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Why is Baby Yoga good for bonding?

Writer: Holly Burley
Holly Burley
Jun 30
5 min read

Baby yoga is a joint activity undertaken between a baby and caregiver, more often their mother, and is usually practiced between the ages of 6-8 weeks to approximately 2 years of age (after which it would be called ‘toddler yoga’). It is a tactile, sensory and bonding experience for both the mother and the baby. This essay will explore some of the reasons why baby yoga is good for bonding, and for the sake of this essay, we will assume that baby yoga is being carried out together by a mother and baby.


 Baby yoga is a gentle time where mum and baby can come together and spend time doing an activity, focused on one another. It normally combines stretching, movement, songs and relaxation, with some movements independent for mum or baby, and some involving both. For example, there may be a time in the class where baby is left on a blanket, and mum will practice some yoga by herself, some activities will be entirely for stimulating the baby, and some may involve mum doing yoga poses whilst holding or singing to the baby. 



 According to Cambridge Dictionary (2026), bonding is ‘the process by which a close emotional relationship is developed: Much of the bonding between mother and child takes place in those early weeks’. Bonding is a continuous, ever-evolving process, and can be influenced variably by factors such as maternal mental health, sleep quality and social support (La Rosa, Alparone and Commodari, 2025), and by the instance of certain activities like skin-to-skin contact, talking, singing to and cuddling the baby (NSPCC, 2026).


 Baby yoga is good for bonding because it improves and supports the bond between mother and baby. 

 There is evidence to show that dedicated one-to-one time together between a mother and baby can improve their emotional and physical connection. The study carried out by Roets (2024), followed three mother-infant dyads through a six-week program movement sessions, and a before and after test of the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale (MPAS), and two open-ended interviews between each dyad and the researcher. Due to the small sample size of data, more research here is required, however this study found that dedicated one-one-one time between a mother and infant is greatly helpful in fostering their connection emotionally and physically. 

 This study also found that mirroring the movements of one’s children can support the development of a close bond, strong attachment and broader awareness of one’s children (Roets, 2024).

 In a study done in 2025, Ozkan et al. looked at mother-infant yoga in mums and NICU babies, and the effects of the yoga on the mothers’ mental health. The study showed that mother-baby yoga enhances maternal bonding and addresses early mother-infant relational outcomes. This means that mom and baby yoga has implications for the infants development through increased maternal bonding. The quality of early relational experiences of bonding and interaction between mum and baby in those first few months may affect areas like the infant’s cognitive, social, emotional and regulatory abilities, as well as their developmental trajectory (Grochowska and Kmita, 2025). 

 Postpartum yoga has also been shown to positively affect maternal attachment in the postpartum period (Koyuncu and Yayan, 2022). In this study, it was found that postpartum yoga positively affects breastfeeding and maternal attachment, both effects having positive impacts on bonding. 



 Another way that baby yoga is good for bonding is through the physical release of oxytocin, and the feedback loop that then occurs. Oxytocin is released in the mother and infant during activities such as skin-to-skin contact, eye contact, being held and smiling at one another. The feedback loop begins with the infant feeling the mother’s touch and contact, which then organises the infant’s physiology and behaviour and establishes attachment-related cues, which goes on to sensitise the mother and infant’s bonding physiology (ie. The oxytoxin response), thus forming the unique mother-infant bond (Hertenstein and Weiss, 2011).

 A great example of the maternal oxytocin response was shown in the following study: one that looked at the levels of the love hormone inside the mother, and mother-to-infant gaze. The findings were that maternal oxytocin is positively associated with duration of mother-to-infant gaze, and less oxytocin in the mum was associated with maternal gaze shifts from the infant. It was also found that mothers with low/average oxytocin response reduced their gaze during infant distress, whereas mothers with high oxytocin response maintained their gaze during infant distress (Kim et al. 2014). This is an example of the feedback loop which feeds oxytocin production and supports bonding. Baby yoga is a great catalyst to support the ongoing development of this cycle, providing ample opportunity for stimulating behaviours such as eye contact, physical touch and interacting with baby.


 Finally, the impact of touch itself during parent and baby yoga plays a significant  role in the bonding experience.


Bendas and Clay (2021) looked at the impact of touch on bonding and neurodevelopment, and found that the importance of tactile interactions for the upbringing and health of children is shown in reverse: touch deprivation and social deprivation in early childhood lead to irreversible consequences for the emotional, social, and cognitive development of the child, even with a potential transmission into subsequent generations. This tells us that touch in infancy is crucial for the childs development in relation to their bonding capacity in the future, and possibly even that of their own children.


That concludes my essay on some of the main reasons why baby yoga is good for bonding, that I have found in my own research. Overall, I would say that baby yoga is fantastic for supporting a healthy bond between parent and baby, which is great for the baby’s development and future in life and mother’s sense of happiness.. not to mention the other notable benefits of baby yoga for both mom and baby.






References


Cambridge Dictionary (2026) Meaning of bonding in English. Available at:


La Rosa, V. L., Alparone D., Commodari, E. (2025) ‘Psychological and social factors influencing mother-child bonding in the first year after birth: a model for promoting infant and maternal well-being’, Frontiers in Psychology. Available at:


NSPCC (2026) How to bond with your baby. Available at:


Roets, H. (2024) Moving Together: Supporting Mother’Infant Attachment Through Mirroring, Pratt Institute ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. Available at:



Ozkan, T. K., Cigdem, Z., Kale, E. S., Kale, Y. (2025) The effect of mother-baby yoga on mother's depression-anxiety-stress levels, perception of fragile baby, and maternal bonding: A randomized controlled trial, Journal of Pediatric Nursing. Available at:


Grochowska A, Kmita G. (2025) Exploring the Links between the Quality of Early Mother-Infant Interactions and Child Physiological, Behavioural, and Developmental Outcomes. Do we Understand their Complexity? J Mother Child. Available at:


Hertenstein, M. J., Weiss, S. J. (2011) The Handbook of Touch: Neuroscience, Behavioural and Health Perspectives. Springer Publishing Company. Available at:


Kim S, Fonagy P, Koos O, Dorsett K, Strathearn L. (2014|) ‘Maternal oxytocin response predicts mother-to-infant gaze’, Brain Res. Available at:


Koyuncu, S. B., Yayan, E. H. (2022) Effect of Postpartum Yoga on Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy and Maternal Attachment in Primiparous Mothers, Breastfeeding Medicine. Available at:


Bendas, J., Croy, I. (2021) Chapter 48 - The Impact of Touch on Bonding and Neurodevelopment, Academic Press. P 561-568 Available at:




Written by Holly Burley

13/04/2026

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