You have goat to be kidding me! Goat yoga in Powassan?
Over 20 people signed up for an hour session filled with laughter, wide smiles, and goat cuddles at 250 Clark.
Turns out goat yoga isn’t so baaaaad.
“It was absolutely amazing. It just brings joy to your heart that’s for sure. They were just absolutely wonderful.” shared participant Joann Crites.
MacKenzie Perry drove from North Bay for the class and would do it again.
“It was amazing to be able to connect with everybody who came out and to see these amazing animals. And just to be able to experience something different and have them climb all over you. I think everybody needs to do it at least once,” said Perry about her experience.
Participants paid $12 for a one-hour session with memories to last a lifetime.
The money will assist in providing summer camp experiences for local kids of the human variety.
“The nice thing about this is that the money goes back to the community. People maybe don’t understand how Powassan works. There is more giving than there is taking in Powassan. So, the yoga lady is doing this for free and the goat lady is transporting her goats and doing this for free and the money is going to kid's programs this summer, the GAP program which is ‘Get Active Powassan’. We have a day camp in the building and the money goes to the day camp kids,” explained Kathie Hogan, events coordinator at 250 Clark.
From the minute the idea came together, Hogan was inundated with calls.
“I have 22 registered for tonight and I could have registered 222. I’m not kidding you, I got calls from BC, all across Ontario and in between,” Hogan shared.
“To say it was overwhelming would be underwhelming. I got calls today, I got texts today on my way in, they want a private session, and they want to know if we’ll be doing it again. A truly unbelievable response. So we are negotiating for a second session, hopefully soon.”
It appears that people are looking for something different to enhance their fitness program.
“I think it is just the uniqueness. Everybody is looking for mental health and de-stressing. Yoga is very popular with people, especially with COVID, there was a lot of alone time and I think yoga has made kind of a renaissance, and the goats are just kind of fun. So we just put that mix together and people jumped at it, it was hilarious,” Hogan grinned.
The goats jumped at the opportunity, working the room much to the delight of the participants. Many yogis were able to experience some one on one cuddling time with the playful animals.
As free spirits, the goats basically did whatever they wanted during the loosely structured class.
Yoga instructor Cathy Rowe tried to engage the four-legged participants with hand and knee postures to encourage the goats to climb onto the backs of participants or sit stretches, making it easier for them to cuddle.
“Goat yoga has been around for a few years. It is kind of a trendy thing. But if you actually look at the benefits of it, it is amazing. It can be very therapeutic for people dealing with anxiety, depression and sadness, a whole range of issues. So, if somebody wants to cuddle a goat, they get to cuddle a goat,” laughed Rowe.
“I had one lady say, ‘Thank you, this was on my bucket list, now I can cross it off.’”
Goat owner Tracy Harrington of Bear Track Acres was originally going to bring just three goats, but in the end, she wound up bringing five.
“They’re like chips, you can’t have just three,” laughed Harrington.
Three of the goats, Lucy, Lilly, and Shirley, three-month-old pygmy goats stole the show.
Of the two remaining goats, one is a Lamancha and the other is a Boer goat, both larger breeds.
“The pygmies are probably nine or 10 pounds right now and they’re three months old. The Lamancha and Boer babies are about a month and a half old. “
Harrington worked with them in preparation for the inaugural event.
“The goats are social animals and they love people. They’re almost like a dog. They follow me around in the barn like a pet. I’ve been practicing with them. I have been lying in their pen and they’ve been climbing all over me. So I’ve been trying to train them for this,” laughed Harrington.
“I cuddle them every day so they are used to being handled. Two of the pygmies, Lucy and Lilly go to visit an older couple and they hold them and cuddle them in their home.”
Following the success of her first goat session, yoga teacher Cathy Howe is on board to lead another class.
“It was wonderful. I learned as we went along that we don’t want to be waving our arms around, it is a little bit scary for the animals. I also learned that the goats have their own agenda. We can’t expect them to just show up on our bodies. We have to just let things happen. Life is too serious, so if we go with the flow, the goats will come to us and we’ll have fun.,” grinned Howe.
“I’m looking forward to doing another one.”
Finally, why are goats from France more musical than ones from America, you may ask?
They have French horns.!