By Sue Heron – Training Co-ordinator Tatty Bumpkin and Paediatric Physiotherapist
In this weekly blog I focus on our Baby Bumpkin ‘Posture of the Week’. Below is a description on how to do the pose with your baby or toddler along with some of its benefits.
Please remember though, for you and your baby to gain the full benefit of all the Baby Bumpkin Yoga and multi-sensory activities, find out about your local Baby Bumpkin class at http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html. Our qualified Baby Bumpkin Teachers are fully trained in aspects of baby development and Baby Yoga and are kept fully up-to-date by our professional team of paediatric physiotherapists, Yoga teachers and musicians.
Or, maybe, you are thinking of a new career which gives you:
The Baby Bumpkin Multisensory Yoga Adventure This Week ..
This week the Baby Bumpkin Yoga Activity is ‘HORSE’. When you bring this fun activity into your baby’s or toddler’s day you will be helping them to strengthen and activate their hip and pelvic muscles – essential for early sit-to-stands and walking skills.
On this adventure Baby Bumpkin finds himself back at Wobble Farm! But the sun is shining high in sky as he does the actions his very special ‘Hello to the Sun’ song.
Then, feeling very stretchy and strong, baby Bumpkin sets off to see if any of his friends would like to have a lovely cool bath on this hot day…
Up trots Horse – who is very muddy, so Baby Bumpkin gives him a lovely brush and wash....
Soon the two friends are trotting and galloping across the fields to find more creatures and animals to bath .. maybe the bees need some help with their cleaning?!
This Baby Bumpkin adventure will not only give your baby the chance to progress their physical skills, as they explore the space around them in the horse and cat poses, it will also give them a ‘sensory feast’ as they play with the feathers, furry fabrics and other sensory props throughout the story. Find your local class at http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html.
Because each Baby Bumpkin adventure is carefully linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) the sessions not only enhance your baby’s physical skills they also develop your baby’s early communication, social and thinking skills. In this week’s story your baby will have the chance to:
1. Activate, strengthen and stretch their hip and leg muscles in Horse pose.
2. Stretch out and strengthen their back muscles in Cat Pose..
3. Develop their awareness of their hands and feet as Baby Bumpkin gives Horse a brush!
4. Progress their early communication skills whilst:
Playing ‘peek-a- boo’ with the leaves
Playing the ‘1, 2, 3, No, no!’ game with Cat – because he does not want a bath!
Singing the Baby Bumpkin cleaning rhyme together
5. Start to make early choices i.e.
How to play and interact with the Bee props?
Whether to move quickly, or a little slower, in Horse pose?
6. Develop their sense of rhythm as they move with you to the Baby Bumpkin ‘Cat’ and ‘Sun Salutation’ songs.
7. Most important of all - have fun with their friends in the Baby Bumpkin story as they: stretch out as cats, trot as horses and buzz as bees!
Horse Pose for Younger Babies
Trot down to Wobble Farm!
Description of Pose
N.B. Remember, when you are doing the poses with your baby, never force the movements and keep looking at your baby to make sure they are comfortable. If you feel any resistance, or your baby becomes unsettled, do stop. Once your baby has settled, gently try the pose again, perhaps making clicking sounds or using a toy to distract them. If your baby remains unsettled, do not persist with the pose maybe come back to it later.
This adaptation of Horse pose is ideal if your baby is younger than 6mths or has yet to gain good control of their head and body in sitting.
Sit with your baby on a mat or floor space – settling them on their backs in front of you.
Gain good eye contact with your baby and give their feet a little tickle!
Gently hold your baby’s lower legs just below their knee round their calves.
Slowly bend your baby’s right knee up towards their chest. Keep their knee in line with their hip bone on that side i.e. do not let their knee fall inwards too much. Remember not to force the movement.
If your baby is comfortable, hold their right knee up near their tummy for a second then let your baby stretch their leg out towards you as far as they wish to go. Keeping hold of your baby’s calf as you do the movement.
