It’s considered by many to be the cat’s meow — yoga with cats.
“’That’s the only way you are going to convince me to go to a yoga class is if you throw in cute animals,” laughed Kelowna, B.C., resident Amu Barnet.
Called Paws and Poses, the special yoga classes are for the first time being offered in the Okanagan at Catelowna, Kelowna’s first-ever cat café.
“A lot of kitty shenanigans and a lot of people trying to do some stretches and get yoga in and get some therapy from different angles,” said Catelowna owner Ashley Karnes.
Yoga with animals such as cats, puppies and even goats is growing in popularity and the demand is soaring.
“The response has been phenomenal,” said Karnes. “We’re already booked up for April. May is already half booked up.”
Taylor Morrice owns Our Yoga Space next to Catelowna and has joined forces with the cat café to teach the yoga classes with the felines.
“I feel like we’re 90-per cent here for the cats and 10-per cent here for the yoga,” she said.
Morrice added that anyone can join yoga with cats but she highly recommends those who do attend be cat lovers.
“They’re (cats) going to be all over you, all over the mats, the fur and everything, too, and the meows and the playfulness,” Morrice said.
The cats weave their way in and out and on top and underneath the rows of yoga students, making for some interesting yoga moves.
“I just wanted to do something I’ve never done before,” said Mackenzie Grace, a first-time attendee. “I love cats and I love yoga. I thought, ‘What could go wrong?’”
Morrice said the yoga is fun and distracting.
“For sure, but I encourage it. In this instance, distraction is welcomed because you’re present. You’re in the moment with the cats and that’s what we want,” Morrice said. “I even encourage if cats sit on you or your mat, just don’t even move, just stay there, pet them and love them up.”
And in some cases, the students end up leaving with more than just their yoga mats.
“I’m actually looking to get a kitten so I was hoping to meet and interact with some of the cats because I know they are usually up for adoption,” Grace said.
The cats are indeed up for adoption and even up for some yoga.