There’s a new fitness trend that is quickly gaining popularity across North America — it’s called Goat Yoga. It may sound like a joke or a hilarious pun, but it’s actually a legit exercise that started way back in 2016. Essentially, goat yoga is what it sounds like: a typical yoga class with goats roaming around and interacting among the participants.

You may already be familiar with the benefits of having animals around. Add to that the spiritual discipline of yoga, and you’ll have a great workout combination right there. Goat yoga is surprisingly relaxing and a lot of fun!

The goat’s presence is a form of animal-assisted therapy that can help improve your overall mental health, which complements well with the therapeutic effects of yoga. Here are a few examples of how your mental health can benefit from practicing goat yoga.

1. Helps with relaxation

Yoga alone already promotes relaxation but having baby goats jump onto your back while trying to maintain a plank position adds a new level of peace and tranquility. Sensing the goat’s little hooves on your back as they move to keep their balance can make you feel like having a massage — but more fun and hilarious. Goat yoga offers a weirdly calming and relaxing time that helps take your mind off your day-to-day stress, anxiety, or depression.

2. Helps fight depression

If you often feel depressed, practicing goat yoga is an excellent way to help you focus more on positive and happy vibes. There’s growing evidence that yoga can be effective in reducing depression, decreasing symptom severity, and increasing treatment remission rates.

Meanwhile, animals such as goats are great emotional supporters that can help enhance your mood and provides an escape or happy distraction. Interacting and playing with them as you move through poses has therapeutic benefits that can help you fight depression.

3. Helps develop focus and self-discipline

Practicing different yoga postures increases blood circulation to the brain, which can help improve alertness, awareness, and memory. With the goats walking around, you will not only focus on posture but also try to interact with them. Doing two things at once and not knowing what the goats will do will keep you focused and disciplined.

4. Helps with quality of sleep

Practicing goat yoga involves stretching and relaxing your muscles, which can cause significant physical and mental exertion resulting in more deep sleep and better sleep efficiency. Data suggests that more than 85% of yoga practitioners experienced reduced stress, and over 55% slept better.

5. Source of laughter

Goat yoga may sound strange, but it’s a brilliant concept of incorporating smiles, laughter, and fun times with goats while practicing simple yoga. Unlike traditional yoga, which prioritizes silence and meditation, goat yoga capitalizes on laughter and fun as a way to relieve stress and anxiety.

Conclusion

If you’re intrigued with the idea of practicing yoga while playing with goats, then you should at least give goat yoga a try. It’s a great way to improve your overall physical, emotional, and mental well-being while having a wonderful time doing it. Goat yoga sessions may cost slightly more than regular yoga classes. However, if the presence of happy, trained goats lets you enjoy yoga more, then it’s definitely worth it.

Read related articles here:

• 5 Ways Pets Can Reduce Stress
• Examples of Emotional Support Animals That Aren’t Dogs
• What is Farm Animal Therapy?

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