees and keep your feet together, feet flat on the floor. Lift the baby to rest on your shins, belly facing you.

→The adjustment:

Roll onto your back. You can hold onto the baby’s torso or hands. Raise and lower your legs as you breathe. This helps strengthen your abs as well as giving your back a little stretch. Baby will naturally lift her head. This action strengthens her lower back and neck muscles.

→Coming out of the posture:

Draw your knees close in to your torso. Hold the baby under your arms and part your knees, allowing the baby to rest on your chest.