Trying Out Goat Yoga in Los Angeles

TRYING OUT GOAT YOGA IN LOS ANGELES

Living in Orange County and being so close to LA, I have heard of and seen many unusual things. I mean, let’s be honest, Los Angeles is basically the hometown of the craziest new “trends.” But when one of my girlfriends reached out and asked if I was interested in trying out Goat Yoga, it was clear to me that I was nowhere near to the point where I have seen it all.

The spots for this unusual fitness class were filling quickly, so we had to purchase our tickets ASAP.  The $26 we paid included a one-hour Yoga class plus an additional 30 minutes where participants could take pictures and hang out with the goats.  To me, this price was very reasonable and averaged many other workout studio prices.

I was so excited when my friend told me we were “in” and was counting the days to the event.  This past Sunday, it was finally happening!  The location was in a pretty hip neighborhood of LA, close to West Hollywood and Paramount Studios.  The event didn’t take place in a “usual” Yoga studio- it was actually an art studio, with paint stains all over the floor and art pieces on the walls.

While we were driving past the studio, we saw the event coordinators walking in with two of the three goats that would accompany us during class. OH. MY. GOODNESS!  They looked so adorable! My heart already exploded while still being in the car, and I couldn’t wait to set foot into that studio.

Before we were able to do so, we had to sign a waiver outside and make sure that we were on the guest list.  But once we checked that off, we made our way inside and were instantly confronted with cuteness overload.  There they were, three little goats, wearing tiny socks on their front hooves, roaming around the room.

My girlfriend and I placed our Yoga mats on the floor before we securely put our purses, shoes etc. on an elevated space so that the goats couldn’t reach it.  Now we were finally ready to socialize with the goats.  One of them was a three-month-old baby that just wanted to lie in peoples’ laps and get cuddles.  It was so cute to watch how it would just sit there, eyes closed, and get in all the pets.

The class started shortly after 10 a.m.  While we were starting our practice in Child’s Pose, the goats started to hop on our backs. The first time it happened, it caught me by surprise and I let out a loud “Ah.”  It didn’t hurt; it was just very unusual and kind of felt like a massage.  While we stayed in this position, the goats kept hopping from person to person, and laughter filled the room.

People were taking photos and just having a good time.  This was definitely not your regular Yoga class, and if you’d expected to get an intense workout in, this event was not the right place.  The goats were so distracting, but not in a negative way.

It was hard to focus on the flow when three goats were running through your legs while you were in the Warrior Two position.  I loved it!  Give me all the animals, and I am a happy camper.

After an hour of “working out,” it was picture time.  The organizers put a mat in one corner of the room, and we could take photos and videos with the goats.  They gave us banana chips to put between our lips for the goats to take (only if we were up for it- and of course I was!) and let us do poses where the goats could hop on us.

In review, I can definitely say that this event was worth the money to me.  Like I mentioned before, you might not be able to receive the full benefits of Yoga that you would during a “normal” class, but this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Los Angeles will probably never cease to amaze me, and I am looking forward to what else is there to come.

Images: Anne-Kathrin Schulte 

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 Anne-Kathrin Schulte is a contributor for CaliforniaGermans.com. She writes about her personal experience of the American Dream as well as about working as an au pair in CA. She was born and grew up in Düsseldorf, Germany, where she completed her degree as a state-approved Kindergarten teacher. After her au pair engagement in the US and a quick return to Germany, she decided to attend university in California and moved back to the United States. She has been living in Southern California since 2011.

If you would like to contact Anne-Kathrin, please send an email to californiagermans(at)gmail.com and place her name in the subject line.

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