Yoga, babies and art? Kidcast checks out this cool class at Carnegie Museum

Yoga, babies … and art? It’s not exactly a combination you might expect, but that’s exactly what the Carnegie Museum of Art is offering parents in a Baby and Me Movement class and art tour. KDKA’s Kristine Sorensen went to the museum to see what it’s all about. Here’s her edited conversation with Stefanie Mohr, marketing director for the museum and regular participant in the class with her two young sons.

Kristine Sorensen: Stefanie, this sounds like such a fun class. Tell me about this.

Stefanie Mohr: It is a fun class, and I can personally tell you that as the mom of two young little boys. So, “Baby and Me Movement” is a great class that we offer here at the Carnegie Museum of Art. It’s geared toward parents and caregivers who have little ones ages 3 and under. Essentially, it’s a 2-hour class that we offer once a month, and the first hour consists of a yoga practice. It’s a partner practice taught by a certified yoga instructor. It’s all about moving and stretching and having a good time, not about a perfect downward dog or quiet children.

The second hour is fantastic. Parents and caregivers put the kids in a stroller, and they go on a guided tour of the art museum by one of our expert docents. What’s so great about this is you’re getting a wonderful mental and physical refresher on art and movement, and you’re also experiencing art through your eyes and your children’s eyes. It’s a really fun time.

Kristine Sorensen: I did something like this with my second child where I toured museums with her in the stroller. I loved it. It was life-changing for me.

Stefanie Mohr: It’s the truth. There are actual health benefits from engaging in the arts. Museums, in general, are adding these kinds of programs because it’s a great service to the community, and also, there are some tremendous health benefits. In fact, the advocacy group Americans for the Arts recently conducted a study, and it showed that engaging in the arts can lead to increased self-esteem, a decrease in stress and depression levels, and it really improves your overall sense of well-being. So yes, there are real, tangible benefits.