What is Baby Yoga?

• Baby yoga involves the movements of both parents and infants. Because an infant is not likely achieve the Lotus position on his own, movements are assisted by the parents to stretch the baby and help him strengthen his muscles. Simply put, baby yoga is yoga done with, to and for the benefit of the baby.
  
  

Benefits of Baby Yoga

• The primary benefit of baby yoga is that it promotes sleep and relaxation that the baby needs to grow and remain healthy. These same relaxation techniques help teach the infant how to calm herself and reduce stress. Yoga poses that are assisted by the parents help the child with strength and flexibility that will better prepare her for the physical stresses of sitting up, standing and eventually walking. If the parent and child are attending a class, the social environment is beneficial for both and often classes involve fun activities for parents and infants.
  
  

Getting Certified

• As with many forms of fitness certification, the first step is being familiar with the material. If there are baby yoga classes in the area, the person looking to become certified should speak with and even attend baby yoga classes. The current teacher may even be willing and able to let the interested person participate with or without a baby. The next step would be to find a training and certification class. These classes come in several varieties, however, it appears that because of possible risk involved with improper training that online course offerings are not available for baby yoga.
  
  

Where to Get Certified

• There are several locations in the United States and Europe that offer baby yoga classes and certifications. Itsy Bitsy Yoga is an organization that schedules training in several states around the United States. The company offers two- and five-day intensive courses, depending on the age of children that the certifying professional is looking to teach. The five-day training allows someone to certify with children up to 24 months old, and the two-day training allows the certifying professional to work with children from 21 months to 4 years of age.
  
  Birthlight is a nonprofit organization based in the United Kingdom that offers baby yoga certification. The company offers several diplomas, and in addition to baby yoga it offers classes on toddler yoga, aqua yoga and birthing classes. It is considered an educational charity and it offers scholarships to parents who might not otherwise be able to afford baby yoga classes. The teacher training program offered by Birthlight is both active and informative. To achieve the certification, the participant must demonstrate physical expertise and write an essay to show his comprehensive knowledge.
  
  

What to expect after Certification?

• Baby yoga is considered a specialization. Having a certification or diploma in baby yoga may not be enough to register with some organizations. The certified baby yoga instructor will need to maintain training and continuing education after she certifies. In addition, the certified baby yoga instructor will be able to list herself as certified and safely teach classes to parents and children.