TEACH YOURSELF - BABY MASSAGE AND YOGA

WHAT IS BABY MASSAGE AND BABY YOGA

Touch is one of the first senses to develop. When a baby is in the womb they experience a constant massage from their mother's gentle movements. Once born, babies need to be touched to thrive, and parents can use the powers of positive touch, such as massage and yoga, to satisfy this need and help them communicate and bond with their child.

Parents, particularly new mothers who are returning to work after the birth of their baby, often like to find activities that give them quality time with their children. Baby massage and yoga are simple and free and can be done almost anywhere; which also fits in well with parents who juggle a host of responsibilities and have hectic lifestyles.

Above all, baby massage and yoga enable parents and babies to relax and have fun together.

Baby massage has been a common practice in many cultures for hundreds of years. The use of massage for babies has its roots in Ayurvedic medicine in India, dating back as far as 1800 BC. To this day, families form many cultures, such as Nepal, Tibet, Malaysia and India, recognize the value of massage to promote health and a sense of well-being for the mother and child - before and after birth. Even today in some regions of India, babies are still massaged for 10-20 minutes, morning and evening until they are six months old.

Baby massage came to western society in the 1970s and has become increasingly popular since the turn of the 21st century and is now taught to parents by many health professionals and complementary therapists who recognize the wonderful benefits.

The origins of yoga are found in ancient history and it has been commonly practiced throughout the world for centuries. Yoga came form South West Asia more than 3,ooo years ago and then migrated south through the Indian sub-continent. Hatha yoga developed around 1000 AD and includes physical and breathing exercises that help with flexibility and relaxation. Baby yoga is a fairly new practice based on the age-old tradition. It includes simplified Hatha yoga, coupled with rhythmical movement.