Baby and Me Yoga: The Judgement Free Zone!
By Ellie Clarke
I became a mother in October of 2018. Yes, I was thrilled...and also unprepared for how hard it would be to care for a newborn around the clock. I was completely overwhelmed and just getting my son out of the house felt like a heroic endeavor. So we didn’t leave. I started to spend a lot of time at home which made me feel stir crazy and lonely.
Then I discovered Baby and Me Yoga, a class suitable for parents/caregivers and babies aged 6 weeks to crawling. It was an amazingly welcoming space where we could do whatever we needed to in order to care for our babies right there in the room. Breastfeed, change a diaper, walk around and bounce, whatever came up - it could be done right there in the practice room. I looked around and saw the relieved faces of caregivers just like me begin relax knowing this was a place where everyone understood how hard things are. The teacher even offered to watch my baby when I had to go to the bathroom (totally alone...what a treat!).
Inspired by this life-changing experience, I started another Baby and Me class at Yoga Heights' Takoma studio to serve local parents and caregivers who need to be around other people who are enmeshed in the same experience of having a new baby.
In a Baby and Me Yoga class the movements are gentle. Its tailored to include heart openings and stretches of the overworked shoulder girdle that tends to do so much hunching when spending hours on end cradling a baby. The movement is primarily focused on the caregiver, but we have 10-15 minutes of time set aside in every class to engage the baby in some playful postures that they seem to really love. Even if your baby cries the whole class (which happens!), you'll be in a room full of calming energy and fellow caregivers who share the same challenges in their own lives. Everyone has been there and can relate to what you're going through. We need that opportunity for self-care and it's really empowering to be able to get it in a place where your baby is so welcome!
Join us on Fridays at the YHDC Takoma from 3:00 - 4:00 pm. Come as you are!
Ellie has been practicing yoga for over 15 years and is thrilled at any opportunity to share her love of it with others. She has a strong conviction that yoga is for everyone and works to create a welcoming classroom environment for all levels from beginner to super yogi. She received her 200 hour certification from Yoga Alliance and began teaching in 2011. She went on to study Pilates with Peak Pilates in 2012, completed David Kyle’s 200 hour Progressive Ashtanga Immersion in 2014, Dr. Ariele Foster’s Yoga Anatomy Academy in 2016, and Mark Stephens 300 hour Advanced program in 2017.