Sammamish goat yoga maintains WA animal sanctuary

Goat yoga for a great cause

If you're looking for a good stretch, a smile, and maybe even a snuggle, there's a local yoga class that has you covered.

RENTON, Wash. - If you’re looking for a good stretch, a smile and maybe even a snuggle, there’s a Renton yoga class that has you covered. It’s at the Sammamish Animal Sanctuary where the guest instructors have four legs and a whole lot of personality, and it’s all for a great cause.

The sanctuary is home to chickens, roosters, horses, pigs, donkeys and goats, just to name a few.

"Once an animal comes here, they are here for the remainder of their life," Sanctuary manager Jennifer Nill said.

Big picture view:

This sanctuary, though, is not just a peaceful place for animals; it’s a place where people can do yoga: Goat Yoga.

Eleven goats make up this goat yoga class, each one with their own personality, including ‘Jack the Licker!’

The Sammamish Animal Sanctuary has been doing goat yoga for three years, but this year they started an evening class, so people could go after work.

Benjamin Mills is a yoga and functional movement coach for Practical Empowerment. He told FOX 13, in his class, they’re working with the energy of the goats. "This is not a strict format class…it’s more like play with the goats, enjoy your class, breathe and have your own goat meditation," Mills said.

Another part of the experience?

"Welcome to goat yoga, you’ve been blessed by poop," Mills said as he was instructing a class.

In a single class, the goats might nibble your hair, crawl on you, and sometimes they even do yoga!

What they're saying:

"It’s enrichment for them, they get to come out and meet new people and if you’re Jack you get to lick someone new," Nill said.

"It was a lot of fun, it was a lot of fun," Kelsey Sauve said. FOX 13 caught up with her as she tried Goat Yoga for the first time.

"You have to do it," Sauve said. "It’s a lot of fun, at least do it once, but once you do it once, you’re going to want to do it again."

Melissa Conde had always wanted to try goat yoga and loved every minute of it.

"They were not shy at all," Conde said. "I liked when the goats would come up to you and they would lick you, sometimes in unexpected places!"

With every lick, those who attend the class help the sanctuary as well.

"All the proceeds for goat yoga go directly to us here at the sanctuary," Nill said. "So, feedings, veterinary care, any kind of property care that we need to do."

"Our class is at the animal sanctuary versus just bringing in a bunch of baby goats just for the purpose of goat yoga," Mills said. "Here we’re supporting a whole environment of animals that are all rescued and sheltered and so all the donations go directly to supporting this community here."

The classes happen every Tuesday.

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