The "Shocking" baby exercise practice termed "Baby Yoga" - extremely controversial

Due the controversy of the practice reported in this thread, I've gotten advance approval from Mods/ATS Staff before attempting to Author this thread.

I've a complicated multicultural 'ethnicity' or heritage, and this practice with babies came to my attention through my ties with the Russian community when someone posted a video depicting two nearly naked athletic Russian men, wearing only shorts, barefoot in the snow, 'exercising' their two toddlers very similar to the articles, videos and links to follow.

The video was initially tagged along the lines of (paraphrasing) "Olympic Training from birth, challenge level: Russian".

The video was removed from the site in less than 24 hours due the shocking controversy of the activity and exercises it illustrates.

I can't locate a copy of that initial video, but, have found some other videos of the same practice.
Here's one that argues about the validity of whether it's even real:

You may want to ensure that you're sitting down


Here's an article that catches up with the woman Lena Fokina verifying that the video and practice is indeed very real:
Russian Woman Who Swings Babies Is For Real
(The same video above is imbedded in full in the article without the Young Turks commentary and debate)
excerpt from the linked article:

Q: The first thing everybody here thought when they saw your baby-swinging video was “Holy s-!” Then they thought, is it real or fake? So: Is it real? If so, who is the baby?

A: The child was born in the Black Sea region. Her name is Platona, and she was two weeks old when we took that video. We have a lot of children like her here. They are early readers, singers, talkers, swimmers. You haven’t seen anything like it anywhere!! And there’s swimming with dolphins, scuba diving with them. Come to Dahab!

Q: And are they early readers, talkers, and so on because of baby yoga?

A: Not only this. It’s just one reason.

Q: What else makes them so talented then?

A: Love for each other and to one another.

Q: I have two small children and I was, you know, careful with them when they were newborns. So it was hard for me to watch your video. It looks like it has to injure the child. Their hands? The cartilage in the joints? Their brains?

A: No. It makes the hands stronger.

Q: Did you know that YouTube took the video down because it was in violation of their policy on “shocking and disgusting” content? What is your response to that?

A: Did they notice that the babies aren’t crying–they’re even laughing–and that this system has been used for over thirty years in Russia and the children are all alive and healthy? If you need more proof, the best thing is to come see us.

Q: Have you heard from people who are upset about the video?

A: Everybody in Dahab is satisfied. What’s more, a British film crew made a documentary about us, and interviewed the parents.

Q: At the end of your video, it looks like you’re trying to get the two-week-old baby to walk. Is mobility the goal of your baby yoga?

A: Yes, more mobility, and other goals. First off, more trained skills. Second, more freedom. Third, independence. We learn from nature and teach our offspring to survive. Come to Dahab; we’ll be glad to show our classes and our children.

The following is a very Western MSM response to this practice, again highlighting the same video, among others:


Personally, as astounding, shocking, and eye-bulging as this practice seems, from what I've seen and researched in delaying any knee-jerk response is that the children that are subject to this practice are all quite healthy, happy, and even in many cases tend to become quite precocious.

Further, the resort where Lena Fokina practices these exercise methods on children in also training parents how to do this practice has no lack of positive interest and clientele.

I encourage members of ATS is do some research their own on this practice in searching out both Pro and Con articles before weighing in.
Please try to delay any knee jerk response, especially to the sensationalist Western MSM reports on this.

Personally, I'm still don't know what to think.
I'll agree that this practice definitely has the potential for harming a child.
However, if done correctly, DOES IT?

Here's an article from Gawker that pictures Lena Fokina's now adult daughters that grew up with this practice:
Baby Swinging Yoga is Real: meet the Children who Survived it
The article is Western Sensationalist slanted, and doesn't interview the daughters, but, I'm going to continue looking for other sources.

Now, this subject isn't new and the videos described went viral a while ago, so, some of you may already be familiar with this.

Further, this practice was developed at least 30 years ago in Russia and has been going on in some circles of the Russian community since then.
All the babies seem happy and healthy, as well as their parents.
The parents involved love their children fiercely and want the very best for them, so, in their eyes, they see this as a positive and healthy practice, and, if they felt they were harming their children in any way, they certainly wouldn't continue to condone or participate in the practice.

What are your thoughts ATS?