Now repeat the knee bend with your baby’s left leg. Bend their left knee up to their chest, hold it there for a second and then let it stretch out.
If your baby is happy continue to bend their alternate knees up to their chest, letting them stretch out after each bend.
As you march your baby’s legs up and down sing a nursery song to help you and your baby relax and get into a natural rhythm together i.e.
"Horsey, horsey don’t you stop Just let your feet go ‘clipperty clop’ Your tail goes ‘swish’, And the wheels go round, ‘Giddy up’ We’re homeward bound!"
Keep looking at your baby, seeing how they respond to the movements. Some babies may prefer you to move their legs in a faster rhythm others may prefer going at a slower pace!
As your baby becomes used to the movement – try not to guide them so much so they are doing more of the kicking action by themselves.
Why Horse Pose is Good for Your Baby
As you do Horse pose with your baby, you will give your baby a chance to:
1. Stretch and gently activate their hip and leg muscles When your baby is born they will tend to hold their arms and legs close to their body in a pattern similar to that in the womb. In the first few months of their life your baby will be actively moving and stretching out all four of their limbs as they discover the space around them. It is important for the development of skills such as rolling, sitting and ultimately learning to walk that your baby has this early opportunity to move and stretch out their hip and leg muscles whilst lying on the floor. Remember if your baby is under 5 mths they will not have full movement at their hips and knees so never force the kicking actions of Horse pose. However, just doing the movements that your baby is comfortable with, will provide them with a good, gentle stretch. As your baby starts to do more of the actions by themselves, they will be stretching and strengthening their leg muscles even more effectively.
2. Promote their digestion The leg movements of Horse pose gently stimulate your baby’s digestion. Hence this pose can be especially useful if your baby suffers from constipation.
3. Express their own needs All babies are different and their moods will change from day to day and throughout the day. Horse pose is a great activity to help you ‘tune in’ to your baby’s mood i.e. you may notice your baby enjoys kicking their legs out in Horse pose more quickly or even being rolled gently from side to side as they do the pose. Other babies may prefer to do the actions of Horse pose at a slower pace - at least to start with until they get used to the movement. If your baby is drowsy, following a sleep, start by doing Horse pose at steady pace with them before seeing if they wish to go a little faster. The quicker movements are likely to ‘alert’ your baby so they feel ready to play after their nap – but always be aware that some babies will need time and practice to get used to the movement.
Horse Pose for Toddlers and Older Babies
"Clipperty clop!"
Description of Pose
N.B. Remember, keep looking at and communicating with your baby or toddler as you do this pose. Some babies and toddlers’ will love to move more, others will prefer to do the pose at a slower pace. Start slowly to reassure your baby and toddler and to make sure you are doing the ‘bridging’ action correctly then, as you both gain in confidence, try doing the pose at a faster pace.
If you have back or neck problems either do this pose slowly and gently – and if it causes you pain, stop – or do the adaptation of horse pose for younger babies (ask your Baby Bumpkin teacher for this advice sheet). This adaptation of Horse pose is ideal if your baby is about 6mths or older and is confident sitting up with only a little bit of support.
In Horse pose you need to lift your hips off the floor, like a bridge, so your baby or toddler can experience the movement. You can make this ‘bridging action’ into a great tummy and bottom exercise for yourself. It is worth taking the time to practise the movement without your baby i.e.
Lie down on your back on a mat or carpet area.Draw your knees up so they are pointing up to the ceiling. Keep your feet flat on the floor about hip width apart.Let your arms rest on the floor just a little away from your sides.
Keeping your hips on the floor, ‘draw in’ your lower tummy muscles and squeeze your buttocks together to ‘get ready’.
Then lift your bottom off the floor. Be careful not lift your bottom up too high. The aim is to have your shoulders, hips and all in line sloping downwards. Image courtesy of babyhallblog.com.
Hold the position for a few seconds, breathing normally.
To protect your back, do not twist from side to side. If you feel yourself ‘sagging in the middle’; either take a rest or lift up your hips and tighten your bottom muscles to get back to your original position.
