Move over Downward dog – Goat yoga craze hits the UK!!
Article by The Drummond Team
Yes, this is for real! – Goat yoga is the latest fitness trend to emerge from American – and people who have tried it say its very “therapeutic” – and its being endorsed by celebrities like Ozzy Osbourne, Kate Beckinsale and Khloe Kardashian. While you do yoga poses such as downward dog or bridge, a goat stands on your bottom or stomach.
It was created by US farmer Lainey Morse, from Oregon, who said her goats got her through being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and a divorce. Attempting to restore spiritual balance with a small goat perched on your back or clambering over your mat might not sound that relaxing but instructors insist it is.
It all began when she started inviting her friends for “goat happy hour”; they would drink wine and play with the goats. Then, when another friend, (who was a yoga instructor) joined in, she suggested running a yoga class in the goat field.
Morse posted photos on social media of goats jumping on people’s backs and taking over their mats — and woke up to find an explosion of interest. Within days, she had a 2,400-strong waiting list for her classes, she explains in The Little Book of Goat Yoga. Lainey explained how goats have a very ‘calming demeanour, yet they’re also mischievous and do things that make you laugh… It’s why they’re so therapeutic.’