Baaa-lance and bliss: Arizona’s 4 best goat yoga experiences

Imagine staring into rectangular pupils or having a baby goat hopping on your back while doing downward dog. If this sounds silly to you, you may be surprised to learn that this practice has actually become quite popular in the last 8 years.

Goat yoga takes the stress relief benefits of yoga and mixes that with the benefits of animal stress relief; so this may be the perfect practice to unwind from the constant call of our modern world.

If you’re still wondering what goat yoga even is, it is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: practicing yoga while in the presence of cute little goats!

Most popular things in life typically come with a little bit of controversy, and goat yoga definitely has its share of drama (the goats must have missed the memo that the drama should be saved for the llama!).

For example, it isn’t clear who started the practice. A workout guru from Gilbert claims to have started the trend in 2015 when she was featured on “American Ninja Warrior” training with — you guessed it — goats. Another farmer in Oregon claims to have started it post-divorce and has been interviewed by big-name news sources about her launch of the trend.

Neither person owns a trademark, though, because, well, can you imagine the words “goat yoga” being trademark-able? Our Arizona local gets to use the title “Goat Yoga” and the Oregon rival uses the title “Original Goat Yoga.” Both drive their points home.

Regardless of who started the craze, this quirky form of yoga just might be what you need to de-stress. As an added bonus, you might find that their little hooves feel like a massage while you stretch.

If you are interested in finding out if this innovative practice is for you, here’s where you can kid around, do some yoga, and experience the glory of goats in Arizona. (Note: a baby goat is called a kid, so that line was silly.)

Arizona Goat Yoga

Where: Gilbert
Price: $20 for drop-in classes

Photo courtesy of Goat Yoga Arizona via Facebook.

If you live anywhere within the Phoenix metropolitan area, this is the Goat Yoga that (potentially) started it all.

Run by two women, April Gould and Sarah Williams, Arizona Goat Yoga has been providing goat yoga practice in the area since 2016 as a result of April’s training with goats for “American Ninja Warrior” (I love watching this fitness show while shoveling hoards of snacks into my face, a perfect juxtaposition). They have been featured on several national shows, including “Ozzy and Jack’s World Tour,” “Ellen’s Game of Games,” and “The Amazing Race.”

Regardless of their position as pioneers of the practice, show some local love and check out their Gilbert-based Goat Yoga practice.

Baby Goat Yoga at Mesquite Meadows

Where: Waddell
Price: $33 for a drop-in classes

Photo courtesy of Mesquite Meadows via Facebook.

If you are more local to the West Valley of the Phoenix area, check out Baby Goat Yoga at Mesquite Meadows. They have their focus on snuggle asana, which is simply practicing yoga while little goats love on ya. It is $33 for drop-in classes with limited class dates. The name of the farm, Mesquite Meadows, also holds the promise of seeing some beautiful Saguaros. Talk about a local’s haven. 

Lil Goat Town

Where: Queen Creek
Price: $100 deposit, varies based on group

Photo courtesy of Lil Goat Town via Facebook.

Although it’s yet another Goat Yoga practice in Maricopa County, Lil Goat Yoga is a little different. These Queen Creek residents fell into the practice by chance when their daughter wanted a goat. They ended up purchasing two and the family and kids fell in love. After some time, the herd grew, they shipped in 20 tons of sand to their HOA-free property, and beach goat yoga was born.

Classes are every Saturday, or you can opt for a more private experience. With a minimum of 5 people and a $100 deposit, you can experience a two-hour session complete with yoga, mats,  goats, and sand. Every participant leaves with a bar of goat’s milk soap, so the pampering can continue long after the experience.

Goats of Tucson (G.O.T.)

Where: Tucson
Price: $25 for 1 hour classes

Photo courtesy of GOT Yoga Goats of Tucson via Facebook.

Goats of Tucson is the only publicly offered Arizona goat yoga class outside of Maricopa County. This Tucson-based goat yoga takes place nearly every Saturday and Sunday and is led by a certified yoga instructor, deemed “the Mary Poppins of yoga” for her cheery disposition. This begs the question: is the outdoor practice, the goats, or the instructor’s persona what leaves people feeling warm and sunny?

This is a great place for those new to the practice, as goats are introduced before each session to give participants insight into what it’s like having a goat jump on your back while working out!

Why not give it a go(at)?

It is no surprise that Phoenix, the city of transplants, and Tucson, the second largest city in Arizona,  should be the hopping spots for goat yoga. There are just more people around who are willing to try the latest fitness trends, desperately needing new forms of stress relief from the hustle and bustle of busy city life.

With almost a decade of practice, goat yoga seems to be here to stay, and that speaks volumes about its effectiveness. So grab your mat, put on your leggings, and get ready to destress and kid around with some goat yoga. (Again, that line was silly!).

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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