His T-shirt pretty much said it all: “I do all my own stunts.”
When 15-month-old Jameson O’Keefe walked into the Busy Baby Yoga class offered at the Focus Yoga studio with his mom, Laura, the active toddler proceeded to stretch, smile, sing and share with his classmates a play-filled yoga class.
Aside from occasionally wandering off to pursue his fascination with a doorknob, he remained remarkably well-focused on the activities of the class.
“Jameson is very mobile and often is very distracted, but he was able to stay a little more focused,” Laura O’Keefe said about the class geared to 12-24 month-old babies. “I really enjoyed the incorporation of kids songs along with the yoga. It’s a chance to spend time with my son, and the class is very relaxing for me.”
Busy Baby Yoga, taught by Focus Yoga instructor Kristine Scott Schultz, focuses on allowing a parent/caregiver and their active toddler to experience the flow of basic yoga poses in a nurturing environment coupled with light-hearted songs, stories and games during the exercises.
“Our children’s classes combine music, movement and yoga as the whole package allowing both the mother/caregiver and the child full participation,” Schultz said. “We really work on positive physical awareness for young kids. Our focus is to promote a healthy lifestyle for children and their mothers or caregivers.”
Two of Schultz’s three kids, Emma (16 months) and Sophia (5 years old), joined in the class along with their mom, the O’Keefes, as well as Riverside residents Libby Hudson and her two daughters, Holly (2 years old) and Leah (1 year old).
“I like the class and I can play with my sister,” said Sophia Schultz. “I also like doing the hokey pokey and playing with the scarves.”
Along with a portion of the class, which includes a few fun activities with scarves, the kids sing and stretch to a musical menu ranging from “Itsy Bitsy Spider” to the Beatles’ “Twist and Shout” and even a soothing Bengali lullaby, which is a traditional chant from India.
After approximately 45 minutes of steady stretching and movement, the comprehensive, sensory-oriented session winds down with rest and meditation.
“Kristine [Scott Schultz] is a very positive person and a great teacher,” Libby Hudson said. “The biggest thing about this class for new moms is that it offers a chance to get out of the house and do something positive for your own well-being as well as your kids. The kids enjoy the songs and the social interaction is wonderful. Personally, it’s a great workout.”
Focus Yoga, 9047 Monroe Ave., Brookfield, which is owned by Judy Harvin, features classes in gentle yoga, yoga basics, guided meditation, yoga for abs and back, and other classes at beginning/continuing levels for all ages.
Offering child care for select classes, Focus Yoga also offers one free class for visitors interested in the studio.
“Our classes are very family friendly, but also include serious yoga classes for adults,” said Harvin, who teaches several classes at the studio. “The goal is to help people improve their range of motion, get a little more comfortable with their body, and learn how to better handle stress. We’re not trying to create gurus; we’re just trying to support healthy bodies and minds for people.”