By Zinhlezonke Zikalala; Photography by Instagram
Ahh, just when you thought fitness trends couldn’t get any weirder…
Yoga just seems to keep evolving, from hatha to vinyasa, yin yoga, kundalini, bikram… and now goat yoga. Yes, we ‘kid’ you not—it’s the latest zen trend right now.
WTF?
No, goat yoga is not yoga for goats. With their climbing and gymnastic abilities, it’s obvious goats are more physically capable than we are. Goat yoga is actually very similar to a vinyasa yoga—the only difference being that it’s done in the presence of a bunch of goats! Hmmm.
READ MORE: 5 Reasons Why You Should Give Aerial Yoga A Go
How It Came About…
The idea of incorporating goats into yoga stemmed from someone suggesting that US-based yoga teacher Lainey Morse should start running her yoga classes on her farm. And since Morse’s farm had goats—a mixture of Nigerian dwarf and pygmie goats, so nice and small —it only seemed fair to let them stick around for the classes. Boom! A trend is born.
READ MORE: The Yoga Flow That Will Power Up Your Day
So What’s The Deal With The Goats?
The goats aren’t really involved in the exercises per se. They’re just there calmly strolling around Morse’s barn and garden while the humans do their thing and work through their stretches. Even though the goats will randomly approach people mid-workout for a quick cuddle and some TLC, it’s mostly the calming environment that is making this experience so popular.
Also, FYI…
You might not know this, but the word is spreading fast! The waiting list for Morse’s lesson has more than 1 200 names on it. Reviews on Morse’s Facebook page describe the experience as “relaxing,” “energising,” “calming” and “natural.”
We wonder if anyone will open goat yoga classes in Cape Town? Only time will tell.
Looking for more ways to energise with yoga? Here are three free yoga classes you can take on Facebook Live (no gym membership required), plus 10 real hot yoga struggles only bikram lovers can understand.
