If you haven’t heard about the latest trend of “goat yoga,” you likely will soon. It’s new, but it is catching on quickly. Goat Yyoga was started pretty recently (in August 2016) by Lainey Morse in Willamette Valley, Oregon, and is quickly becoming a trend.
What is goat yoga, you might ask? It’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like—it’s a yoga class with goats! And adorable, snuggly, curious baby goats, at that.
As a practicing yogi, I full-heartedly enjoy feeling into every yoga asana (position) from day to day and moment to moment because I know that with every asana I practice, my positive attitude toward mindful alignment offers me an opportunity to reconnect with my body, mind and spirit. As a whole, all yoga positions offer the practitioner re-alignment with their spine, while improving cardiovascular and respiratory health, weight loss and strength building -- granted the asanas are conducted with proper form.
A weekend in Bali. A month in Morocco. Three weeks camping on the Baja Peninsula. Expensive, exotic yoga retreats, trainings and festivals are popping up all over the globe. As wonderful as it would be to just drop the kids off at Grandma’s and jetset around the world to connect with the yogis and energies of foreign lands, it’s not always feasible -- especially when Grandma’s RVing in North Carolina and you used the last of your PTO when your bestie was in town last month.
“Aparigraha...the sanskrit word for non-attachment,” the yoga instructor began as she moved across the mat-bejeweled floor. “Refers to an attitude of non-clinging. It’s natural for us as humans to try to cling to things that we think will make us happy.” She went on to describe what it looked like in a physical sense – clinging to a job, a car, a trip we had planned.
If you have ever joined yoga classes, chances are you are familiar with the whole jingbang of yoga props. From yoga blocks to mats, straps to bolsters, and of course, the ever-present yoga mats. Most of these accessories are also a bit dear on the pocket, especially if color, design, or eco-friendliness enters the picture.
“Everything in nature is made up of five basic elements: earth, water, fire, air, and space. Knowledge of the five elements allows the yogi to understand the laws of nature and to use yoga to attain greater health, power, knowledge, wisdom, and happiness. This arises out of deep intuition of how the universe operates.”
-- Dr. Swami Shankardev Saraswati
Who wants to age? While we all know and understand that our time here on Earth is transient, we all fear the ravages of time. For our once-youthful face to show its age and sometimes look prematurely old is a painful pill to swallow.
While yoga has its roots in ancient India, today there are a variety of branches of yoga that are popular around the world, and not all of them have a lot in common with traditional yoga outside of some classic poses.
I have a shocking confession to make.
I have dreaded yoga and meditation a thousand times. Surprising words from a dedicated yoga teacher? Yes, I have dreaded yoga and meditation a thousand times, but I have never once regretted it. Resistance to the practice is something we might not expect, and when it arises it can really pull us off the mat or meditation cushion if we aren’t ready for it.
What type of yoga is best for you? Find out here!