If you know our company, you know we’re real. We’re real people. Sometimes we make grammar mistakes in blogs, show a mouse meme when the title is “best rat memes” and run out of product. We sometimes forget to publish things or we forget to make our links go active. So first, I want to thank you for your understanding.
Thank you for your understanding.
I’m by far not a perfect person. And if you’ve read any of my pretty personal blogs, you’ll know that. I struggled (and still do) with grief over my dad’s death. I went to grief counseling. It was alright. It helped. Kind of. But not in that “holy cow” kind of way.
My mom knocked on my door nine months ago. I had no idea she was coming. (She made the nine hour trek from Illinois on a whim.) I answered and she said “you’re going to yoga.” I have no idea why she thought yoga was the answer, but from my first class, I was hooked.
So then, I thought: “Okay. How about combine the two most important things to me, in my life, that help me get up and kill it every day, even if I don’t want to?” The answer? Yoga WITH animals.
And my research began.
I’ll spare you the tedious search engine details of how I found it (unless you want to know, or need help finding a class… reach out to us), but I landed at NamastHay Goat Yoga of Pittsburgh. Goat Yoga. Who would ever have thought?
I watched some Facebook videos, read some reviews, and saw that a portion of the proceeds from the event would go to Two Ladies Four Paws Rescue, a non-profit, foster home based rescue in PA. Everything that they stand for, we stand for, and everything that goat yoga stands for, we stand for. It was like a total home run. And so I went.
Imagine a perfect field with acre upon acre of grass and rolling hills in front of you. That’s what I drove up to. I walked about a half mile to get to the spot, and when I put my mat down on the sun-soaked grass (it was muddy, too; Pittsburgh actually gets more inches of rain annually than Seattle), I melted.
There were probably fifty goats. And when we started class, a little one was jumping next to me. And again, I melted. (Not because of the 80 degree weather and my feet sinking into the mud (literally), but because I had goats doing yoga with me.)
Animals are therapy. They don’t need to talk to make you feel better. They just need to look at you. And for you to look at them. Touch them. Feel their energy and their love.
We don’t have goat products, obviously. But ANY animal provides serious comfort when you need it. Rabbits do. Cavies do. Chins do. Rats do. Hamsters do. Mice do. Gerbils do. Cats do. Dogs do. Heck, even iguanas do.
You didn’t have to be an expert to go. (The guy to my left actually asked if he could hold my shoulder to balance on me for tree pose. Of course I said yes… while a goat knocked me over. Sorry, guy.) You just had to want peace. And have a love of animals. And know that, regardless of the situation you’re in, or what you’re dealing with, it would be a day of happiness, inside and out.
Some of the proceeds from the event went to Two Ladies Four Paws Rescue, and over $1,000 dollars were raised. And that’s a cause we’re totally down with.
Goat yoga might be out of the box. But we’re kinda out of the box people. Life isn’t really about what you do, but why you do it. And at this point in mine, I embrace my “why.” Why? Because of my 19 year old rescue mutt, Harold, who I’ve had for 18 years. (Happy national rescue dog day on May 20, by the way!) Because of my three year old cat, Luke. Because of my two rescue bunnies who poop on the carpet and I don’t even care that I have to vacuum at least three times a day. And because of my fish, Sam, who also deserves some love.
So when I said I’d gone to grief counseling and it was alright. It helped. Kind of. But not in that “holy cow” way.
Going to goat yoga was my “holy cow” way. And as much as people absolutely can help us… animals can, too. Just as much.
