Cradle karma

The idea of babies doing yoga with their mums may sound quirky but proven benefits include improved flexibility, digestion and circulation If BABIES could talk, they would probably have a number of grievances about our modern lifestyle. As if it is not difficult enough adapting from the warm, fluid environment of the womb to a cold, polluted clime where mum is often tired and stressed, there is all that sitting, strapped up in car seats, buggies and high chairs to contend with too. Then there are the agonies of colic, which everyone seems a bit clueless about and the frustration of not being able to progress fast enough with crawling, standing and walking, despite the overwhelming forces commanding them to go for it.

In an Edinburgh health club, a group of women are trying to get in touch with their babies' needs by practising yoga together. The mood is relaxed and welcoming in a light room of the nineteenth century town house near the Botanic Gardens. Sitting cross-legged in a circle, eight mums have their babies stretched out before them.

Under the down-to-earth tutelage of yoga teacher Avril Berry, there are gurgles and giggles aplenty as they push tiny legs up to stomachs, lengthen miniature spines and necks and point toes and fingers to ceiling, floor, window and door. More adult laughter resonates around the room when the mums join in, with a stretch on all fours over their offspring, or with the infant balanced on their knees, as they lie on their backs.

Every so often one of the junior members of the group requires a feed or a nappy-change, but the rest continue with their workout until an hour into the session, when most of the babies decide they need a break. A buzz of conversation fills the room as chunks of melon, oatmeal biscuits and herbal tea are served and hungry babies lock ravenously onto their morning milk supply.

Baby yoga is one of the latest branches of this ancient Indian practice to filter through to the west. For around 6000 years Indian mothers have routinely massaged their babies and moved their limbs to promote flexibility and ease digestion, although most would never have labelled the exercise as yoga.

Now westerners are beginning to realise the benefits of encouraging rather than suppressing the natural exercises babies do anyway. "When babies are not being placed into these postures, they do yoga all the time," explains Berry. By helping babies to exercise, mothers can help relieve discomfort before the baby tries to react to it. "If you watch babies who have colic who have never been taught anything about yoga they will draw their knees up completely into their chests, which is the posture we do in yoga to relieve wind. Babies do that anyway, but they tend to just do it at the point of crying because it is so painful."

Berry, herself a mother of twins, has achieved widespread recognition for her use of yoga in the treatment of children and adults with asthma. She trained in London and India, and with baby yoga guru Franoise Freedman in Cambridge. Berry started the baby yoga class once a week in Edinburgh earlier this year. Since then, she has doubled the number of sessions and now has a waiting list of mothers wanting to attend class.

Although the idea of babies doing yoga may surprise, there is a long list of positive effects it is thought to bring. Improved digestion and relief of constipation are two main successes. One mother, Denise Cooper, who has a four-month-old son, enthuses: "Milo had colic and cried all evening. The yoga made a real difference."

Another mother, Fiona Hunter adds: "Little Callum has poo-ed every day since we started coming to yoga. Up until then, he had suffered regularly from constipation."

Babies can also relax better after this form of exercise in the same way adults have found with yoga. Cally Fraser, whose nine-month old son Hamish was born prematurely and still needs a constant oxygen supply, says he enjoys the one-to-one contact with her and the social side of meeting other babies. "He will probably go into a deeper sleep now," she says when the session ends.

According to yoga experts, the practice of baby yoga can also help improve infants' circulation, as well as their lymphatic, endocrine and nervous systems. It helps parents to develop a oneness with their child through deep breathing exercises and promotes strength, flexibility and suppleness in the limbs.

This yoga, which includes some singing and clapping of tiny baby feet, is also a perfect opportunity for mothers and their babies to relax, get back into shape and enjoy quality time together with their new-born.

Claire Lewis, who attends yoga with baby Christy-Angelo sums it up this way. "My partner and the baby have a lot of fun and games together but I am always feeding and cleaning," she says. "I think it is important I am playing games too. If I can do that while I am exercising as well, that is great" For more information about baby yoga, contact Mulberry House, 13 Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LS. 0131-558 3303

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