Baby yoga on Long Island: A blend of exercise and bonding

Gurgle, kiss and rhyme — all this was as normal as downward dog posing during a yoga class.

"It’s baby’s turn to do some yoga," says instructor Melissa Bilka and an "ooh" floated up from seven moms on their yoga mats at The Nesting Place, a Farmingdale wellness center for parents.

The mom students lightly stroked their babies’ bodies to mimic a massage, gently manipulated short limbs to "bicycle," waved a colorful scarf to track little ones’ eye movements, and lifted tiny legs toward tiny noses to take the kinks out of being squished in a womb for months.

When it was the adults’ turn to exercise, they held a plank pose over daughters and sons lying on the mats, stood on one leg for balance and carried their little ones in outstretched arms to greet fellow babies.

"It was nice to be around other moms with babies the same age," notes Islip mom Samantha Prosek, 34, who couldn’t help but kiss 2-month-old Maeve several times in class. "Being a new mom, it’s hard to take time for yourself."

YOGA, CRAWL, WALK

The "baby and me" yoga sessions can be a world of physical and emotional development, of recuperation for bodies now shouldering child care. The yoga deepens the bond between parent and child, and moms trade advice, students and instructors say. For some mothers, it’s a natural progression from their prenatal yoga sessions, where they strengthened their muscles for birthing, and now strengthen shoulders and backs for breastfeeding and carrying.

"It definitely feels different, but in a familiar way," Savanna Cashman, 32, of West Babylon, says of the yoga class.

But one of the best parts was noticing daughter Chloe’s curiosity at 6 months, the mother says: "It’s nice watching her look around and seeing other babies."

The mood meanders between serious and relaxed in these classes, offered in libraries and health and wellness places for pre-crawlers as young as 6 weeks old.  If a baby cries, a mom can breastfeed or take her child out of the room. Tired and busy parents and caregivers have been known to plop on the mat to rest or to rush in shortly before the end of class, happy they’ve made it.

Shari Kaplan, who teaches baby and me yoga in Long Island libraries, says the classes are useful for first-time mothers, often nervous about baby rearing and needing the comfort of fellow parents to compare notes.

"It gives them tools," Kaplan says. "Even basic movements like bicycling the legs is not just good for their hips but it’s also good for digestion. These kids are gassy — they don’t move, so you’re moving their bodies around.

"You’re learning how to help your child’s body get stronger. It’s really important when they’re little because you hear a lot of the moms talking about that. ‘What can I do for my child to  go to the bathroom?’ ‘What can I do to help my child sleep?’ "

A former teacher, Jessica Anastasio says she opened The Little Lotus of Lynbrook in August because she found more and more people wanted to get healthy.

"I believe that participating in baby yoga makes parents feel accomplished, knowing they are doing something beneficial for their children," Anastasio says. "This supportive environment not only enhances the yoga experience, but also helps moms feel good about their role in nurturing their child's growth and development."

For some parents, baby and me yoga has been a chance to get out of the house, out of feeling isolated while they care for newborns while their partners work.

Massapequa mother Stephanie Nicosia, 33, exercised with Roman, 3 months, at The Nesting Place recently with two friends and their babies.

She was able to gaze into her son’s eyes, something she remembers well when she took him out for a break during class: "He was smiling."