Caledon farm offering ‘popular’ goat yoga program to locals

September 24, 2020 · 0 Comments

Written By ALYSSA PARKHILL

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

A new, incredibly popular yoga trend is slightly weird and unusual, but looks like so much fun.

It’s called goat yoga.

The fun part about goat yoga, is goats are not trained to behave a specific way when the class is in session. They free reign – meaning they sleep, jump on people’s backs or completely avoid you depending on their mood. They are unpredictable, which makes it all the more exciting.

It makes the prospect of landing tough yoga poses a little more exciting. Imagine, for a moment, attempting to perform a downward facing dog with a goat on your back…

Alabaster Acres recently introduced goat yoga to one of their programs at their farm, to allow the community to interact with their goats, while performing their love for yoga.

The farm welcomed some new additions to their little family recently with some baby Pygmy and Nigeria Dwarf goats and thought the perfect way to introduce them would be through goat yoga.

Aimee Alabaster explains how goat yoga became a part of their farm, and what it’s been like so far.

“One of the things our glamping (glamorous camping) guests love most, is meeting our farm animals and snuggling with our baby goats,” she explained. “So, we were looking for more opportunities to allow other people the opportunity to meet our lovely babies.”

On select Saturdays and Sundays in September and October, the farm will be open for appointment-only yoga classes, which will be open for between four and seven people per session. Aimee said the sessions have been booking up fast.

The farm only began their goat yoga experience last weekend, and it has already been a hit amongst the community.

“People are very excited about it. Last weekend we hosted our first official classes and we were fully booked,” said Alabaster. “We have three more weekends planned and the response has been very positive so far. With proper safety measures in place, including physical distancing, hand sanitization and mask protocols, people seem happy to be able to get out and have fun while doing something different.”

Goat yoga came into popularity roughly four years ago, where local farmers allowed visitors to enjoy the company of farm animals while enjoying the outdoor weather, yoga style. Especially these days, activities such as goat yoga allows individuals to get outdoors and active.

“I think now more than ever, people are looking for interesting yet safe things to do during this pandemic and fun outdoor activities are always a great fit. While the world seems to moving at a slower and more meaningful pace, more and more people are taking better care of their health, both mentally and physically,” explained Alabaster.

She added, “Goat yoga gives people the opportunity to get fresh air, physical exercise, offers a diversion from everyday life and makes them smile.”

The classes include 50 minutes of yoga, followed by a ‘Goat Social’, where the last 10 to 15 minutes includes snuggling, playing and socializing with the goats.

“People come with their own yoga mats to enjoy a beginner level yoga class with a certified instructor. We host the classes outside in our sand-based training ring out in our pasture,” said Alabaster. “The baby goats wander freely while playing and jumping in and amongst the guests during the class. It’s quite a giggle to watch and guests get the opportunity to take photos with the goats afterward.”

It’s almost impossible to see any photos of people participating in goat yoga, and not smiling. Goat yoga brings some goofiness, fun, and excitement to an activity that is known for stern concentration and focus.

“We love to see people smiling and laughing and are thrilled to be able to offer people a sense of joy during these difficult times,” Alabaster remarked. “We are so fortunate to have all this wide open, picturesque land here and to be able to call this beautiful farm home and it’s great to be able to share our space with others.”

For more info, visit alabasteracres.com.