Azusa Pacific brought goat yoga to east campus in honor of dead week.
On Thursday, April 20 Azusa Pacific offered a free goat yoga class for thirty students. APU’s Campus Life and Party Goats LA put on an hour-long beginner yoga class. Students were instructed to bring yoga mats and long sleeves as the goats would be up close and personal.
The class began with an introduction of the two goats, Doc and Gizmo. Both weighing about 60- 70 pounds each, the goats were trained to help deepen students’ stretch while offering fun interactions.
With peaceful music playing in the background on the campus life lawn, it created a beautiful atmosphere. In rows of three, students were able to embrace all that the class had to offer. The goats went to each student offering assistance to each pose. While in downward dog, the goats put their front legs on the students’ legs. Some positions even allowed for the goats to run in between legs!
Both Doc and Gizmo were well trained as they understood how to shake and even knew how to smile at students. They say if a goat pees on you, you have good luck. One lucky student had a goat urinate right on the back of her mat. One student even got more luck when the goat started to poop. Luckily, Gizmo and Doc are on pellet diets so the way it comes is the way it goes. The luck is just in time for finals!
While goat yoga offers a fun way for students to interact, it also helps with stress levels. With the end of the spring semester and finals right around the corner, this was a perfect option to help fight off that stress. Both yoga and interacting with animals help lower hormone cortisol levels, which is responsible for stress.
Yoga itself helps with lowering blood pressure and clearing your mind as you focus on breathing. It also helps with flexibility, and with the goats standing on your back or even pushing a little on your leg, it can allow for a deeper, more thorough stretch of the muscles.
Goat yoga was started in 2016 by Oregon farm owner Lainey Morse. She started off hosting times when guests could come and hang out with the goats for fun. Her friend Heather Davies came to one of the events and offered to teach yoga during this time. From there the trend of goat yoga took off and is now offered in multiple states.
After the class, all students were welcome to come and interact with the goats just like in Morse’s original idea. Students could take pictures, pet and even do a yoga pose. Overall, the students loved the goats and would welcome Gizmo and Doc anytime.