You don’t have to practice yoga on a daily basis to know a little bit about this beneficial practice.
Helping millions of people all over the world develop mentally and physically, yoga is a hugely popular practice and sport that can be practiced anywhere, at any time.
However, while you might know about most yoga classes, there are some that remain somewhat a mystery. One of these practices is goat yoga.
There’s a very high chance that you’ve heard about this new yoga trend, it’s probably the reason you’re here.
Goat yoga is a relatively new form of yoga class that’s seen a huge growth in popularity. In fact, the largest goat class ever had over 501 participants.
As a result, we think it’s about time you learned exactly what goat yoga is.
Therefore, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about this bizarre, yet brilliant form of yoga in this post.
Let’s begin, shall we?
What Is Goat Yoga?
There really is only one place we can start, by answering the main question you came here looking for the answer to. So, what exactly is goat yoga?
Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Also known as baby goat yoga, goat yoga is an incredibly unique and fairly novel yoga practice.
Founded in 2016 by Lainey Morse, and made popular by Insta-yogi Rachel Brathen, the practice is essentially a form of yoga performed alongside a goat.
As bizarre as it sounds, this type of yoga class is believed to have many benefits and is enjoyed by thousands of people worldwide.
Interestingly, the idea rose to fame when Rachel started uploading videos of herself performing yoga with a goat on her back. The trend then quickly spread.
The overall aim of goat yoga is to perform simple yoga poses whilst having lots of fun, plenty of smiles, and loads of laughs. Of course the cuteness overload the goats provide helps.
How Does It Work?
The next question you might sit there asking yourself is how on earth goat yoga works. After all, we don’t all have our own goats.
As you can imagine, goat yoga is still quite niche and not found everywhere. This is obviously due to the need for goats. However, don’t worry, you don’t need your own.
Yoga studios that offer goat yoga will provide you with everything you need to take part. Some studios will give you your own personal goat for each class, whilst others will simply have 3 or 4 goats hanging around as you take part in your class.
Either way, lots of laughter is guaranteed.
Some yoga sessions will involve picking the goats up and placing them on your back, while others simply let you observe the goats.
Why Do People Take Part In Goat Yoga?
So, why do people take part in goat yoga?
Aside from it being a new type of yoga class to try, most people take part in goat yoga because of the joy and happiness it brings. After a stressful week in the office, what’s better than a cuddly, super cute goat?
The founder of goat yoga actually started the trend after her divorce. During a time she felt very low, depressed, and lost, she found happiness and joy in the time she spent with her goats.
By combining that joy with yoga, she created something that can help people physically and emotionally.
Of course, people also take part because it’s super fun.
What Are The Benefits?
Now you know more about what goat yoga is and where it came from, we’d like to share some of the benefits with you.
We’ve listed them below:
- Stress reduction – Like most forms of yoga, goat yoga helps reduce stress levels. Stress levels are reduced via a drop in cortisol.
- Mood enhancement – Goat yoga helps release endorphins and increase happiness, helping to enhance your mood.
- Anxiety reduction – Another thing goat yoga is great for is reducing anxiety. The calming nature of goat yoga helps to ease symptoms, instead encouraging happiness.
- Improved flexibility – Like other yoga classes, your flexibility is improved.
- Positivity – You’ll see a huge improvement in your positivity.
- Improved breathing – This type of yoga also helps improve breathing. This can be very beneficial to those with asthma.
- Better sleep – You will probably see a vast improvement in your sleep.
- Pain relief – Goat yoga helps to alleviate pain.
- Cardiovascular exercise – During a goat yoga session, your heart rate will increase, which helps lower blood pressure.
Are The Goats Safe?
One of the biggest concerns people have when considering taking part in goat yoga is whether or not the goats are safe.
If you share these concerns, you’ll be pleased to hear that all the goats used in goat yoga are very well looked after and well trained.
On top of that, goats are one of the happiest and most carefree animals. This is important because it helps them become accustomed to the classes.
As if that wasn’t enough, generally speaking, goats don’t have any problem whatsoever being around humans. To ensure their extra comfort, the goats are trained by professionals to be at ease with the classes.
Finally, all class participants are instructed on how to treat the goats and how to keep them safe.
What Type Of Goats Are Used?
Usually, the pygmy goat is used in most goat yoga classes. Baby goats are also commonly used but adult pygmy goats can be extremely therapeutic.
It is worth noting that every goat used in a yoga class has to be provided by a certified farm that uses professional trainers.
Final Thoughts
So, what do you think about goat yoga?
For us, it’s definitely an interesting type of yoga class and one we’d be happy to try. However, whether it stays as popular as it now remains to be seen.
In this post, we’ve shown you what goat yoga is, how it works, the benefits it offers and how the goats are kept safe. Now you know all there is to know about goat yoga, are you considering taking part in a class?
If you are, why not take a look online and find your nearest studio?
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The positive effect yoga had on me was indescribable. Every aspect of my life improved, from social to mental, physical to emotional.
I want my website to help more people get into the world of yoga and teach them how to be present for themselves - even if that’s just for a few minutes a day.
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