{"id":69742,"date":"2019-09-19T18:13:12","date_gmt":"2019-09-20T02:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=69742"},"modified":"2019-09-23T18:44:05","modified_gmt":"2019-09-24T02:44:05","slug":"6-benefits-of-practicing-yoga-with-animals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/6-benefits-of-practicing-yoga-with-animals\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Benefits of Practicing Yoga with Animals"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you\u2019ve ever thought about how to take your downward dog to a\nwhole new level, then have you ever considered bringing your actual dog into\nyour yoga practice? Yes. You read that right. Yoga with animals is a real\nthing! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These days, people are practicing\nyoga with all kinds of animals<\/a>\u2014cats, dogs, goats, horses, even\nbunnies\u2014because it turns out, there are legitimate benefits to being around\njust about any kind of pet while you go through your sun salutations. Here are\n6 reasons to make your yoga routine pet-friendly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Pets Are Always Ready for Physical Activity!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It can be tough to motivate yourself to exercise, especially as\nyou get older and have limited mobility. Regular exercise is important, though,\nespecially\nfor seniors<\/a>. Yoga is a great option for increasing flexibility and strength,\nand a pet just might motivate you to keep up a regular practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A pet is always ready for a fun activity. They\u2019ll probably be excited\nto join in on whatever it is your doing\u2014whether you\u2019re just stretching out or\nreally breaking a sweat. Your furry friend can help encourage you to stay\nactive and incorporate more yoga into your life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. It’s an Excellent Way to Bond With Your Fur Baby<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bonding with your pet is an ongoing\nprocess. When life gets hectic, though, it can sometimes be difficult to make\ntime for activities you can do together. Enter, yoga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While many of the benefits of yoga with\nanimals are for the human\u2019s benefit, the bonding benefits go both ways. Pets\nlearn to trust their caretakers more through yoga practice, which offers a\nrelaxed, focused environment that allows you to nurture your pets and\nstrengthen your relationship with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Yoga Also Benefits Your Pet<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lots of pets struggle with the same problems we do. They can be\nanxious, depressed, hyperactive, or stressed out for any number of reasons. If\nyou\u2019re like most pet owners, you want the best for your furry friend, and you\u2019d\nlove to help them relax and calm down. Yoga can help with behavioral problems\nand make it easier to work through issues your pet may be having. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because it\u2019s a relaxing, trust-building activity, many pets\nrespond very positively to practicing yoga with their people. By focusing on\nbreathing and stretching, anxious animals or those with pent-up energy can calm\ndown and become mellower through yoga. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some pets, like dogs, can more\nactively participate in yoga<\/a> than others, but the benefits can\nextend to a number of different species. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Pets Help You to Remember Self-Care<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Animals are fantastic for promoting\nmental health and well-being. Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) help people with\nall kinds of mental health concerns, including anxiety and depression<\/a>. But any pet can help you remember to practice\nself-care and to prioritize your mental health, including stress-reducing\nactivities like yoga. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pets prioritize their basic needs much\nmore effectively than we do in many cases. A hungry pet will eat and a tired\npet will sleep. They don\u2019t deny themselves of the things they need. It\u2019s a good\nreminder to practice healthy self-care and to prioritize the essentials over\nartificial priorities that could end up harming you in the long run. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Yoga Is Also Great for Your Pet’s Emotional Well-Being<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Because our pets can\u2019t talk, it\u2019s easy to forget that they have\nsimilar emotional needs as us. Yoga can be beneficial for enhancing your pet\u2019s\nemotional well-being by encouraging touch. Touch can activate positive brain\nchemicals in both pets and humans, improving overall well-being and reducing\nstress. And this isn\u2019t only true for dogs\u2014cats can also gain mental health\nbenefits from practicing yoga with you! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. It’s Fun!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most people who practice yoga already\nfind it enjoyable. But add some quality time with your pet, and your practice\ncould go from relaxing and enjoyable to a blast! It\u2019s way more fun to stretch\nout, smile, and cuddle with your pet than it is to veg out on the couch in\nfront of the TV with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips for Practicing Yoga with Animals <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the most important things to\nremember if you want to start practicing yoga with your pet is to make sure\nthey feel comfortable. Some pets will be more engaged and enthusiastic than\nothers and it\u2019s important to respect their boundaries. Take it slow! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if you don\u2019t have a pet of your\nown, you can have fun by taking a goat yoga class or a session at a local\nanimal welfare organization offering dog or cat yoga workshops. It\u2019s a fun way\nto mix up your routine and gain all the benefits of practicing yoga with\nanimals! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve ever thought about how to take your downward dog to a whole new level, then have you ever considered bringing your actual dog into your yoga practice? Yes. You read that right. Yoga with animals is a real … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12656,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[24,210],"tags":[3685,62,274,294],"yoast_head":"\n6 Benefits of Practicing Yoga with Animals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you\u2019ve ever thought about how to take your downward dog to a whole new level, then have you ever considered bringing your actual dog into your yoga practice?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/6-benefits-of-practicing-yoga-with-animals\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" 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