Yoga for Families & Children

In Person Classes

• Commit to a series, $18 per class
  Our prenatal yoga classes are scheduled in 5-8 week minimesters.
  Register for Series

• Pay by the class, $24 per class
  ur public prenatal yoga classes welcome drop-in students. Simply drop in as your schedule allows. Advanced reservations are appreciated but not required.
  Reserve Drop-in

Online Classes

• Commit to a series, $16 per class
  Our prenatal yoga classes are scheduled in 5-8 week minimesters.
  Register for Series

• Pay by the class, $24 per class
  ur public prenatal yoga classes welcome drop-in students. Simply drop in as your schedule allows. Advanced reservations are appreciated but not required.
  Reserve Drop-in

• All prices at subject to 6.75% DC fitness tax

Makeup Policies for In Person Students – Adult/Prenatal Yoga

If you miss a class, you may attend a different one within a month.

• To schedule another in-person prenatal class during the same semester, use our makeup scheduler. Email if you have any questions.  
• To makeup in Zoom, register for a drop-in and use the discount code in your class instructions email or purchase receipt. 

Makeup Policies for Zoom Students

Zoom recordings are posted to the class page within 24 hours of the class and are posted for 7 days. Watch the recording anytime that week.

You are also welcome to makeup in any other zoom class, even for a different age range, using our makeup scheduler.

Please pay for your drop-in class or registration in advance. Our class venues have limited point-of-sale options and instructors do not accept cash. Our registration site is mobile friendly and accepts payments right up until class starts. In-person students show proof of COVID vaccination. See full policy.

What if baby comes early and I don’t get to use all my classes? Send us a note when baby is born and we’ll transfer unused class credits to your account so you can apply the value to future registrations.

Baby Yoga & Play classes are offered in 3-6-week series. Full registration required, no drop-ins.

We know it’s hard to get out of the house with a newborn, that naps are sometimes unpredictable, and life can be complicated . . .  and that’s why we are requiring series registration for this class.

Committing to the whole series makes it infinitely more likely that you actually attend. It far too easy to say “oh, I’ll go next week” if you are planning on dropping in. If you end up with an unavoidable conflict, illness, or disrupted nap-time, you can take advantage of our generous makeup policy.

Make Up Options for Baby Yoga & Play

Because it’s hard to convince babies to be born and maternity leaves to be set on our schedule, we offer lots of flexibility:

• If students must miss a class, they are welcome to
  • attend any other family yoga class as a makeup within the same timeframe, or
  • bring a friend to class as a makeup.
    See makeup class FAQs for details.

• Any of baby’s favorite grownups are welcome in this class – mom, dad, grandparent, nanny . . .  and the same adult need not attend each time. Registration is for one adult-baby on a weekly basis, but occasional visitors are welcome to attend as well.
• Partial registration: If there is room in the class once the series begins, late registration will remain open for the first 1/3 of the series. Registration automatically prorates. If you can’t complete a series but can commit to 2/3 of the series in consecutive weeks – say because you are going back to work before our series ends – contact us about partial enrollment.

So what does this mean?

• If a full series conflicts with work or travel, feel free to attend multiple times a week during the weeks you can attend.
• If you are going back to work and baby will be home with a nanny or other caregiver, feel free to have them attend in your stead.

Still not sure if Baby Yoga & Play is right for you? That’s why we have a no-risk registration policy. If you attend your first class and decide it’s not a good fit, we make it easy to drop a class series.  Read all of our class policies and FAQs.

Please bring a baby blanket and small, quiet toy to all our class locations.

Most of our venues have a few yoga mats to lend, but you may prefer your own yoga mat for hygiene or comfort. If so, please bring one.

There are a lot of yoga studios advertising parent & baby classes, but it’s sometimes hard to tell from the descriptions what will actually happen in class.

Some instructors focus exclusively on mom. They keep the lights low and the room warm in the hopes that baby will sleep.

Some instructors incorporate infant massage and movements in the first few minutes of class and then shift their attention to adult yoga for the rest of the class.

In a lot of classes, baby’s roll is relegated to being used as a weight, all be it a very cute one.

While there’s nothing wrong with any of these approaches, that’s not what we are doing at in Baby Yoga & Play.

Baby Yoga & Play focuses on the interaction between baby and caregiver with lots of baby-centric activities, but we do incorporate postpartum appropriate stretching and strengthening for caregivers.

Babies participate while on their backs, tummies, or held in loving arms. For grownups, this class is a special opportunity to meet other parents and caregivers, get support, and learn about baby’s emerging personality

We blend baby moves with postures for parents

Grownups in Baby Yoga & Play will also get to do a bit of postpartum-appropriate yoga themselves, including strength- and flexibility-building postures, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques to address common physical complaints and mental/emotional stressors during the new-parent period.

