This summer I was on the lookout for some fun, unique ways to spend time outdoors while staying active. I stumbled a non-profit farm in my town which put on sessions of goat yoga. I went into it with no expectations, but I figured it’d be a good chance to do some yoga while maybe playing with some goats.
With questions like “What happens if the goat eats your hair or bites you?” and “Do they poop on you?” it was clear that the idea of goat yoga freaked some people out. I decided to try it out anyway. So, I bought my ticket to goat yoga, gathered up some of my adventurous friends and did yoga with goats.
This was the one of the best experiences of my summer for so many reason. First, the class is not your typical yoga class. In fact, the instructor started off saying that this isn’t supposed to be an uptight and silent class. She encouraged us to play with the goats, take pictures and just laugh at our surroundings. The casual manner in which the class was conducted helped contributed to the experience – laughter really is the best medicine.
We got a lot of that medicine, as it was nearly impossible not to laugh once they brought the goats in. The goats immediately started running around, playing with each other and even jumping on our backs. One could not be stressed or upset with the little goats hanging around. They were just too cute! I did get a little nervous when the goats would bite our loose clothing, but the farm had people around the class to help us out. The volunteers also stood on the side with a broom just in case the goats had an accident. However, they have little to no impact on the overall experience.
Goat yoga was truly a unique experience and gave my friends and I an outlet to de-stress, and have a good time. While I would go back to goat yoga, I do not see it as a regular event one should attend to learn the practice of yoga. Since the moves were generic and created for participants at all levels, the class would not challenge those with yoga experience. However, as we continue on in this semester I highly recommend checking out goat yoga as a way to de-stress. Typically it is difficult to find locations in the D.C. metro area, but The Energy club in Arlington, Virginia is holding a few sessions, and you can sign up here!(All images belong to the author.)