S-T-R-E-T-C-H, STRENGTHEN, AND MEDITATE—WITH YOUR BABY Practicing yoga with your baby—as you hold your baby, have your baby next to you, or have your baby leaning against your thighs or atop your belly—is a wonderful way to add joy to your first year together. Popular yoga teacher Jyothi Larson shares the specially adapted yoga poses she has taught to hundreds of moms and their “Buddha babies,” her term for the happy and calm babies in her classes. Whether you are new to yoga or an experienced student, whatever shape you are in, you are in the perfect place to practice yoga. In this beautifully illustrated book with easy-to-follow instructions, Larson presents twenty routines that help you get back in shape faster as you bond with your baby. Included are: • prenatal yoga, with a focus on the last trimester • what to do after birth through the first six weeks, with special poses for women who have had C-sections • modified yoga poses that respect your changing post-pregnancy body and give all of yoga’s benefits—stretching, strengthening, and relaxing • fun yoga moves that encourage your baby’s natural flexibility and growth • breathing and relaxation exercises as well as partner postures and much more! Experience the joy of yoga while bonding with your baby. “I loved the ritual of going to Jyothi’s yoga classes…I felt like I was doing something not only for myself but for my baby as well. Jyothi is an amazing person and an incredibly talented and nurturing instructor.” -–Ricki Lake “Combines clear, accessible instructions with appropriate cautions and a winning, expansive attitude, all of which makes for a wonderfully inviting and useful guide to yoga.” -- Yoga Journal “[A] fun way for mother and baby to bond while becoming more flexible and strong.” – Body & Soul E-T-C-H, STRENGTHEN, AND MEDITATE WITH YOUR BABY Practicing yoga with your baby as you hold your baby, have your baby next to you, or have your baby leaning against your thighs or atop your belly is a wonderful way to add joy to your first year together. Popular yoga teacher Jyothi Larson shares the specially adapted yoga poses she has taught to hundreds of moms and their Buddha babies, her term for the happy and calm babies in her classes. Whether you are new to yoga or an experienced student, whatever shape you are in, you are in the perfect place to practice yoga. In this beautifully illustrated book with easy-to-follow instructions, Larson presents twenty routines that help you get back in shape faster as you bond with your baby. Included are: prenatal yoga, with a focus on the last trimester what to do after birth through the first six weeks, with special poses for women who have had C-sec S-T-R-E-T-C-H, STRENGTHEN, AND MEDITATE--WITH YOUR BABY Practicing yoga with your baby--as you hold your baby, have your baby next to you, or have your baby leaning against your thighs or atop your belly--is a wonderful way to add joy to your first year together. Popular yoga teacher Jyothi Larson shares the specially adapted yoga poses she has taught to hundreds of moms and their "Buddha babies," her term for the happy and calm babies in her classes. Whether you are new to yoga or an experienced student, whatever shape you are in, you are in the perfect place to practice yoga. In this beautifully illustrated book with easy-to-follow instructions, Larson presents twenty routines that help you get back in shape faster as you bond with your baby. Included are: - prenatal yoga, with a focus on the last trimester - what to do after birth through the first six weeks, with special poses for women who have had C-sections - modified yoga poses that respect your changing post-pregnancy body and give all of yoga's benefits--stretching, strengthening, and relaxing - fun yoga moves that encourage your baby's natural flexibility and growth - breathing and relaxation exercises as well as partner postures and much more! Experience the joy of yoga while bonding with your baby. Jyothi Larson teaches hundreds of moms and babies prenatal and postpartum yoga at her popular mother and baby yoga classes, which she has been leading for ten years. She has studied yoga for more than twenty years and holds advanced teacher certification in hatha yoga from the Integral Yoga Institute in New York City. She also teaches at Healing Works, Soho Sanctuary, and Yoga People. Her two daughters, Rachel and Mikela, do beautiful sun salutes and downward-facing dogs. Ken Howard is a journalist who writes about science, medicine and technology. He has been practicing yoga for ten years. Introduction to Yoga for New Moms What Is Yoga? The word "yoga" means "yoke" in Sanskrit--a joining, a oneness. When people think of yoga they usually think of the physical aspect, but yoga was first practiced as meditation, a striving of the individual to become one with the universe. Two texts in particular are important in yoga: the ancient Indian epic the Mahabharata and