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Be Well Family: Best Classes for Yoga With Kids in Philadelphia

From baby bonding sessions to on-site childcare, these eight Philly studios are all about the fam.

Philly has a wealth of stellar yoga studios, but this batch is known for being kid and family-friendly, so you don’t have stress about a dirty diaper or temper tantrum ruining anyone’s zen. Most offer pre-registration and drop-in options, but you’ll want to check the site or call first to be sure. And it might make sense to sign up for their newsletters; many offer kid/parent/baby workshops throughout the year, too.

When you want to drop in, try … Yoga Habit (Fairmount)
Yoga Habit offers all the usual slew of yoga classes, but has an environment that really keeps things easy. To boot: their Little Warriors class, which is for walkers to age 4, and parents/caretakers can participate or not. There is music, movement and storytelling, plus yoga basics. Basically, it’s easy and chill. You can pre-register or drop in.

When you’re on maternity leave, try … Wake Up Yoga (South Philly, Fairmount, Rittenhouse)
Because the classes for moms and babies are on weekdays AND because people who go to Wake Up Yoga tend to be a loyal bunch (which means new mom friends for you!) AND because the mom-and-me class is both gentle and strength-building, the classes at this friendly, popular studio chain are nice for that first yoga class after baby. There’s also a great class offered for moms who want to bring their older baby or toddlers, too.

When you want some Om-alone time, but you don’t have a babysitter, try … Focus Fitness Main Line (Bryn Mawr) or Y2BFit (Mount Airy)
How can you tell Focus is owned by a busy mom? They’ve got childcare down to a science. This popular shop has Studio K, a supervised lounge-like spot for kids and babies (aged 3 months to 8 years) to play and hang while their parents get their sweat on. (And with spinning, strength training, yoga and more, sweat you will.) Pay per visit or buy a card and save. (Bonus: Focus owner Abbie Chowansky also runs Born to Burpee, a bring-your-baby postnatal class that runs outside in the warmer months and in Studio K in the winter.) Over at Y2BFit, owner Crystal Widmann has in-studio childcare a few times a week, so you can get moving in her barre classes.

When you’re a working mom, try … Mama’s Wellness Joint (Wash West) and Philly Power Yoga/Thrive Pilates (Rittenhouse)
Clearly, there’s no shortage of mommy-and-me yoga places around this city. But many sessions run during the week, which is why working moms really appreciate MWJ’s Saturday classes. Plus, this popular city sanctuary opens the studio to crawlers and toddlers (who are a little more rambunctious than the infants), and has a lovely family yoga classes on occasion, too. Note: This place is a block from Seger Playground, so you should leave time to hit it up before or after class. Over near Rittenhouse, combo studio Philly Power Yoga/Thrive pilates also offers Saturday and Sunday classes. Their Prenatal Fitness Sculpt is great because you’ll get both mind-clearing/soul-calming yoga stretching but also toning exercises.

When you want to take a private class with your pals, try … Philly Dance Fitness (Graduate Hospital)
Here’s a fun option: You can gather a group of friends (at least four grown-ups) and their babies, and schedule your own private mix of yoga and Pilates — or, as they call it, Yogalates — through the fabulous folks at Philly Dance Fitness. The classes focus on helping moms recover from both pregnancy and birth, zeroing in on all the muscles that are, as they say, “most affected by carrying and breastfeeding babies” — so, your core, your shoulders, your back, your chest and so forth. Classes are aimed at moms (or dads) with new babies, starting at six weeks until the babies are crawlers. (If you keep an eye on the PDF website, you might even notice the occasional mom-and-me Yogalates class on the schedule — they do offer it from time to time.)

When you want a free class, try … Y2B Fit (Mt. Airy)
Crystal Widmann started her yoga and barre classes for moms as virtual streaming sessions (you can still log on to find those anytime you want), but she also opened up a brick-and-mortar place. She offers a TON of family, mom and kid-focused classes, but on the second Saturday of every month, she hosts a BYO kid class for free. (The yoga class is vinyasa, and it incorporates baby; for the barre classes you’ll strap your tot into a carrier for added resistance.)

When you want to raise a mini yogi, try … the YogaLife Institute (Wayne) and  Philly Power Yoga/Thrive Pilates (Rittenhouse)
Not only does this Main Line yoga mainstay offer two different weekly mommy-and-me classes, but they also offer training to parents, teachers, coaches and other grown-ups who want to learn how to teach yoga to children and teens. Furthermore, YogaLife also offers yoga-based tutoring, which helps kids learn mindfulness, stress management and attention-harnessing skills, while also getting a little help with their studies. Philly Power Yoga/Thrive Pilates is offering a weekly workshop this fall for kids aged 3 to 5 that includes yoga poses, breathing exercises and play. The instructor has some serious teaching chops, so she’ll do just great with your can’t-sit-still preschooler.

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Be Well Family is a collaboration with Wee Wander, a site dedicated to helping Philadelphia parents navigate their city. See more in this series here, or keep up with all of  Wee Wander’s tips, guides and Philly related parenting help on Facebook or Instagram

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