Thanks.

reply to post by AliceBleachWhite


To me this is politically correct BS that if it happened in India in a different time,it wouldn't catch any attention.
The other part that pisses me off about this politically correct BS is that i can watch a video of Syrians getting beheaded but this was taken down?????

Really??

I'll chalk it up to politically correct BS and the think of the children crap,while still asking myself why children with a youtube account can watch beheadings.
Baby yoga=bad and must get pulled from the net....kids watching beheadings=ok

Insane is the world we live in....try to make sense of it and you just want to silently scream.

It kind of prove we live in a wierd world

Anyway, i would worry very much about broken bones, dislocated limbs as babies in that age are not fully developed and they have soft bones and such.

The other thing is she does this in her garden with stones and other hard objects around, one slip could be fatal, at least use a rubber cell.

Is it healthy for the baby? I doubt a lot.

Just remembered from my own children when they were in that age, their neck dosn't have the muscle to protect sudden movements, and if they get a sudden movement they can actually get brain damage from the head going back, i was allways very carefull with lifting my kids in that age.

Edit to below: I actually edited that part in while you were posting it

I hear others looking at the background and worrying about a slip. That's fair. Others see the swinging and worry about broken bones, too..That is also a fair point.

Has anyone thought about the physical brain and brain cavity of a newborn baby and one still moving into toddler years? Just another aspect to consider...and they don't need full on 'shaken baby syndrome' with obvious injury to sustain some. The kind of injury that might entail, might not even be known or noticed. The child just may have a learning disability later which people wonder about.

I'm wondering how many 'pulls up short' for a "near oops" it'd take for the sudden motion that would cause? Perhaps...not even that much?

Hmm... I'd just say that a DFS Agent would have a coronary while running people over to get to the lady and stop it.

At least it's my two cents into the jelly jar.

reply to post by DrumsRfun


I agree that the priorities of what's allowed and allowable on many websites, and even in civil law are pretty WTF in many cases.

I'd personally like to see the decriminalization and acceptance of the female nipple and boobs in public, and public media.
Beheadings are okay on some websites, but the female nipple isn't?!?

That's off topic a bit, but, it illustrates the WTF priorities of many websites, and is in direct reply to your statements.

Wrabbit2000
I hear others looking at the background and worrying about a slip. That's fair. Others see the swinging and worry about broken bones, too..That is also a fair point.

Has anyone thought about the physical brain and brain cavity of a newborn baby and one still moving into toddler years? Just another aspect to consider...and they don't need full on 'shaken baby syndrome' with obvious injury to sustain some. The kind of injury that might entail, might not even be known or noticed. The child just may have a learning disability later which people wonder about.

I'm wondering how many 'pulls up short' for a "near oops" it'd take for the sudden motion that would cause? Perhaps...not even that much?

Hmm... I'd just say that a DFS Agent would have a coronary while running people over to get to the lady and stop it.

At least it's my two cents into the jelly jar.

Consider this practice may very well have been the early stages of preparing some who are now participating in the current Olympic events while watching the Olympics, since this practice has been going on for around 30 years.

Just a thought.

Looks like shaking baby syndrome in progress was my first thought. Then I just typed in news related Baby Yoga and got this from Fox news Dr. Manny Alvarez

Link
He brings up SBS and basically says this is dangerous and probably not a good idea, as well as makes mention of all the idiots in the world that will see this on youtube along with the claims of how this will help your baby grow and try it themselves. I could not find any thing to back up this claim/ prediction but he does make a good point with that among other things. Personally I can't see this being beneficial to much risk to assess to even think about for me before trying this out but then again the lady in the video would probably also say for a fee she can teach you how to shake your baby and spin it around the "right" way .

reply to post by AliceBleachWhite


I think it should be pointed out that there are all sorts of baby yoga programs out there. A overwhelming majority are done safely and are in line with the babies own locomotive skills.

This should be called "high stakes baby swinging".

InverseLookingGlass
reply to post by AliceBleachWhite

 

I think it should be pointed out that there are all sorts of baby yoga programs out there. A overwhelming majority are done safely and are in line with the babies own locomotive skills.

This should be called "high stakes baby swinging".

Ive seen Eastern European and Asian ( China mainly, but Indonesan too. Not as much) gymnastic/acrobatic/athletic training that starts in infancy personally. Its pretty shocking to those that arent accustomed to their cultural methods and appears brutal, but its NOT baby slinging thats in the OPs video.