Breathing Space Baby Yoga & Play series also incorporates developmental topics and time for parent-to-parent support during class. Our hope is that the community built in yoga will carry over into friendships and playdates off the mat.

Most appropriate from 6-weeks until baby is mobile. Moms, dads, grandparents or other caregivers welcome. No previous yoga experience necessary; be prepared/dressed for movement.

So how about Breathing Space Postnatal Yoga?

Students should wear comfortable clothing for movement that is not too stretchy and be prepared to practice in bare feet. Our venues have yoga mats to share, but carrying your own may be preferable. We have all the other props you might for exercises during class. Please bring a water bottle and you may wish to bring a small towel or cloth to cover your eyes during relaxation.

Yoga practice during pregnancy is designed to help expecting parents build strength and fitness while accessing the inner resources to face the challenges of labor with confidence and calm. A our prenatal yoga class might involve:

• Breathing. Prenatal yoga breathing techniques might help you reduce or manage shortness of breath during pregnancy and work through contractions during labor.
• Stretching. You’ll be encouraged to gently move different areas of your body, such as your neck and arms, through their full range of motion while standing, sitting or lying on the ground.
• Strength Work and Dynamic Movement. Students in prenatal yoga are working to maintain fitness for a comfortable pregnancy as well as train for the endurance event that is labor and birth. Holding your bodyweight in postures while working against gravity is a great way to build strength. We’ll also do pregnancy appropriate vinyasa, moving with breath, to build fitness.
• Cool down and relaxation. Every prenatal yoga class sets aside time for conscious relaxation. You’ll relax your muscles and restore your resting heart rate and breathing rhythm. You might be encouraged to listen to your own breathing, pay close attention to sensations, thoughts and emotions, or repeat a mantra or word to bring about a state of self-awareness and inner calm.

Our pregnancy yoga classes are held at 641 Pennsylvania Ave SE, lower level.  The studio is within one block of the Eastern Market metro stop and convenient to many bus routes along Pennsylvania Ave SE and 8th Street SE. Read more about locations.

An in-person prenatal yoga class with a qualified instructor offers benefits you simply cannot reap on your own in front of a dvd or streaming video. Personalized sequencing, a watchful eye for alignment corrections, and customized adjustments complement camaraderie of a group class. Breathing Space prenatal instructors are also knowledgeable about birth, babies, and resources in Washington DC.

Absolutely. Our classes are all levels, with variations offered for newer or more experienced students. We have plenty of props and adaptations ideas for moms who are not super flexible and offer postures and exercises specifically tailored to pregnancy and beginning students. All students should be cleared for exercise by their healthcare provider.

Expecting parents are welcome anytime and we often have people in class who are anywhere from a few weeks along to counting down the days to baby.

During your first trimester, you may find you prefer your regular yoga class or fitness routine or that are too tired/uncomfortable for exercise. Consequently, many people start prenatal yoga during the 2nd trimester, as early pregnancy discomforts ease or because the growing belly and pregnancy discomforts compel them to seek us out.

We also have students who start class in their final month. It’s never too early or too late.

Prenatal yoga classes focus on the fundamentals because so many women start yoga for the first time during pregnancy. We work to build flexibility, strength and fitness through modified postures and movements designed for pregnancy. We focus on exercises that might address common pregnancy discomforts and prepare for the endurance event moms are training for: birth.

More experienced yogis who take care to adjusting for their changing bodies may try to keep up their non-prenatal weekly class well into pregnancy. That’s fine, but I still recommend adding prenatal yoga to your routine.

The breath-exercises, concentration, and therapeutic work we do is not typical of a non-prenatal asana or vinyasa class. Also, the pregnancy-customized postures you learn can be incorporated into your non-prenatal yoga classes when the group instruction isn’t appropriate for you.

What worked for me (Jen) was continuing my one regular weekly class (with self-modifications as my belly grew) and one prenatal class for pregnancy and birth specific techniques and  to be in community with expecting moms. 

Until the COVID-19 pandemic precautions are no longer required, we kindly request that you participate in a Zoom class if childcare for your older child falls through.

That may not work. There isn’t a lot to entertain big kids at baby yoga, but we have occasionally had parents bring older children, mostly when other plans for them have fallen through or school is closed. Siblings are welcome in that circumstance. We do not recommend bringing older children on a weekly basis.

If you need to bring your older child, we recommend bringing quiet toys or books and arriving a few minutes early to set up a space for your child and to set expectations. Please check in with the instructor ahead of time if possible.

