Jayme Albin, COVID-19 and Infant Daughter Yoga Moves

Everyone is facing horrendous challenges from the coronavirus outbreak.  Financially it has resulted in severe monetary losses for too many hard working individuals; emotionally single people living alone are facing tremendous obstacles and couples in already unstable relationships are wondering when – or even if – their situation will improve. The elderly – a demographic already struggling with isolation – are becoming increasingly anxious and even more cut off from society at large, to name but a few.

And then there are our infant daughters and sons; the toddlers demanding even more attention from their overly-frazzled parents.  Some are “lucky” and are trying to work under unprecedented conditions; others have lost their jobs and are seeking new employment in an uncertain economy and have kids who are not in a structured educational environment anymore. 

In this article, licensed clinical psychologist, cognitive behavioral therapist and New York-based yoga instructor Dr. Jayme Albin talks about how yoga has helped her, her infant daughter and her child’s immediate circle of friends.  On how to do this at home, Albin gives the following tips:

“First, I find that working in small groups – coronavirus restrictions undertaken – works really well for little kids.  I’m talking your infant daughter and then maybe one or two (maximum) other friends in your immediate capsule. One-on-one is fine also but I've seen more success with more than one kid due to the potential for interaction.”“Second, you want to keep it as simple as possible. Don’t try anything too difficult.  Your main aim is to get them moving, let them enjoy music, let them do something different and perhaps most important – especially during COVID-19 times – let them giggle.  It’s less of a priority to get them to become yoga masters!”“Third, find a simple online video to learn the most basic yoga poses for children.  After that it should be much easier to figure out your own workout routine, based on what works best for your small group.”  “Fourth, smile!  I so often see yoga instructors who look downtrodden.  The power of yoga is often behind the instructor’s attitude.  Make sure yours is a happy one!  Good luck!”

While Jayme Albin got her training in Kundalini Yoga, she specifies that when it comes to working with kids – or in fact anyone new to yoga – a lot of it is trial and error; you have to see what works best for your audience.