Nightly Massages

From the very first day of my son’s birth, I’ve been giving him a nightly massage after his bath or shower. This has become a precious ritual that we share together, like the Mommy Baby Yoga classes that we used to do when he was a baby.

As my son continues to grow and become more mobile, however, I’ve noticed that he is not as willing to stay still while I massage him. These days, he just wants to play and crawl around on the bed. So the other night I decided to play along by doing some yoga poses with him. We started with Playful Pose, which required him to lie on his back with his legs in the air. I took advantage of him being in this position by massaging his diaper area, chest and arms – and then I quickly whipped on his diaper. We followed that pose with his favorite one, Downward Facing Dog. Well, at least I think it’s his favorite as it always makes him laugh and giggle. While he was in that position, I massaged his legs, back, and arms. Then, as I was stroking him from his back to his scalp, he just naturally went into a child pose – awesome!

When I’m massaging him, I use my concoction of Organic Almond oil, Jojoba Oil, and Essential Oils by Young Living Oils, called “Peace and Calming”. It’s gentle and soothing, and I adjust the quantities of the mixture according to the dryness of his skin.

Combining yoga with his nightly massage was a stroke of genius (even if I say so myself) – and a great way to interact with my son and enjoy our time together. Isn’t it wonderful to have the opportunity to explore new ways and ideas together as parent and child? I cherish these moments with my son and know that they will always be part of my most precious memories.

[tags]baby massages, yoga with a toddler, mommy and baby rituals, baby oils, mommy and baby yoga[/tags]