If we hold class on a day that school is closed, we’ll be very flexible in our planning. If there were ever enough demand for childcare during one of our series, we would definitely consider that. If you want to take class with a toddler and infant regularly, consider attending Little Families Yoga instead or doing a makeup in that class if you decide to skip rather than attend baby yoga.

Baby Yoga & Play focuses on the interaction between baby and caregiver with lots of baby-centric activities, but we do incorporate postpartum appropriate stretching and strengthening for caregivers.

It is not designed as a workout for caregivers, but you do need to be prepared to move and we hope you will leave feeling better in your body than you arrived.

Comfortable, stretchy clothing is important and jeans are not recommended. We spend a good portion of the class sitting criss-cross or in other positions on the floor and we get up and down several times. Almost every class incorporates lunges or squats while holding baby as well as some shoulder or low-back exercises for caregivers. All postures can be modified to address caregiver movement limitations.

Generally, class is most appropriate after 6 weeks. We strongly recommend that you be cleared for exercise, especially if you had a surgical birth or complications. Baby too tends to be more ready to participate after about 6 weeks. A 45-minute class is a long time for a newborn. Very young babies often sleep, eat, or fuss their way through class.

That said, you are still welcome to come. We’ve had moms happily start class as soon as they are ready to be out and about, modifying exercises that are too strenuous (such as skipping the abs) and addressing baby’s needs as they arise. Sometimes, just being at class is what mom needs. If that’s you, please come.

If you would like to wait until the six-week mark but class is already starting, don’t fret. Late registration is welcome for several weeks into the series as long as there is room in the class. We are happy to reserve your child’s spot in advance if you contact us.

Your baby will cry.

Let’s just get that out in the open. That’s how babies communicate; it’s totally fine.

Even the fussiest babies are welcome in class. Your instructor will not be distressed and is happy to have you there and, I promise, the other moms/caregivers have been there and will be far less upset about your baby fussing than you will be. Please join us.

That’s fine too. We are not running baby boot-camp.

We have never been able to talk babies into being born on our series schedule, so offer a very flexible makeup policy and partial registration.

If you are able to commit to the majority of a series, we can set up a partial registration for you at the series rate. Simply contact us with your specific dates.

Of course, if your child will be home with a family member or nanny when you go back to work, you are welcome to have the join class when your leave ends.

Baby Yoga & Play classes, for newborn to pre-crawling babies and their grownup(s), contains dozens of yoga-inspired movements, postures, songs, rhymes and activities designed to support baby’s development. Each class is filled with calming, nurturing ways to enhance bonding, soothe the inevitable cranky moments, and improve baby’s sleep.

Babies participate while on their backs, tummies, or held in loving arms. For grownups, this class is a special opportunity to meet other parents and caregivers, get support, and learn about baby’s emerging personality.

Grownups will also get to do a bit of postpartum-appropriate yoga themselves, including strength- and flexibility-building postures, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques to address common physical complaints and mental/emotional stressors during the new-parent period.

Most appropriate from 6-weeks until baby is mobile. Moms, dads, grandparents or other caregivers welcome. No previous yoga experience necessary; be prepared/dressed for movement.

In this all-levels yoga class, students will cultivate the flexibility, concentration and strength needed during the transformative time of pregnancy and childbirth. Enjoy the community of other pregnant parents while we practice modified yoga postures, breath work, vocal toning, meditation, and relaxation. No previous yoga experience necessary.

Read more about prenatal yoga.

A common hesitation to signing up for a weekly class is that parents aren’t sure it will be the right fit for their child. We get that. It can be hard to even imagine a toddler or preschooler yoga or sign language class if you’ve never attended one.

That’s why we offer a No Risk Refund Policy – Register and come (or log-in) to the first class. If you notify us in writing within 24 hours of class that you will not be able to continue the session, you will pay only for the class you attended plus a $5 admin fee. (See refund policies for more information.)

Occasionally we offer pop up classes for families to try out a single class with no commitment. Those tend to happen at the end of a term, but Baby Yoga & Play is scheduled for semi-monthly weekend pop up classes and Family Yoga (ages 4+) is sometimes offered in that format.

Get on our newsletter list to be notified when pop ups are scheduled.

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The following props are recommended for our prenatal yoga class:

• Yoga mat;
• At least one yoga blanket, or dense blanket (wool, heavy cotton, tight weave polyester);
• Two yoga blocks or equivalent sturdy approximately 9 x 4 x 5 inch objects;
• A yoga strap, marshal arts belt, shower robe belt, tie, or other sturdy 4-5 ft piece of thin cloth or rope;
• A small towel or two are really useful;
• A bolster or cushions for relaxation

Don’t have “official” yoga props? No worries. Read some tips for DIY props here.