Release. Relax. Reset. That’s what most people imagine when going to a yoga class. Yoga helps get rid of stress, reset minds, and allows people to find and enjoy their inner peace. However, that becomes harder when a bunch of wild and cute puppies are added to the mix. Instead of silence, there’s laughter. Instead of getting the full reset in a traditional sense, puppy yoga offers something a lot better: pure, unfiltered happiness.
Senior Grant Benner walked into a yoga studio, mats neatly aligned and spread out everywhere yet that was only one moment of stillness. Once the puppies ran into the room, it was clear who became the stars of the class, not the instructor, but the puppies. Seeing as it was Benner’s first time, it was better than he thought it would be. Though for him, it was really hard to do any actual yoga, to him, the class was more about playing with the puppies than actually doing yoga. Downward dog becomes downward giggle as tiny paws run across the room, curious eyes staring at you, and the most precious barks echoing throughout the room. Yoga went all out the window when a puppy came up to Grant and sat down on his lap. For him, playing with the dogs was definitely the best part. He spent the rest of the session laughing, smiling, and petting. He made sure to soak up all the joy that only a puppy can bring. “I’d definitely recommend this class, money well spent,” Grant Benner said.
Just as Benner fell for the puppy charm so did junior Francie Herring. When Herring walked into the studio and saw all those puppies, the same thought occurred to her: no actual yoga would be getting done. Francie did 2 poses until she gave up, then it was all about the puppies! A few people in the class had two to three puppies on their lap, or the instructors would just come over and place a puppy on someone’s lap. As she was surrounded by so many puppies, she thought back to her adorable puppy, Otis, a black lab at home, and the idea of doing yoga with Otis crossed her mind a few times. “Otis wouldn’t like that at all. If I tried that with him, he would probably jump on me and tackle me,” Francie Herring said. “However, there it was honestly the best kind of chaos”.
Puppy yoga can be a great way to reset, relieve stress, and get a dose of puppy cuteness. A great way to end a puppy yoga session is to be surrounded by wagging tails, laughter, and the warm, fuzzy feeling that can only come from a room of puppies.
