Yeah! As weird as it sounds, goat yoga has been taking a lot of attention from folks recently. It is a unique fitness practice that allows you to unfold nature’s gifts in the most amazing ways. The presence of goats while doing yoga allows you to soak the nature within you. It’s like making direct contact with Mother Nature.
Like any fitness routine, goat yoga also has a lot of benefits. On the other hand, there may be a few drawbacks too. Today our article is about goat yoga and its benefits and not so benefits.
What Is Goat Yoga And How It Done?
Goat yoga is a very unique yoga practice that started a few years back in the US and is now gaining worldwide popularity. In this yoga, Yoga asanas are done while interacting with goats. Usually, this yoga is done in farms and open areas with goats roaming around. The goats move freely between the yoga practitioners. Sometimes they climb on them and sometimes nuzzle them. It is quite a fun practice and participants do enjoy the sessions while having chuckles and laughter.
The Benefits of Goat Yoga
- Goat yoga minus goats, is like any other yoga that involves doing different poses. So it has all the benefits of Yoga that help improve flexibility, strength, and overall physical fitness.
- Goat yoga improves your balance. Sometimes goats do jump on participants while they continue their poses so it improves the balance.
- being in direct contact with animals lowers your stress levels. It makes you calm and happy so goat yoga is beneficial to get relief from the hassles of daily life and unload your mental pressure in a fun way.
- As they uplift your mood, they are an effective way to refresh yourself.
- The fun and interactive session with goats can promote laughter which boosts endorphin levels, improving mood and emotional well-being.
- Goat yoga is usually done in sessions with multiple people. So it gives a sense of community where you get involved with random people and have a good time.
- If you have depression, anxiety or stress, goat yoga can help you a lot. It can also attract people who are otherwise not so fond of exercise or yoga.
- As this yoga is done outdoors, it has the benefits of other outdoor health practices like forest yoga or grounding.
Drawbacks of Goat Yoga
- In goat yoga, participants usually interact with goats on a surprise basis. Sometimes goat lick their face, and sometimes they jump on the back. As fun as it sounds there is a risk of injury involved. So this yoga must be done carefully. Not only goats can harm you directly but pushing or knocking you but also people can have muscle strains or injuries.
- There are also hygiene concerns. Direct contact with animals can cause allergies and zoonotic diseases in some people.
- Goat yoga does not only bring people but it can also distract people while doing yoga. Yoga is all about focus and goats can easily steal that.
- This yoga is fun and helpful but you are going to see immediate benefits after one session. So those who are seeking more effective results may consider other intense therapies.
- Goats are not available everywhere so some people will not be able to reap its benefits.
- Weather is a very powerful limitation in this yoga. The weather has to be pleasant to do it. Sunny or rainy, both weathers won’t do good.
Is Goat Yoga Ethical?
There is a debate among animal welfare organizations. Some people suggest that it might be fun for people but not for goats themselves. Being pushy with goats can cause distress within them. Also, in the long run, it may lead to the commercial exploitation of animals, with their welfare potentially being secondary to the entertainment of participants.
How to Participate?
- To participate in this yoga, look online for farms and places where they offer it and get yourself signed up.
- Sometimes spas and yoga studios also partner up with farms and you can sign through them.
- Search for Goat Yoga near me and choose between sessions.
Goat yoga is fun but you have to be prepared for it.
- Wear comfortable clothing and keep in mind that it will get dirty too. So don’t wear expensive or new clothes.
- Take your yoga mat with you as in an open farm, you won’t want to kneel on mud or soil.
- Keep your water bottle with you as there may not be easy access to water and hydration is important while doing exercise.
- Wear proper sunscreen and sunglasses to protect yourself from sunburns.
- Try to stay relaxed during the class. Don’t panic while interacting with goats.
- Feel free to pet goats and love them. Caress them on the back and comfort them with your nice gestures.
- Don’t push yourself too hard. If you think it is too much for you. Back off! There is no shame in it.
- After the class clean yourself up. Enjoy the experience and make some laughing memories.
Alternatives to Goat Yoga
- Goat yoga is a great way to do yoga with fun. However, there are other animal-based yoga practices too. You can go for dog yoga, cat yoga, or even bunny yoga.
- You can also go for traditional yoga practises like Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga or Vinyasa Yoga.
- There are also other nature-based yoga options like forest bathing, grounding etc.
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