~ Gravity : Power : Yoga ~

I haven’t done a lot of practice these days, mostly because I’m either exhausted from the addition or, no that’s pretty much it.

Last night my sweet wife actually got off work early enough to make a yoga class so I sent her out and decided I’d include the “muppet” in my practice.   It’s amazing how much fun a yoga class can be when you have to make faces in every pose, updog with a goofy face, yes I can!  For all those yogi’s struggling with practice and family, give it a shot.  Put your baby in their favorite seat at the front of your mat, let them be a distraction, incorporate them into your would of yoga and down the road you might just end up with a great little yogi yourself.

Here’s what I do:

Baby in chair at the front of my mat

• Sun Salutations being sure to engage the little one (2-4 rounds)
• Some dancing warriors
• Warrior III making sure you are “flying” right over them
• Low lunge tickling toes

Now take your little one out and hold her for the next round

• Squats while holding her in front of you, arms extended (all the way to standing) for 2 rounds
• Wide legged forward fold gently swinging the little one between your legs, this adds weight and a great stretch
• baddha konasana with the feet out further than normal and the baby’s head resting in your foot cradle
• seated wide legged forward fold making sure to blow out some “raspberries” on her tummy
• legs straight out front for some forward folding with your baby on your legs

Now comes the fun part: Abs

• Holding your little one like a medicine ball (they will enjoy this too) lay flat on the ground
• lift your legs to the sky bottoms of the feet pointing towards the ceiling
• slowly lower one leg at a time all the way to the floor, then back up (10x each side)
• Laying on your back feet up, slowly work towards a reclined wide legged stretch by moving the legs apart 1 foot at a time, then holding that for 5 breaths, then lower another foot (to the side) and hold for 5 breaths
• Do the same pattern in reverse until your feet are back together
• set your baby on your low tummy (this will help you remember to engage these low abs and pull them towards your spine)
• do baby navasana lifting the legs and upper torso off the ground at the same time, keeping the back straight, then lower back down (5x)

Enjoy any other poses you like.  By this time my munchkin is ready for a nap so I put her down and come back for anything I have left to do (inversions usually) then work my way into svasana (and try not to go to sleep).

Well, there it is, that’s how a daddy does yoga when he’s got baby duty.  It may not be power yoga, but it’s usually just what this tired dad needs these days!  I hope that if your reading this your thinking about how you can incorporate little ones into your yoga practice (if you have them) and help teach them that it can be a fantastic shared time between the two of you.

~ Namaste