Who let the dogs into yoga?
Christchurch yogis are bringing a whole new meaning to the term downward dog, recruiting their posing pooches to join them for stretching classes side-by-side.
Doga, as the classes are known, is thought to be beneficial to both owners and their pets by combining exercise with a chance to spend quality time together.
While the class may not measure up, fitness-wise, to a game of fetch or a run on the beach, the Balanced Dog founder Kathleen Crisley believes her greyhound, Izzy, gave it a good go and enjoyed having a sniff and a stretch to wind down.
Crisley proposed the idea to bring the global doga trend to Christchurch ten years ago, but hit brick walls trying to find a studio willing to accommodate her greyhound, Izzy.
Finally, she found massage, yoga and functional movement studio MoveWell, in Phillipstown, and a class attended by four cheeky greyhounds named Maddie, Izzy, Inspector Spot and Rosie, ran on Saturday.
Attendees were encouraged to bend, twist and stretch, sometimes straddling their dogs to keep them in place. Dogs were welcome to roam the room during the class, and as one of the friendliest breeds around they quickly made friends. ‘‘People are looking for ways to spend quality time with their dogs . . . [but] we lead such busy lives; most dog parents are time poor,’’ Crisley said.
Yoga with animals is a booming phenomenon internationally, with goats, bunnies and even horse yoga taking off. Christchurch’s Catnap Cafe have also cashed in on the trend, offering classes with their onsite kitties.
For Marie Auckram, it was only the second time she had ever tried yoga so having Inspector Spot, 7, by her side eased her nerves.
‘‘He’s getting more and more sooky as time goes on, he just wants to be around me . . . I come home and there’s a greyhound size imprint on the bed. It’s like having large cat.
‘‘Because his whole life was in racing kennels, being around greyhounds is their thing.’’
Crisley, a certified dog massage therapist, strongly believes in taking a holistic and natural approach to animal health and celebrating dog milestones with the same vigor you would a human.
She’s currently planning former racing dog Izzy’s 11th birthday party, including a specially made cake and cafe outing.
Yoga instructor Casey Bell said the dogs were excited at the start, doing ‘‘zoomies around the room’’, but quickly chilled out and ‘‘all were crashed out and relaxed by the end’’.
MoveWell co-director and recent dog owner Ushma Shah said she could see the benefits to offering classes to dogs and their families.
‘‘What better way than to open our doors to their dogs, too, to encourage a healthy lifestyle?’’