I haven't been able to find any long-term medical studies, so aside from the brain jostling, I'd worry about the joint damage.
I'm not sure over-flexing of joints would be a good thing for ones later years. Now that my senior years have arrived, all of my old childhood injuries are reappearing.

I see a lot of 'moves' that flex arms and legs into unnatural positions while watching the video, so I don't think I'd volunteer any kids for their yoga.

Frankly, I think that lady sounds nuts.
I myself have been on a few of those fair rides that makes you feel like your limbs and head are going to fly off in all directions, and never felt any more well-adjusted and happy afterwards-- quite the contrary. Maybe there was a magical spiritual element missing from the experience.

nugget1
I haven't been able to find any long-term medical studies, so aside from the brain jostling, I'd worry about the joint damage.
I'm not sure over-flexing of joints would be a good thing for ones later years. Now that my senior years have arrived, all of my old childhood injuries are reappearing.

I see a lot of 'moves' that flex arms and legs into unnatural positions while watching the video, so I don't think I'd volunteer any kids for their yoga.

No doubt. I was never "baby slung" but Ive participated in sports for over 30 years... and some days recently my joints say OH HELL NO!!


I cant find exactly what I was looking for but this is similar to what OP is talking about. They dont seem any worse for wear as they age though.... the scary brutal stuff is what we saw with a greco-roman wrestlng match in Russia about 10 yrs ago. The whole team and trainers/coaches went to Moscow.. high school team. Holy cow.. those kids are hard core.. you HAVE to respect the dedication of these kids..but in that particular match, my relative won.

reply to post by Advantage


Thats horrible. Kids should have happy carefree childhood.. in that video there is nothing like that.. its training

IMO small children shouldn´t be swinged like that like in yoga video im surprized she is allowed to do that as in my country that would be criminal.

About kids they do like to climb and jump and they get very good at those too when its learnt naturally and not taught, they learn their limits on their own

Am I going to actually be the first to point out the fact the baby is fake in this video.

Second...

reply to post by Jakal26


I hate to point out that the baby is in fact not fake. Read the article and/or google the theme "baby yoga" not fake.

reply to post by dollukka



I didnt say I agreed with it or did it. We're discussing it.

reply to post by Brotherman


Seriously.....? Take a look at the video for yourself....That is a doll, I cannot help that you may not see that and believe another over your senses but I, for one, call complete bs on the video itself.

Now, did I say "baby yoga" doesn't happen and isn't common in certain places around the world? No. Am I saying that now? No....

That doll is stiff....watch the legs, that is all it takes.

Common sense will say what she did there would have killed it...or at least caused it to instinctively "resist" (for lack of a better term coming to mind quickly, as I am a bit tired and tipsy)
By "resist" I mean, would have been tensing up and releasing muscles, legs would have been squirming...etc

Have you ever done anything anywhere near similar to a small child?
Not the crazy outlandish parts....just swinging and holding upside down or "bouncing" a child (not this young btw....would not be safe this young)...

I have....
What is done in the video could not be done and isn't done.....

This should settle the fake angle.



The crying baby didn't seem to enjoy it.

reply to post by Lucid Lunacy


I starred your post and will concede here.....what else can I do?
Apparently and obviously I am wrong. I will say though, the baby in the video from the OP doesn't seem to "move" like the ones from the video you linked. I don't know, maybe it is just the angle.

So much for my "common sense" aye?
Foot in mouth......lol

ETA: I don't really think those babies are "enjoying" it either. I also cannot possibly see the "health benefits" involved.
A mild form of this.....ok, maybe I could see the benefits....the stretching out of muscles, etc....but I just cannot wrap my mind around thinking it has any benefits when taken to this extreme.

I suppose no babies have died or been found to have developed health problems because of "baby yoga"??
Would have to look into it a bit further.

reply to post by Jakal26


Oh I was convinced the baby in the OP video was fake. I understand That's why I went searching for another video.

I practice yoga. I believe in it. However I think this baby yoga is a terrible idea. For one simple reason. All the time prior to being good at something you're not good at it. Now apply that simple idea to swinging babies around in the air. In other words, I wouldn't want this movement to take off and have other moms practice it. "Only dropped Grace twice today. Only twisted her arm the wrong direction once. I'm definitely getting better!".

You say tomato I say tomato
You say Baby Yoga I say Shaken Baby Syndrome
zing!