The barn at Hoekstra Dressage, in Peterborough Ont., is now doubling as a yoga studio — but these classes have a few special guests.
It’s goat yoga. A yoga class with goats Sugar, Bubbles and Hops enjoying the experience with you. Owners introduced a few classes last fall and are back for this season.
“I think nowadays, people live very stressful lives and I thought the goat yoga, when I heard about this, I thought this would be great,” said farm owner, Eddo Hoekstra.
READ MORE: Have you tried goat yoga?
The class may seem bizarre but the instructor, Tracy Cooper, says they’ve had a great response from the public.
“Yoga traditionally is combined with nature so we definitely get some extra nature today in the class and I think it’s beneficial for people who find yoga intimidating. It is hard to be intimidated with these guys running around,” said Cooper.
Yoga student, Valerie Shaw, agrees.
“I love it. They bring such a levity to the practice and for someone like me, who is not an experienced yogi, it takes off a lot of the pressure and you can afford to make mistakes without feeling insecure or judged,” Shaw said.
“They are a really good addition to this program,” she added.
And if you’re worried about where the goats might go to the bathroom, fear not. Cooper says that although they have had a few accidents, Bubbles and Hops come to class with custom diapers.
For now, the classes are running indoors but once the warmer weather hits, they will be held outside so you can do your downward-facing dog in the sunshine. Or would that be downward-facing goat?
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