This yoga won’t get your goat
For The Oklahoman
A billy goat walks casually underneath Leah Nevills and Jackie Palmer, of Edmond, as they progress into downward dog during a recent yoga session.
The 26-year-olds were among more than 900 yogis surrounded by goats during a recent Garden Goat Yoga session at the Myriad Botanical Gardens.
“We’re just here to have fun and play with the goats,” Palmer said.
About 20 young goats roamed a covered pen where free yoga classes were held on the great lawn to celebrate the roll out of Oklahoma’s Billy Goat Ice Cream Co. into Sprouts stores statewide.
The ice cream company was founded by Oklahoma State University alumni in Stillwater in 2014 and uses goat milk among its all-natural ingredients for a healthier ice cream, owner RaShaun Robinson said.
Event organizers called the festival Oklahoma City’s first goat yoga experience — a trend that is sweeping the nation from rural farms to urban yoga studios.
Instructors from Balance. Yoga. Barre. led 30-minute sessions throughout the morning. Registration lines spanned the lawn, and excited participants of all ages and abilities hovered around the yoga pen petting goats as they stuck their heads out for a nibble of grass.
“The goats themselves are kinda freelancing around, and it’s really hard not to laugh,” Robinson said. “We can look over now and it’s just all smiles.”
Most participants quickly gave up on the workout to pet, hold and take pictures with the goats.
“It was the most unproductive yoga session I’ve ever been to, but it was a lot of fun,” said Carly Brashear, of Moore.
Nevills and Palmer said the event offered a fun and free opportunity to try a new workout, which has been a recent goal for the women as they work on staying in shape.
“We’re always looking to experiment with new workouts,” Palmer said. “I mean, who doesn’t want to play with baby goats.”
Radar, the smallest of the billy goats, was a crowd-pleaser making appearances in dozens of social media posts and even standing on the backs of practicing yogis.
Ellie Milam, 2, fed goats, including Radar, through the fence of a small petting zoo stationed near the yoga pen.
Local vendors, food trucks and free Billy Goat ice cream also were highlights of the event.