Farmaste: Island farm hosts new kind of yoga class

Islanders can now be more connected to nature when doing downward dog literally.

Island Hill Farms launched their new farm yoga classes Thursday.

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Participants will do the yoga class in a studio in the barn and then get to spend time with the farm animals after class.

"We'll start off in the studio where there are no animals to crawl all over you," said ownerFlory Sandersonof the dozens of goats in her care.

"They're really cute but when they're really young, they don't know appropriate behaviours," saidLaura Lindsay, one of the farm'syoga instructors.

"They can be really destructive. They can chew your hair, they can chew your mats, and we want people to enjoy the yoga."

But that's not to say participants won't ever get to do child's pose side next to a goat.

Lindsay said once the class becomes more established and participants know what they're in for, they'll look into doing yoga in the pasture with the more mature goats.

A unique experience

For now, animals are kept at a safe distance from the class.

If you're still skeptical about mixing yoga and the farm life, Lindsay said a little bit of nature helps the soul.

"Yoga is good for the soul, animals are good for the soul, and I think the combination of the two is really special. It just gives a little bit of a unique experience,"she said.

Sandersonsaid she was inspired to start the class because of her daughter.

"It helped my daughter heal and she loved it and I saw the great things that it did for her. It was her idea and I just helped her launch that idea."

AmeliaWeber and SummerMathesonwere some of the first participants to try the new class Thursday.

"It was super peaceful and relaxing. I felt closure to nature," said Weber.

"Itwas really nice having the animals in the background," saidMatheson. "And the smell too, felt closer to mother earth."

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