Deep breathing, stretching and pet therapy rolled into one—sounds like the perfect remedy for a world that continues to feel upended. Welcome to goat yoga at Old Rusty Gate Farm.
Participants come from around Louisiana and even southern Mississippi to attend the occasional classes. Yoga instructor Kristy Craig opens by inviting everyone to get comfy on their mats, explaining how goat yoga works.
It’s not complicated.
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Throughout the traditional yoga class, cute Nubian dairy goats that live on the farm walk among you, sometimes sitting on your mat or nuzzling your face. The goats don’t actually do yoga, although they can be held on your back as you perform a plank or cat-cow pose. The magic simply lies in being around the cuddly creatures, who are friendly, funny and comfortable with people.
The class is the brainchild of Sophia Allen, 17, and her mom, Sarah. It stemmed from Sophia’s longtime hobby of raising and showing goats in 4-H competitions. A few years ago, as goat yoga was trending in some parts of the country, the family decided to host their first goat yoga class. They recruited Craig, an instructor at Ztime Fitness in Walker, to teach it. They donated the proceeds to a church fundraiser. Today, the microenterprise helps Sophia care for her herd, which now includes 11 Nubian dairy goats. She also makes goat milk soap.
Goat yoga classes take place outdoors under a pavilion at the family farm every few months. They’re designed to be accessible to beginners.
As Craig guides participants through movements and poses, the goats mill about, interacting with the humans in cute and unexpected ways. As attendees ease themselves into Downward Facing Dog, for example, they might be met with a goat kiss.
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“It’s really beautiful to watch the whole thing take place,” Sarah Allen says. “People don’t realize how therapeutic it is.”
The next class will be held in April in time for Easter. “We may even throw some rabbits in there,” she says.
This article was originally published in the March 2022 issue of 225 magazine.