Yoga Baby: Exercises to Help You Bond with Your Baby Physically, Emotionally, and Spiritually

YOGABABY by DeAnsin Goodson Parker, Ph.D. with Karen W. Bressler, Broadway Books, 2000.This book and this concept will surely be an inspiration to many mothers and those hands on fathers who want to make sure their baby gets off to the best possible start. I have not seen anything like it before. It is especially valuable in light of the mounting research indicating that the quality of the mother's physical and emotional interaction with infants has profound, life long effects on the mental, emotional and physical development of the child. Dr. Parker, a psychologist and psychoanalyst, realized the book was needed because of the response she recieved from the YogaBaby program she has offered for years at the Goodson Parker Wellness Center in New York City. This a truly innovative, psychologically insightful, beautifully written and illustrated work. Dr. Parker shows how to use both ancient and modern strategies including massage, stretching, exercises and purposeful playing in order to bring about a deeper bonding while nurturing and awakening eight 'centers' in the baby.Although, the book focuses primarily on the first two years it is reasonable to expect the benefits will last a lifetime and would include but not be limited to the creation of special time and a high order of communication fostering more trust and confidence, stimulating the immune system, promoting better sleep (possibly for the mother as well), aiding in digestion and assimilation, stimulating body circulation, encouraging neuromuscular development, preparing the baby for mobility, calming the emotions, soothing the baby, teaching the baby a way to soothe itself. Although, the book is dedicated to first time mothers, as the oldest of nine with twenty six grandchildren, nephews and nieces I feel it offers wonderful insights regardless of how many children the mother has had. Reading this book as a man I was reminded how sublime and inexpressibly incredible is our debt to mothers who make baby nurturing an art form of the highest order. R. Adam Crane, president American BioTec Corp., founder Health Training Seminars, author of MindFitness Training: Neurofeedback and The Process.

As a Mother, Certified Yoga Instructor and Registered Nurse on the West coast, I found myself wishing that "YogaBabyTM", by DeAnisin Goodson Parker was written back when my son was a young baby! This is exciting information as Parker has taken the ancient practice of yoga and has combined it with her knowledge and training in child development and psychology, both on the physical, emotional, and spiritual levels. In reading her book, I feel that her program not only serves to bond the parent or caregiver with the baby, but also facilitates the birth of the parent into Parenthood. I teach prenatal, "Mommy and Me", and postnatal yoga. I have had very positive feedback by my students in implementing some of Parker's techniques in my postnatal class...mostly from the babies! They become very serene, with a quiet alertness. It is very obvious they enjoy the process! This book is also very clear and easy to follow. I strongly recommend it to all my students. One does not have to be an experienced yoga practitioner or parent to understand and reep the benefits from this book. I look forward to attending a YogaBabyTM teacher training when it becomes available. I can't say enough about this wonderful book!

I've always loved the idea of using yoga for better health and balance. I can remember sitting beside my mother in a lotus position, making a funny face with my eyes wide open and my tongue hanging out - I think the position was called "The Lion." I can also remember the speed with which my mother shed her pregnancy weight after the birth of my little brother when I was 12. Yoga is a powerful thing - it can soothe your spirit, quiet your mind, or it can set your heart to pumping. DeAnsin Goodson Parker, Ph.D., also believes that it can strengthen your bond with your baby. Using a concept that she calls "baby whispering," she teaches parents how to get in tune with the rhythms and the needs of their children - "connecting spirit to spirit." What a beautiful idea. I tried it with my youngest child, Sarah, who, at the age of two, is really no longer a baby. She thought that I was trying to tickle her. I skipped to the back of the book and had more success with the exercises recommended for "mobile babies." My son Max is nine, but he has a brain disorder that puts him at the developmental age of a much younger child. He loved the yoga. I laid beside him, matching my breathing to his, and I felt such peace. I can't wait to take the book in to share with his teacher when he returns to school in a couple of weeks. I wish that I had been able to access this book when each of my children were first born. Like the infant massage that I still use, I believe that it provides another way of showing that incredible love that we feel for our children. It encourages trust, and trust in turn builds confidence. It is a truly wonderful book. -Reviewed by Michelle Smith

Before my husband comes home from work my daughter and I try out different yoga moves from this book. We started this when she was 3 months old (When I bought the book). Each time we have done this together it has been very pleasant. The book also describes ideal settings for the specific exercises. It promotes exercising the body and also your senses. It is relaxing for both you and the baby. Several of these same movements were recommended to me by my midwife. We have such a great time with this book. What a great way for mom to get "back" her body (after pregnancy) and for the baby to learn about and exercise his or her body.

finally! a mutually involved play with my infant that's really good for my back and hips.