Goat Yoga
An Unexpected Turn
The first time I heard about goat yoga, I laughed; I thought it was a joke. That was until I decided to find out more about it. Interestingly, even the founder of goat yoga did not expect that the practice would become such a hit. She only started it as a way to practice yoga and spend time at her farm.
Morse, a 44-year-old marketing professional, did not really set out to start a goat yoga class. In fact, the story about her goats and the farm came out when she sent some photos to a farming magazine. The idea about yoga at her farm was suggested to her by another yoga teacher who had attended a birthday party at the farm. After the first class, the story quickly spread and soon more than 500 people were on the waiting list wanting to be booked for the next class.
What Is So Special About Goat Yoga?
There is nothing special really. According to Morse, doing yoga while goats are playing around is the therapeutic aspect of this type of yoga. She found the idea practical after she was diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome. Sjogren’s is a condition that causes extreme fatigue and affects the lungs and brain.
Spending her time at the farm and doing yoga around the goats proved very beneficial for her. It was then that she decided to incorporate others into this experience. Now, many people think that this is truly an innovative idea. Most of the people who have enrolled for the class are those with various health conditions. It is easy to feel happy and at ease when goats and their young ones are playing around you in an open farm.
The people who fancy Morse’s goat yoga class include those suffering from cancer, disabilities, depression, and even veterans. Seeing the playful goats and experiencing nature in a farm setting is really the core of goat yoga. According to one client, “It’s more of an experience than it is a class.”
Class Design
When people hear about Goat Yoga, they think it’s silly. However, the yoga part of this class is a real yoga class. It is a Vinyasa-style class where students engage in all the poses commonly included in Vinyasa. The class is three hours long, known as the ‘goat happy hour’. This is where attendants get time to play with the goats and take selfies with them.
The best time to hold the classes is during summer and spring according to the founder. However, since the demand for the class has grown tremendously, she is considering building a barn that is customized for goat yoga. Her future plans include having goat yoga retreats for people with special needs or having various illnesses. $30 for a class of yoga, who ever thought that we would come to see a type of yoga known as Goat Yoga? Truly interesting.
