During yoga, peace and quietness is the goal. But at a family-owned farm in Union Bridge, Maryland, peace from friends with four hooves screaming without any sense of personal space is hard to come by.
Goat for the Soul is hosting another goat yoga event for ages 4 years and older from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct.6, at Bountiful Farm, 10209 Fountain School Road. This event will cost $27 if preregistered online at GoatfortheSoul.com or $32 at the gate.
Bountiful Farm is using this fall season to help people do yoga while enjoying the presence of a cuddly goat. The farm has been offering goat yoga for five years.
Owner Christy Yingling said she started the business in 2017 due to her kids being active, loving goats, and not wanting to sell them, which made this their solution.
“It was kind of like a blind date,” said Laura White, who is a yoga instructor for Goat for the Soul.
The spontaneous decision proved beneficial as their popularity grew. White said those who attend her classes have a lot of fun.
White responded, “Everyone leaves happy, and you can’t help but be happy watching people’s expressions when seeing or playing with the goats,” with choosing goat yoga over regular yoga.
According to Yingling, goat yoga is beneficial based on the combination of the positive outcomes of animal therapy and yoga in general. The blend of both brings more relaxation while also bringing happiness, making yoga more enjoyable, she said.
This event has been popular over the years, “On average about 50,” Yingling said. “People love the company of goats when doing something that can be difficult like yoga in this case. The cute sight brings more people of all ages out. She said that 4 years old has been the youngest participant, “and we’ve had people in their 80s”, Yingling said.
Yingling keeps her company very family-oriented with everyone’s hands on deck for all events, especially off-site ones.
“Since she started, I was her first instructor,” White said.
Being the first yoga instructor in the company, she describes her first experience as relaxing but stressful as she got distracted by the goats, but most of her friends came to support her and the business.
There are plenty of goats to go around as provided by the family’s farm. “We do one goat for every three people ratio, and we take classes up to 65 people”, Yingling said.
For 30 minutes after the event, participants are welcome to take pictures with their new farm friends.
White, whose day job is a dental hygienist said it is “way better than cleaning teeth all day.”
