TRENDING: #goatyoga


TRENDING: #aerialyoga Kids Can Fly High


with Aerial Yoga by Sheila Julson


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Goat Yoga is a Hit by Sheila Julson


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ultivating higher consciousness becomes a little more in- teresting when adorable, cuddly goats get involved. During


goat yoga, goats are brought in to roam among class participants, providing a lighthearted and fun approach to yoga. “It’s a popular trend,” says Rachael Phillips, who formed GOGA Goat Yoga with her fiancé, Trey Kitchen, in September 2017. “We’re starting to see goat yoga pop up all over the country.” Teir classes attract both beginners and seasoned yoga practi-


tioners looking for something a little different. “Goat yoga is great for beginners who have never done yoga before. Te goats make it a little less intimidating, and it’s not a super-serious yoga class,” notes Phillips. Instructors at GOGA Goat Yoga’s vinyasa classes lead participants


through the poses while the goats walk around, playfully jumping on the participants or welcoming cuddles. Phillips brings in socialized pygmy Nigerian dwarf goats—one of the smallest breeds—raised by Kitchen’s mother, Roxie Banker, who has a ranch in Hamilton County. Phillips occasionally hears misconceptions that goats are


mean or that they will eat anything in sight. “Our goats have been around people since they were born. Tey might walk up to you and nibble on your mat, but they don’t have top front teeth,” Phil- lips explains. “Tey just kind of nibble on things and move on.” Phillips came up with the concept for GOGA Goat Yoga aſter a


visit to Banker’s ranch. As a yoga practitioner, she had heard of goat yoga and thought about incorporating Banker’s goats into a yoga fundraiser. Shortly aſterward, Hurricane Harvey slammed the Hous- ton area and several of Phillips’ friends and relatives were affected. She arranged a goat yoga fundraiser to raise money for the vic-


tims, and later another for Hurricane Irma victims, and donated 100 percent of the proceeds to those causes. Both events sold out quickly, and Phillips and Kitchen realized goat yoga could be a viable business. GOGA Goat Yoga offers several classes during two weekends


per month at Lamar Union. Tey recently opened a second location in the Hill Country Galleria, where they plan to offer goat yoga twice per month, with traditional yoga—sans goats—during the week.


GOGA Goat Yoga is located at 1100 S. Lamar Blvd., in Austin, and 12700 Hill Country Blvd., in Bee Cave. For more information, email GOGAGoatYoga@gmail.com or visit GOGA.Yoga.


September 2018 17


erial yoga involves colorful, high-density nylon hammocks sus- pended from a ceiling, providing a unique opportunity for not


just adults, but also kids to bring out their inner acrobat. As aerial yoga gains popularity, Laurie Hebert is ready to teach kids this fun type of yoga where they also learn discipline and mindfulness. Hebert, along with Lindsey Lieneck, at Yogapeutics, with whom


Hebert studied aerial yoga teacher training, were both occupational therapists that had worked with many children with sensory process- ing issues. “Tese kids need a lot of movement and they can’t sit still; the hammocks are a great way to get them to focus because they’re getting the sensory input their bodies are craving,” Hebert says. With aerial yoga, Hebert teaches kids to use the hammock


as a prop for warm-up poses like downward dog. “Tey always have a point of contact with the floor to start,” she explains. “Aſter the warm-up, the kids learn poses that allow them to be in the air, either upside-down, upright or even sideways. Sequencing the steps to get into each pose is a great way to challenge their motor and executive functioning skills.” Hebert also has the kids do a mindfulness lesson or activ-


ity, such as an experiment or a game to learn concepts such as gratitude, perspective and mindful breathing. Te class ends with meditation through guided imagery while the kids are still in the hammock. “We use essential oils such as lemon oil as the kids imagine they’re under a lemon tree,” Hebert says, “Or they imagine they’re on a magic carpet, and we’ll lightly swing the hammock.” Hebert works with children ages 4 and up, and she offers


one-on-one private sessions. She has gotten good feedback from parents that say their kids had tried other extracurricular activi- ties but loved aerial yoga the most, because it’s so novel. “A lot of kids I work with have emotional trauma, and now


that my career is evolving, I feel like I’m making more of a differ- ence and preparing kids to better handle life’s pitfalls,” says Hebert.


For more information, call Laurie Hebert at 225-772-5530 or email LHAerialYoga@gmail.com.


photo courtesy of Laurie Hebert


photo courtesy of GOGA Goat Yoga


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