When someone says cat yoga, I bet you automatically picture a cat doing yoga. What a great thing to imagine; can you picture it? A wonderful, furry creature in the ironic pose 'downward dog.' Well, at least that's what I imagined when my roommate started talking about cat yoga.
Please refrain from picturing your cat in warrior, because that would be physically impossible, and also that is not what I'm talking about. I am talking about going to a yoga studio and doing some calming yoga practice with a bunch of cats roaming around, ready to find some homies. How interesting is that? As soon as I heard about this, I needed to know more immediately. So, I did what any 20-something-year-old would do when they wanted to know more about something. I Googled it, and after scrolling through endless photos of adorable cats doing yoga poses and actually finding a calendar of cats doing yoga poses, I finally found more information on it, and I'm ready to share it with the world.
According to Bored Panda, a yoga studio in Decatur, Illinois invited six adult cats to join one of their yoga classes last June. The cats roamed around the studio while classes were being held so potential adoptees had a chance to interact with the felines outside of the shelter. The event was so successful they were able to raise more than $500 for Homeward Bound, the no-kill shelter the cats were from. One of the cats was even adopted after the event.
Illinois isn't the only place who has welcomed cats into their yoga studios. The Catmosphere Cat Cafe in Sydney, Australia offers yoga sessions with cats, along with a lot of other cool things. These yoga sessions are 45 minutes long and are followed by a 15 minute long cuddle session. This only costs $25 and are totally worth taking a small trip to Australia for. If that isn't the best thing you've heard all day, you must be hearing a lot of great things.
Yes, yoga in itself is very relaxing. Throw some fluffy, purring, and cute cats into the mix and it's even more relaxing. According to Professor Sir Cary Cooper, professor of organizational psychology at Manchester Business School, "They don't get rid of the sources of your problem. There is chronic stress, where you're stressed out by something substantial, such as a bullying boss at work. But there's also temporary, acute stress, like an exam, or a very busy week. Having a kitten could help with the latter." Cats can't solve all of our problems, but they sure can help us take a break from our stressful lives and do some yoga poses.
