Pet yoga classes, as the name implies, involve cute puppies or kittens roaming from one yoga mat to the next, cuddling with participants, and playing with other puppies or kittens while you move, flow, and breathe. The puppies are occasionally involved in some of the yoga poses, but usually, they are free to roam the room.
The puppies or kittens may be obtained from a local animal shelter or the yoga class may cooperate with local breeders, depending on the program. If the puppies come from a shelter, they have a better chance of being adopted.
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In many parts of the world, you can even do yoga with goats, butterflies, pigs, or even llamas!
The Benefits of Having a Purr-Fect Yoga Partner
Granted, you won’t be able to perfect your poses in this class, but can you really deny yourself the happiness of petting a cute animal? I think not.
Science can back this up. Having a dog can decrease your risk of death and increase your lifespan (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Dog Ownership and Survival: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Go to source). While cats can decrease your risk of death from heart disease by 30% (2✔ ✔Trusted Source
Cat ownership and the Risk of Fatal Cardiovascular Diseases. Results from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Study Mortality Follow-up Study
Go to source).
Spending time with pets has been linked to decreased stress and anxiety and increased happiness (3✔ ✔Trusted Source
Paws for Thought: A Controlled Study Investigating the Benefits of Interacting with a House-Trained Dog on University Students Mood and Anxiety
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Go to source). Even during the pandemic, people who had pets faced lesser psychological effects of COVID-19 and reported feeling more socially supported (4✔ ✔Trusted Source
Depression, anxiety, and happiness in dog owners and potential dog owners during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
Go to source).
So go ahead and book that pet yoga class. You’re sure to leave the class happy and energized and maybe you could take a furry friend back home.
References :
- Dog Ownership and Survival: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis – (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31592726/)
- Cat ownership and the Risk of Fatal Cardiovascular Diseases. Results from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Study Mortality Follow-up Study – (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22518240/)
- Paws for Thought: A Controlled Study Investigating the Benefits of Interacting with a House-Trained Dog on University Students Mood and Anxiety – (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31640244/)
- Depression, anxiety, and happiness in dog owners and potential dog owners during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States – (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34910761/)
Source: Medindia
