The thought of doing yoga with a furry friend might sound rather odd, but the new craze has become increasingly popular in certain areas around the world. Whether it’s with cats, dogs or goats, yoga with animals has become the new ‘in thing’. Here are a couple of examples of how this adorable, and sometimes wacky trend has developed.
Most people wouldn’t necessarily put yoga and goats together however, goat yoga is probably the most common type of yoga with animals, and classes can be found all over the world. Typically, the classes include young, affectionate goats which add an element of fun to the exercises. Classes can be very popular, with most places requiring visitors to book well in advance.
(Photo – Jack Affleck)
In Santa Barbara, California, a cat cafe has opened that offers cat yoga. The place is called Cat Therapy, and it allows its visitors the chance to relax and unwind with the cafes fluffy felines. The cat cafe takes in rescue cats from all over Santa Barbara, and its customers often end up with such a bond with the cats that they end up adopting them. Cat Therapy has only been open for 5 months, and during that time, 56 cats have been adopted!
(Photo – entitymag.com)
Doga is the name given to dog yoga, and is thought of as a sacred union between a dog and their owner. Yoga is meant to help release the tension and stress you may have, which is also thought to be absorbed by your dog. Doga is therefore meant to release the tension and stress in your dog as well, encouraging it to be more accepting and friendly, particularly with other dogs. You can practice Doga at home, and can even purchase a book to help guide you along the way.
(Photo – headstandsandheels.com)
Horse Yoga is probably the most extreme type of animal yoga. Unlike the other trends, horse yoga does not involve simply performing yoga routines surrounded by a team of horses, it also involves actually performing yoga poses on horseback. This skilled form of yoga requires incredible balance. The Doma India School in San Luis, Argentina uses horse yoga to benefit the horses too! The aim is to tame and relax wild and nervous horses. Pretty impressive!
(Photo – Instagram @horse_yoga_girl)
So why have people decided to do yoga with animals? Believe it or not, there are legitimate benefits from doing yoga with animals. Whilst yoga is already relaxing and a great way of reducing anxiety, being around animals like cats and dogs has also been proven to reduce blood pressure and depression. So why not combine the two?
Have you ever tried yoga with your pet? If so, why not send us a picture to [email protected]!
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