Throughout the pandemic I have stepped out of my comfort zone many times, trying numerous activities, new foods, and exploring the world around me. During the week I am always inside and glued to my computer all day with meetings and classes, so during the weekends I am constantly trying to find things to do that will get me out of the house. Last weekend I had the pleasure of doing something I’ve always wanted to try… goat yoga!
I’ve taken many different yoga classes before, but goat yoga takes first place when it comes to the experience, environment, and involvement in the class. Many yoga classes tend to be more serious and quiet, and to be honest it can get kind of boring. Goat yoga is the total opposite; they want you to have fun, laugh, and enjoy yourself. I mean honestly how can you not laugh and smile when you are surrounded by goats!
I was able to join my HerCampus group at Grady Goat Foundation in Thonotosassa, Florida. In our goat yoga session we were lucky enough to have 45 baby goats and a handful of adult goats. This farm does an incredible job at hosting yoga classes and the instructors were super nice. One of the first things our yoga instructor said was “we are here to laugh and have fun, so don’t stress about what you can or can’t do in the yoga session.” As someone who deals with chronic back pain and has a limited range of motion due to injuries, this was so reassuring. Other yoga classes I’ve taken, where it’s more serious, tended to give me more anxiety as I feared I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the class; this was never the case at goat yoga. Whenever I felt like I needed a break I just pet, cuddled, and took pictures with the goats!
If you are worried about the goats chewing on your mat, hair, clothing, or basically anything that they can fit into their mouth, no need to worry. The staff are always walking around to help anyone who needs it. Their staff can also help and easily clean up if any of the goats go to the bathroom on your mat.
There were honestly no cons during my goat yoga experience, and if you are unsure about trying goat yoga, I say definitely try it out at least once. This experience was an amazing way to get to know my peers who are a part of HerCampus and just have an afternoon of non-stop laughing and smiling.
If you are in the Thonotosassa area and want to try out goat yoga, definitely check out Grady Goat Foundation, they did an incredible job and I would highly recommend them to all my friends and family in Florida. You can check out their website below for more information and ticket availability.