Goat Yoga is Real – We “Kid” You Not!

By: Matt Weik
IML Blog

I had a little fun with the title, so sue me, it’s funny! (If you don’t get it, look up the definition of a baby goat).  If you’re still with me and you stopped laughing (probably at me), there’s actually a new fitness trend called “Goat Yoga.”  No, this isn’t a joke (I’ll spare you the pun again).

Apparently, this all started in New Hampshire. I’m not a fan of yoga, personally, but I know many people who enjoy it and they say it helps them relax and “center” themselves.  With that being said, throwing a goat into the mix just doesn’t seem like it goes with the theme.  After all, who wants to be in a downward dog position with a goat standing behind them?  All joking aside, YES…this is a real thing!  In fact, it has exploded to the point where there is a 350-person waiting list just to join the class, according to the Nottingham studio (which is actually held in a barn on a farm).

Hey kid, you’re a pain in the neck!

Here’s the 411… The Nottingham studio (barn) is holding Goat Yoga. Each class consists of seven people.  While most yoga is done in silence, only to hear the voice of the instructor, in this particular yoga class the participants are encouraged to enjoy themselves and laugh while the baby goats walk around them, sniff them, and even walk on their back for what they call “light hoofing” (a type of massage they came up with). Each Goat Yoga class has five baby Nigerian goats.  One of the Goat Yogis said that the goats help lower blood pressure.  I’m not quite sure there’s any science or studies backing that claim, but that’s what one individual is saying.  They also mentioned that for individuals who have never taken a yoga class, it gives them an environment where they can transition without needing any previous yoga experience.  The participants all say the class is fun, entertaining, and seems surprisingly comfortable even while being in a barn setting with goats walking all over them.

The owner when interviewed said, “The response has been overwhelming. We stopped taking names for waiting lists after they hit 350 people, so we’re trying to add in another instructor, add some more days of the week for classes and get a bigger space in the barn so we can accommodate as many people as we can.”

While I won’t be trying this anytime soon, it’s refreshing to see that people are thinking outside of the box (sometimes WAY outside of the box) when it comes to new health and fitness trends. For people who aren’t interested in the many forms of yoga practiced today, they now have another option to consider if they feel hanging with baby goats is the way to go.  To each his own.

I wouldn’t want a monkey on my back, and I most certainly wouldn’t want a “kid” on my back. But as far as I’m concerned, this fitness trend can go “baaaaaack” behind the barn, and well… you know how the rest goes.

Looking for more fitness trends, visit our IML Blog here at DigitalMuscle.com!

Source: Fox News