Goat Yoga is the Weirdest Fitness Trend Sweeping Washington
The latest yoga craze now has an outpost in the Seattle area.
By Caroline Craighead August 16, 2017
This article originally appeared in the August 2017 issue of Seattle magazine.
Washington is no stranger to the goat craze. After all, we have our very own Instagram celebrity goats.
But if you love animals and yoga, you might want to try the latest fitness trend: goat yoga. According to a recent article in Time, classes in goat yoga have been selling out from Ohio to Arizona, and have now arrived in Washington at a number of venues.
The practice combines the therapeutic aspects of animal companionship with yoga, says Amanda Leone, owner and director of The Wobbly Ranch (Snohomish, 7022 153rd Ave. SE), which began offering classes in May. “Mostly people come to reconnect with nature,” says Leone.
The ranch, a private sanctuary for rescued goats that started in 2015, has been home to goats like Trippy, the “tripod” goat who passed away a year ago but inspired the ranch’s name. All proceeds from the classes help the ranch rescue more goats from situations of abuse or neglect.
Classes ($30–$35) are held in a pasture (though occasional Golden Gardens field trips have been made) and include one hour of practicing poses and another hour of goat petting and cuddling. During the class, the goats meander around the mats, munching on grass and interacting with (and sometimes on) attendees.
“I practice yoga in the pasture all the time and know how healing the goats are,” says Leone.
With four instructors, the classes are open to every level of expertise, including a child-friendly class, making this playful practice a perfect fit for the kids—animal and human alike.
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