The new craze of ‘goat yoga’ has arrived in Tampa Bay! So what exactly is goat yoga?
Goat yoga combines the calming meditation with the happiness of having adorable little kid goats wandering all around.
This unique workout class started in Oregon and has made its way to Hat Trick Ranch in Thonotosassa.
Yoga teachers say having goats around makes students less self-conscious, especially for yoga beginners.
“Goat yoga will be the best hour you spend during the weekend,” said Debbie Canton, founder of Grady Goat Foundation and owner of Hat Trick Ranch. “You don’t have to have any yoga experience and all your stress goes away. People get lost petting the goats. It’s fun, joyful and relaxing.”
Around 20 baby goats are used for each yoga session and their age is around two to three months old. These goats are very social and they love being cuddled like cats or dogs.
Be ready for them to jump on your back! That’s one of their favorite things.
“I haven’t done goat yoga before, but it was very fun. It was a little surprising when you’re doing a pose and a baby goat jumps on your back,” said Amber Strazzulla, goat yoga participant.
The cool part? All the money raised goes to the Grady Goat Foundation, which raises money for local charities that benefit special needs kids in Tampa Bay.
“Our goat, Grady, was born in March with disabilities. So we began doing the goat yoga classes in April for a way to give back,” said Canton. “We didn’t start goat yoga, but we like to think we’re perfecting it.”
You can do as much or as little yoga as you want. If you don’t want to do yoga at all, you can just sit on your mat for the entire class and snuggle with the goats.
“These goats love their Saturday yoga classes,” said Canton. “It helps them socialize and they love the attention. A lot of people don’t do yoga while they’re here. Come out and try it!”
If you want to experience goat yoga for yourself, head out to Hat Trick Ranch in Thonotosassa.
They offer goat yoga classes for $20 every Saturday at 10 a.m. The classes are limited to 25 participants, so be sure to register online in advance.
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