Then lower your bottom back to the floor.
Repeat the action a few times so you are sure you are using your tummy and bottom muscles well.
Now do this bridging pose with your baby or toddler!
Lie down with your baby or toddler on a mat or floor space.
Lift your baby/toddler onto your lower tummy/hip area, so they are sitting with their legs down either side of your body. Support them round their middle so their arms are free, they can use their arms to balance. If your baby is younger they may need to be supported more round their rib cage area. If your baby/toddler is older they are likely to only need support round their hips.
Gain good eye contact with your baby/toddler - but do not lift your head off the floor as this may lead to neck strain. Instead adjust your baby’s position so they can see you whilst your head is supported on the floor.
Do the ‘bridging’ action yourself, as outlined above, lifting your hips up and down, so your baby/toddler has to react to your body movements.
Keep looking at your baby/toddler to make sure they are enjoying the game– they may want you to go slower or perhaps a little faster!
As you do Horse pose with your baby or toddler sing a nursery song to help you both relax and get into a natural rhythm i.e.
“Horsey, horsey don’t you stop Just let your feet go ‘clipperty clop’ Your tail goes ‘swish’, And the wheels go round, ‘Giddy up’ We’re homeward bound!”
Why Horse Pose is Good for Both You and Your Older Baby or Toddler
As you do Horse pose with your baby or toddler, you will give them a chance to:
1. Progress their sitting balance It takes a baby many months to become completely stable in the sitting position. During this time they refine unconscious ‘reflex’ like muscle movements and ‘responses’ which help them to keep their balance i.e. Bringing their body back to the ‘upright’ sitting position if they are tilted forwards, sideways or backwards a little way. When you do Horse pose with your baby you will be giving them the chance to develop these balance skills. As your baby moves from side to side, and back and forth give them a second to see if they can bring their body back to the upright position with less support from you. Always give your baby the support they need – but they will enjoy the challenge of trying to regain their balance more by themselves!
2. Refine the processing of their body senses (their vestibular and proprioceptive senses) Horse pose provides your baby with a gentle challenge to their body senses, helping them to organise these sensations so they can do all the balance movements described above.
3. Express their own needs. All babies are different and their moods will change from day to day and throughout the day. Horse pose is a great activity to help you ‘tune in’ to your baby or toddler. Some babies and toddlers may naturally enjoy doing the pose at a fast pace and some will prefer to move more slowly. You may notice that your baby enjoys doing the pose at different rates depending on the time of day or their current mood. For example if your baby is drowsy, following a sleep, start by doing horse pose at steady pace before seeing if they wish to go a little faster. These faster movements are likely to ‘alert’ your baby so they feel ready to play after their nap – but always be aware that some babies will need time and practice to get used to the movement.
And remember Horse pose is a great tummy and bottom exercise for you!
Other Games to Play in Horse Pose with your Baby or Toddler
Grooming the Horse!
Find a soft baby’s nail or hair brush or even a soft artist’s brush and gently brush down your baby’s arms and legs. If they are settled or enjoying the sensation – brush over the soles of their feet and the palms of their hands.
Encourage your baby onto their tummy and stroke down their backs with your hands. Remember do not leave your baby or toddler unsupervised with the brush! The brushing action is not only fun but it will help your baby become more aware of different parts of their body and how they relate to one another.
Holding the Reins!
This game is an adaptation of Horse pose explained above and is a great way for your toddler to activate and strengthen their shoulder and tummy muscles.
Settle with your baby on the floor as in Horse pose only this time hold onto your baby’s or toddler’s hands.
This time, do not do the ‘bridging’ movement, instead gently encourage your baby or toddler to rock backwards and forwards whilst they are holding your hands - as if they are riding on a horse and holding the reins! Encourage your baby or toddler to push and pull against you with their hands - as they do this they will be working their shoulder, arm and tummy muscles.
Once again start off slowly and then see if your toddler enjoys rocking forwards a little further and faster. Image courtesy of ottawavalleymoms.com
