Puppy yoga is the new craze in health and wellbeing, and we are totally behind it. Could there be anything more relaxing and fulfilling than doing a downward dog with an actual dog right by your side? We think not.
Whether you’re a yoga fanatic looking for a new twist on your workout or have never stepped onto a yoga mat in your life, puppy yoga is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Similar to Mom and Baby yoga, yoga with your dog or puppy provides a special opportunity to connect and bond with your loved one.
To help you decide whether puppy yoga is for you, we’re running through what happens during a dog yoga (doga) class and highlighting some of the top benefits of yoga with your dog. Take a look at everything you wanted to know to get you prepped for your first class.
Yoga With Your Dog – What Is Puppy Yoga?
If you’ve never tried doga before, we understand that it can be a little strange-sounding. Yoga is hard enough, let alone adding dogs into the mix! However, the added puppy element brings warmth and joy to your yoga flow and allows you to connect with another conscious animal.
Puppy yoga is essentially just yoga, but with a gorgeous little pup by your side. For those of you who are serious yogis, you might not like the idea of making your practice a little more adventurous, but for those willing to try yoga with a dog, it’s definitely sure to make you giggle as you stretch out your body.
What Are The Benefits Of Puppy Yoga?
Puppy Yoga has so many benefits beyond just making you laugh and feel all fuzzy inside. Studies have proven that just 10 minutes with a dog can significantly impact your mood by reducing stress levels. When this puppy-powered mood boost is coupled with yoga, your body and mind feel amazing!
Yoga is also a fantastic stress buster and can help increase your sense of calm. Those who practice regularly will know the sense of harmony that comes when the mind and body work in synchrony and that’s no different in puppy yoga. Yoga has also been proven to have incredible benefits for the body and when you practice dog yoga you reap those benefits too! Research has shown that yoga improves flexibility, increases muscle strength and tone and can even aid weight reduction.
And let’s not forget the benefits for our dog pals too! It’s wonderful for them to feel some love and have some human interaction and it helps with their development. Any puppy that will be growing up within a family environment will need plenty of practice around people, so puppy yoga is amazing for them. They also get the chance to interact with other puppies, which can be great for their development and very, very cute for all involved.
How To Do Puppy Yoga
Puppy yoga couldn’t be more simple, and although the focus is still on form, to avoid injury it’s always quite relaxed. As with any yoga, you are encouraged to be mindful of your own body and take the class in stages, but with a yoga instructor, you can’t really go wrong. Puppy yoga is a more relaxed and chilled out version of yoga, with plenty of breaks to pet the pups.
Regardless of whether you do yoga at the moment, puppy yoga is a great way to get into yoga. If you don’t feel comfortable practicing you can always enjoy child’s pose and pet a puppy with absolutely no judgment. For a more in-depth understanding of dog yoga, check out Doga: Yoga For You And Your Dog by U.K.-based yoga instructor Mahny Djahanguiri.
Top Reasons To Try Puppy Yoga
There are so many reasons to enjoy yoga with your dog, but here are our picks of the top reasons you should get into your leggings and give it a go:
- Fitness: Yoga is amazing for the body and puppy yoga can be a great way to get into fitness in a lighthearted and un-intimidating environment.
- Mental wellbeing: Whether you like yoga or not, being around puppies is sure to increase your happiness and make you feel warm and content.
- Meeting people: Is there any better ice breaker than having a puppy steal your sock or fall asleep on your mat during puppy yoga? It’s a great way to meet a community of like-minded pup lovers just like you.
- Puppy wellbeing: Puppies love cuddles too, and puppy yoga is a great opportunity for them to get out of their normal environment and meet new people.
Dog yoga can be an amazing way to work out, make friends and feel balanced and content. Given the popularity of yoga in Canada, it’s no surprise that Canadians already love puppy yoga. with lots of opportunities to enjoy yoga with a puppy all around you, there’s no better time to get involved. If you’d rather stick to yoga without your dog, you can find great companionship and love for your dog from one of our Rover sitters while you attend class. If you don’t have a dog but are thinking about getting one, check out these puppy resources or consider learning more about dog adoption.