Imagine flowing through mountain pose into half moon, and then a tiny horn nudges you in the foot. Welcome to goat yoga, where goats roam while yogis flow through downward dog and tree pose, with the occasional added bleat.
The new workout trend has been practiced in several states throughout the country such as Ohio, New Hampshire and Oregon –– where a goat yoga farm has a 1,200 person waitlist for its classes, according to a CNN article.
A young goat nuzzles Caitlin Henry as she attempts to participate in goat yoga. | Credit: Caitlin Henry
“Goat yoga is just the hot new sensation right now,” said Armond Wimberly, a fourth-year in music education and the vice president of Yoga Club. “Everybody’s obsessed with it, it’s popping up all over Facebook. The classes have been selling out months in advance.”
On Saturday, Yoga Club will host its first-ever goat yoga class at Harrison Farms in Groveport, Ohio. The event will begin at 1 p.m. and will follow a typical vinyasa structure –– a series of movements between yoga poses accompanied by regulated breathing.
You can expect to find themselves up close and personal with the lively animals as they are known to jump on top of backs and stomachs as attendees move through the various positions.
Caitlin Henry, a first-year in animal sciences, took her first goat yoga class in July after hearing about it on the news.
“I was so excited about it,” she said. “It was a very weird experience … there were goats everywhere, it didn’t matter where you were, there was literally a goat next to you at all times.”
Wimberly said due to the lower-intensity nature of the activity, goat yoga is a good option for anyone from beginners to practicing yogis –– all you needs to bring is yourself.
“I imagine with the incorporation of the goats; we can’t do anything too extreme,” Wimberly said. “All levels are welcome … that’s the philosophy and mindset we have in general, it’s not just for elite yogis. Yoga isn’t about competition, it’s an inward practice.”
After the session concludes, Wimberly said participants might want to be ready with a camera to capture the goat frenzy that will follow.
“After the goat session, they allow us to cuddle with the goats, feed them [and] take Instagram pictures,” Wimberly said. “I’m sure Instagram is going to be blowing up after this.”
The event is open to beginners and practicing yogis alike. To sign up, visit Yoga Club at Ohio State’s Facebook page. Admission is $20.
