Yoga’s going to the cats, literally

Do you love yoga? Do you love cats? If you answered yes to both of these questions, then we are about to make your day. That’s because we want to share with you a little knowledge on a growing trend that is starting to gain more recognition across the world. That trend is cat yoga, and it is purr-fect if you want to do yoga and have cats around. In fact, we would even dare to say that it’s the cat’s meow.

Believe it or not, cat yoga has actually been around for a while now, but it has gained a lot of attention over the past few weeks as Instagram photos have begun to circulate of two popular cat cafes offering yoga classes. At the moment, over 30,000 pictures on Instagram have the hashtag “catyoga”, and you will now see pictures of various people doing yoga with cats around.

Before we get into the basics of cat yoga, we should probably mention a few things first. For instance, if you are allergic to cats, you should avoid cat yoga as it will not cure this condition. If you don’t like cats, or yoga for that matter, combining the two is equally unlikely to make either one more enjoyable for you.

With that out of the way, let’s get to the details of just what in the name of Garfield cat yoga really is.

What is cat yoga?

Cat yoga is doing yoga with a cat or cats around you. It’s more or less that simple. You do not force the cat to join in or perform any poses of its own. You do your yoga, the cat will do its own thing. That’s cat yoga.

What does the cat add to yoga?

Having a cat around will certainly make your yoga session more interesting. By letting the cat interact with you, you add a new dynamic to the yoga equation. You will constantly be kept on your toes because, let’s face it, you never know what a cat will do.

Does cat yoga have any benefits?

It all depends on how much value you place on spending time with cats. Realistically speaking, there is no advantage of doing cat yoga over regular yoga. However, if you enjoy spending time with your feline friends, the benefits are endless.

Where can I do cat yoga?

At the moment there are cat yoga classes in New York City, Washington DC, London, and Sydney. Given the growing popularity of cat cafes and cat yoga, it looks as if this is a trend that could carry on into 2016 and beyond.

Is it possible to do cat yoga at home?

Yep. If you have a cat and a yoga mat, you have the tools of the cat yoga trade.

Do I interact with the cat during cat yoga?

No. You should be focused on completing your poses and going through your movements as normal. Let the cat do as it pleases, and work around it should your furry companion decide to get comfortable on your mat or start pawing at your leg.

Do cats like cat yoga?

For one reason or another, cats seem to be intrigued by a person practicing yoga. When it comes to cats, we feel as if “like” is a strong word, but we will say they don’t seem to hate it – which is fairly high praise when coming from a cat.

When should I consider doing cat yoga?

Cat yoga is perfect if you find yourself stressed and maybe focusing too hard. Sometimes during yoga we are liable to hold onto thoughts or ideas, especially negative ones, that can cause us to become tense. Having a cat around can provide a pleasant distraction, which just might brighten your mood and allow you to focus on more positive energy during your yoga routine.

Cat or no cat, we love yoga more than a kitty loves a ball of yarn. You could even say yoga is like catnip to us. If you want to learn more about yoga classes, give us a call. We promise to have you feline good.