If someone asked you which animal would be a yoga master, you’d probably say a cat. After all, cats are super flexible and are always twisting themselves into crazy positions anyway. But you probably wouldn’t think that dogs would be the ones who could be yogis.
A woman decided to film herself doing a yoga routine. Maybe she was working on her own form. Her dog sat by and watched her.
Yoga definitely isn’t easy, even for seasoned professionals.
As the woman started her routine, she was struggling to get into position. It’s no easy task to try to put your leg behind your head, but she wasn’t alone.
“Come on, boy, do yoga,” she urged her pup.
The dog immediately obeyed, getting into position without any effort at all. He could teach a doggie yoga class.
His owner might not have been able to achieve her yoga position, but her pup’s support made her laugh.
Believe it or not, there’s actually a trend of people doing yoga with their dogs.
The practice is known as “doga.” There are even professional yoga studios that offer classes for owners to enjoy along with their canine companions.
Fans of the practice say that it’s a terrific way for dog owners to bond with their furry friends while helping both dog and owner be active and at peace.
“Like yoga, doga balances, harmonizes, purifies and transcends the body and mind of the practitioner,” said doga teacher Madhavi Bhatia. “What makes doga unique is the practice and benefits that create harmony and synchronization of energy flow between the owner and dog.”
Whether you buy into the spiritual practice of doing yoga with your dog, some people say that it’s a good way to become closer to your dog and teach them to trust you more. The increased physical contact can also help dogs be more comfortable with allowing owners to touch them for hygiene and medical reasons, such as clipping their nails.
It can also be an excellent choice for elderly or disabled dogs.
“Doga brings us back to more simple things,” said Kari Harendorf, who owns a yoga studio in New York City. “My dogs grew up being city dogs, where there are these big dog runs, and people just bring their dogs and visit in their social circle or talk on the phone or read the newspaper. We’re so busy, so plugged in with the cell phone and the Blackberry and the pagers. We can walk our dogs and not pay attention to them.
“Doga is 45 minutes of undivided attention. It is a gift.”
So, who first had the idea for dog yoga, and how long has it been around?
It started out in 2012 with Mahny Djahanguiri, a Swiss yoga teacher with a passion for animals. Back in 2009, Djahanguiri saw pet owners meditating with their pups out on a Los Angeles beach, and her new idea was born. She started teaching doga classes in 2012.
Since then, Djahanguiri and her Maltese, Robbie, have attracted plenty of media attention. They’ve been on “Jimmy Kimmel,” “The Lorraine Show,” “ITV This Morning,” “The Sunday Brunch,” and even “Britain’s Got Talent.”
Djahanguiri’s website says yoga offers many health benefits for canine friends.
They include lowering blood pressure and improving anxiety or depression symptoms. She also says it’s a wonderful way to foster trust between owners and dogs as they transition into a new life together.
When Djahanguiri appeared on “Britain’s Got Talent” back in 2017, her performance at first elicited some laughs from the audience and the judges, especially judge David Walliams.
But the auditorium erupted into applause as Djahanguiri and Robbie ended their performance with a move called “Hot Dog,” where she folded him up between her stomach and legs.
The season winner of “Britain’s Got Talent” has the privilege of performing their act for the royal family. Queen Elizabeth is known for her love of corgis, and Djahanguiri expressed hope that the monarch would take interest in her craft and implement it at home.
Although Djahanguiri didn’t win the season, she did get a yes from the judges to go through to the next round.
But not before inviting them and their attending pooches up onstage to do some doga together.
Not all the dogs cooperated — host Anthony McPartlin’s pup even relieved himself on the stage — but their owners thoroughly enjoyed it, lifting their dogs high to the sounds of ethereal meditation music. That is, of course, until Djahanguiri’s own Robbie decided to also take a bathroom break … right on Walliams’ shoes.
Although she didn’t continue to advance, Djahanguiri still teaches doga and encourages dog owners to find ways to connect with their furry friends on a spiritual level. Now a published author, Djahanguiri is now writing a second book that discusses the psychological aspects of owner and dog relationships, especially for therapy dogs.
Watch the video below.
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Source: The Bark, Sun Gazing, Dogamahny, PetTube – Planet’s Funniest Animals,
Anthony Ying, INSIDER
