Baby Yoga & Play - Newborn to Pre-Crawling — Capitol Hill & DC
Your baby's first yoga class. Your favorite hour of the week.
Somewhere around six weeks, something shifts. The fog of early newborn life starts to lift just enough that getting out of the house — to somewhere warm, intentional, and full of people who get it — starts to sound not just possible but necessary.
Each class puts your baby at the center — not as a passenger while you stretch, but as the actual point of everything that happens. Songs, movements, and activities designed for where your baby is right now: on their back, on their tummy, wide-eyed and taking it all in. You'll learn hands-on ways to support their developing body, calm the hard moments, and build the kind of connection that both of you will feel long after class ends.
You'll get some stretching and breathing in for yourself along the way too. But this class is about the two of you together — and that's what makes it different.
What Happens in Baby Yoga & Play?
Each class moves through dozens of yoga-inspired movements, postures, songs, rhymes, and activities — all designed for where your baby actually is right now. Your baby leads. You follow their cues. The teacher guides you both.
Caregivers move too — postpartum-appropriate stretching and breathing are woven throughout. And you'll be in a room full of people in the exact same stage: same questions, same sleep deprivation, same mix of overwhelm and wonder.
Looking for a class where your own movement practice is the focus? Our postnatal yoga class is designed for exactly that — baby is welcome, but the adult practice leads.
No previous yoga experience necessary. Come dressed for movement.
Upcoming Baby Yoga & Play Classes - Washington DC
How enrollment works
Baby Yoga & Play runs in multi-week sessions and meets at the same time each week. Registration is required. We run four semesters per year, beginning in September, January, April, and June.
Babies settle into the routine at their own pace — some love class immediately, some take a few weeks, some cry the whole time for a month and then one day just don't. All of that is the process. A single class doesn't give you or your baby an accurate picture of what the program offers.
Our no-risk refund policy means you can register with confidence: if the class genuinely isn't the right fit after the first session, you can withdraw and receive a prorated refund.
Returning students receive early enrollment access via email. Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified when classes are enrolling.
Current classes that are no longer visible on registration pages can still be found on our class calendar.
Mobility considerations: Our Eastern Market studio space is down a flight of stairs. Class is conducted sitting on the floor and in various other positions. We have blankets and cushions to increase comfort in floor sitting, but the caregiver getting in and out of a sitting position is required. If this is challenging for you, you may wish to consider private lessons.
Class Instructors
Baby Yoga & Play Frequently Asked Questions
- Can we try a class before we sign up?
We get that it can be tough to commit to a class when you don't know how your child will react, but drop-in visits are not appropriate in classes for children. They really do need the consistency of a weekly class both for comfort and so they can best learn. Since it often takes several classes for a child to settle in, dropping in once is not the best indicator of whether your child will enjoy class.
We don’t offer drop-in options for children or trial classes during the regular session, but we do offer the following policies so parents can confidently enroll:
- We have a no-risk refund policy. If you register for a class and decide for any reason, it’s a bad fit for you, your child, or your schedule, and you decide early in the series, you can drop the class and get a prorated refund. See details.
- We occasionally offer trial/drop-in days, when the teacher will spend a little extra time explaining the class routine and parents get a chance to see a class in action.
Our adult classes do welcome drop-ins. But we still recommend committing to a weekly class.
- Can I make up a class I missed?
Yes, so long as you do so during the same semester timeframe in which you are enrolled. We have a very generous makeup policy.
- My friend/relative is visiting. Can they join us for yoga class?
It depends, but usually, yes.
Adults visiting in family classes:
Grandparents and other visiting adult relatives are always welcome, but please check in with your teacher to ensure they feel that there’s enough physical space and won’t skew the adult/child ratio. You may also consider having one of the usual participants skip class or even sending the child with the only guest(s) if that seems appropriate for everyone.
Child visitors:
Additional children in class is a little trickier, but the answer is still often yes.
Siblings who attend regularly should enroll, but they are always welcome in a situation where you'd have to miss class due to a lack of childcare for the sibling.
You are also welcome to bring your child's friends or relatives according to our makeup policy for bring-a-friends. A guardian of the guest child will need to create an account and accept our terms & conditions/waiver even if the child attends alone. See the makeup policy page for details.
We do not allow guests in Yoga Trapeze class and observers are not appropriate in that class or other classes for children without parents.
- Why do you require semester enrollment for kids & family classes?
There are a lot of reasons why we offer classes in a semester-based format, but the short answer is simply that it works best for kids. Children really need the consistency of familiar places, faces, and activities from week to week for the lessons to take root. When a child is in and out sporadically, it's challenging for them to feel comfortable and it can disrupt the flow for other students.
Also, remember that yoga is meant to help us become our best selves–at any age. One way we can honor that is to commit to making it a priority to show up weekly.
- What should we bring to yoga class?
Supply needs depend on the venue and class type.
Students should wear comfortable clothing that is not too stretchy for movement and be prepared to practice in bare feet. We recommend that all school-age or older children, teens, and adults bring a water bottle. You may wish to bring a small towel or cloth to cover your eyes during relaxation.
Our Eastern Market studio is fully stocked with yoga props, but you are welcome to bring your own mat if you prefer. Most other locations do not have mats, so students should bring one.
Yoga mat exception: You need not bring anything to early childhood classes for mobile babies and toddlers/preschoolers younger than 4 years. We only use mats for savasana at the end of class, and there are plenty in the studio for you to borrow. (We'll let you know if a venue does not have mats.)
For baby yoga or massage classes, please bring a baby blanket (that you don't mind getting oil on if it's an infant massage class) and a small, non-electronic toy.
We provide all the necessary props in the Yoga Trapeze class. We use tumbling mats under the Yoga Trapeze rig. We put a studio yoga mat under the tumbling mat to reduce slipping and for when we do floor-based poses. You only need your own mat if you feel strongly about using a borrowed one for floor poses.
- Can I register late? Do you prorate after classes begin?
Yep. We accept late registrations for the first 3-4 weeks of the semester, prorated for the number of classes left. If a class is open for registration online, that means we’re still accepting students. The price will automatically prorated at checkout.
- How can I check my enrollment status?
You can check your current or past enrollment status on our registration site at any time. Simply log in to your account and click the enrollments tab. A visual walkthrough is available here.
- What happens if baby needs to eat or be changed or falls asleep during Baby Yoga & Play or Infant Massage?
You should always feel free to meet baby's needs during class.
Fussy Babies
Fussing is expected. Baby's voice is welcome.
Diapers
For all Breathing Space venues, diaper changing is fine anywhere. A few venues have changing tables in the bathroom.
Dirty diapers, however, can be a problem. Many small businesses in DC, including ours, don't pay for daily trash removal, so a dirty diaper makes the space stinky. Please take diapers away with you and not leave them in the studio or bathroom trash cans.
Feeding/Snacks
Breastfeeding and bottle feeding is always permitted in Baby Yoga & Play or Infant Massage.
Toys
Bringing small, quiet toys to Baby Yoga & Play can be a good strategy for helping a distractible baby focus and we actually use them at various points in class. Keep a few spares on hand for parents who forget.
Sleeping Babies
Babies often arrive asleep or fall asleep during class. If baby is asleep during a yoga class, feel free to take a few minutes and do poses for yourself. In either Yoga or Infant Massage, you are welcome to use one of our spare baby dolls to practice if you don't want to disturb your little one.
What Our Students Say
Baby Yoga & Play was a great experience and I met other moms who I still keep in touch with!
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