There’ s aerial yoga, hot yoga, even sword yoga( yes, it’ s a thing!). But the yoga we are most excited about is, of course, dog yoga.
“ It’ s so easy to turn yoga time into an opportunity for quality time,” says Michelle Banwell, founder of Downward Dog for Dogs( downwarddogfordogs. com), a yoga-based non-profit raising funds, donations, and awareness for animal shelters.
Whether you’ re practising yoga with your dog simply alongside you, or intentionally guiding them through stretches, the experience can be enriching for both you and your dog( or cat!).
“ At Downward Dog for Dogs, we focus on the former,” Michelle explains.“ But you can always talk to your dog’ s vet or physio about which stretches or exercises could benefit your dog’ s individual needs.”
She adds that in general, dogs love it when we’ re down on the floor at their level.“ So many yoga postures put you in the perfect position to add a little pat or cuddle for your pet.
Relaxation and mindfulness
“ We could really learn something from dogs about being in the present,” explains Michelle.“ When they’ re enjoying time with you, their full attention is engaged in that activity.”
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