Puppy love
AROUND 15 pet owners with their puppies have gathered in SM Downtown Premier’s 5th floor as Anytime Fitness, a 24-hour global fitness and health club, organized a yoga retreat for puppies last Saturday, September 22, celebrating the National Yoga Month.
Dubbed as Puppy Love in September, the yoga retreat for puppies is an event wherein the pet owners do yoga together with their puppies, showing that exercising and being fit and healthy does not only apply to humans but also to pets.
“It’s like educating our people that we can do exercise not only sa atin lang, by ourselves, we can also extend with the cooperation of our pets,” Christian Galarrita, the club manager of Anytime Fitness, said.
“It’s more enjoyable, it’s fun, and I think engaging with pet helps lower your blood [pressure], nakakagaan sya, and it also gives you a healthy heart. You’re exercising and at the same time enjoying with your best friend,” he added.
The idea for the event came to be, according to Galarrita, when he noted some of the members of Anytime Fitness sometimes do yoga with their pets.
“Sometimes, I saw them nag yo-yoga sila with their dogs, with their puppies, so ‘Ah, ok, why not we make a monthly event, why not try to include these activities, and highlight them to the public?’” Galarrita said.
Also a fellow dog owner, Galarrita said dogs can be helpful to a person’s health.
“If you’re a pet lover or a dog lover, mag e-extend ang life mo. It’s like magic, there’s something in the dog that it gives you happiness,” he said.
The yoga retreat for puppies was led by the club’s yoga teacher, Jennifer Villagonzalo, who does yoga with her puppy Renren, a Shih Tzu.
“This is my first time to handle a yoga class with the puppies. But I have a pet, a Shih Tzu. So every time I practice yoga at home, he’s always with me everyday,” Villagonzalo said.
As it was her first time doing puppy yoga with a group of dog owners, Villagonzalo said she had apprehensions, thinking that the dogs might feel uncomfortable in doing yoga with their owners in an open space inside the mall which may result to them trying to bite or hurt someone.
“I had apprehensions but then, it just happened like that, it was nice, and the dogs were cooperative maybe because they see their owners were comfortable and they know their owners,” Villagonzalo said.
Galarrita, for his part, expressed amazement when he saw how Villagonzalo led the pet owners and their puppies in doing yoga poses.
“Na surprise ako kasi I thought hindi sya kayang i-control. But then I was so happy na our teacher, Jen, was able to facilitate properly,” Galarrita said.
“I’m so happy na naka execute and proud, and participants natin very participative talaga. Kung ano ang instructions ni teacher Jen, they were there to support and they’re executing properly,” he added.
National Yoga Month is a national observance and awareness campaign held during the month of September to educate about the health benefits of yoga and to inspire healthy lifestyle.