Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Toddlers
Toddlers and Preschoolers get Helen Garabedian's Undivided Attention
Second book from the author of "Itsy Bitsy Yoga: Poses to Help Your Baby Sleep Longer, Digest Better, and Grow Stronger" focusing on tots instead of infants.
How many times have you seen a child curl into Child’s Pose? Or goof off by hanging upside down on the sofa (a nonchalant inversion). Parents who practice yoga understand that while children are naturally exploring their bodies and ranges of motion, they often instinctively choose positions we would refer to as yoga poses.
Yogis also know that much of yoga is play, and that many of the poses leave room for silliness, joy, and giggling. Why not include toddlers and preschoolers in all the fun?
Itsy Bitsy Yoga offers to infants and tots many of the same benefits that YogaKids or Yoga Calm for Children provides for the school-age set:
- Regular exercise to teach healthy fitness habits, burn off excess energy, and sleep better
- Breathing tools to release frustration, as well as relaxation poses and exercises for self-soothing and calming
- Progression and positive reinforcement to increase self-esteem, strength, motor skills, and balance
- Valuable adult-child bonding and interaction for social and emotional skill enhancement
For stressed and exhausted parents, this translates into benefits for them, as well:
- "Magic Poses" for babies, and "Super-Duper" poses for Toddlers give parents simple tricks to quell temper tantrums before they even begin.
- Quiet, relaxing poses help parents with transitioning toddlers into nap-time and bed-time
- Other suggested uses for poses include bath-time, getting dressed, being patient in public, and motivating cantankerous tots to move with parents from one room to another without a fuss
"Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Toddlers and Preschoolers" is focused on an audience of frazzled parents who aren't interested in who the author is, or her qualifications. Though the text states that Garabedian has studied children's anatomy and movements with pediatricians and pediatric physical therapists, a quizzical yogi might wonder what studies she's citing, and wonder where the bibliography is for this handy little book.
Details, Details...
On her website, author Helen Garabedian lists her qualifications as a Certified Hatha Yoga Teacher, Certified Infant Developmental Movement Educator, USUI Reiki Master, IAIM Certified Infant Massage Instructor, Certified Pregnancy Yoga Teacher and Level One Brain Gym graduate.
An impressive list of titles, to be sure, but most of them are obscure niche certifications that are hard to prove or disprove. Garabedian is not a Registered Yoga Teacher in the Yoga Alliance database, though it is true she may have been certified by any number of schools or associations.
A scientifically-minded skeptic may see red flags when Garabedian mentions her “innate ability" to understand children, rather than bonafide training or expertise. "For as long as I can remember, I have been blessed with the gift of looking at a baby and clearly knowing what he/she needs, or is trying to express in that moment," says Helen Garabedian on her website. However, most yogis are open to understanding these kinds of gifts, and are willing to "go with the flow", so to speak.
With her first book, the author received national attention in publications from Newsweek to Yoga Journal. In an interview with Garabedian on the Boston Fox News channel, Garabedian is well-spoken and informed. The kids and parents in the class certainly look like they are having a great time.
In a nutshell:
The movements and games are fun. They probably do help with taming tantrums and helping children sleep better, and providing all of the benefits of a regular yoga practice.
In spite of lack of scientific or intellectual evidence, the routines certainly aren't going to harm a child. At worst, they give the parents something light-hearted and creative to do with their toddlers. The value of the quality attention and interaction alone is undeniable.
The book is well-organized and easy to follow, with some fascinating tidbits about the way toddlers assimilate and process information. Garabedian offers short, flexible routines and logical teaching instructions.
If you want to try something new with your toddler or preschooler it's a fun new way to sing, giggle and play with yoga.
