IT’S NOT JUST FOR HUMANS ANYMORE

YOGA

I T ’S NO T J US T F O R H U M AN S A N YM ORE

By Allison Bills Photos of Goat Yoga Chicago by Ron McKinney Photography

Goat yoga combines the loving presence of animals with the calming practice of yoga

What makes milk and cheese, eats grass and loves yoga? If you guessed “goats,” you’re correct — and it’s a growing practice. Among other farms, Primrose Farm in St. Charles and Goat Yoga Chicago in Elgin can help make sharing your yoga mat with a goat a reality. Merle and Norman, two Nigerian Dwarf goats (and twin brothers), want you to be a part of their next goat yoga class this fall at Primrose Farm. Typically held twice monthly on Saturday mornings from April through October, these outdoor yoga classes are designed to cater to all skill levels and ages — and make yoga inviting for everyone. “It’s a lot of fun,” says Emily Lambillotte, farm program supervisor at Primrose Farm. “You’re coming to goat yoga to have a good time, potentially find something you really enjoy doing, and just spend some time with some animals.”

While Primrose Farm has always had a variety of animals, the team had always wanted goats, and goat yoga seemed like the perfect excuse to add a few to the farm family. “We just started with a few classes four years ago to gauge the interest and they sold out right away,” says Alison Jones, manager of farm programs and interpretive services. She notes they have since added private goat yoga classes as well as birthday groups, Girl Scout troops and a “billies and bubbles” brunch with the goats. “The program brings in people from all over Kane County and even beyond,” Lambillotte says. “We get all kinds of different people, all ages, all across Illinois.”

That’s part of the draw of goat yoga — anyone can do it, no experience needed.

GOAT YOGA

W ITH AN EMPHASIS O N M ENTAL HEALTH

By Hannah Hoffmeister

At Goat Yoga Chicago, you’ll find five Mini Nubians and 13 Nigerian Dwarf goats with names you may recognize from the Chicago Cubs or popular TV shows. There’s Maddux, Chandler, Rizzo, Thor and more, all living on a picturesque, stunning landscape. While the goats are, well, conventional at a farm specializing in goat yoga, the focus on mental health is more unexpected.

“Everything that we do has to point back to mental health,” says Danielle Kerr, who owns the farm with her husband, Brad.

Brad’s father died by suicide in 2015. Since then, the Kerr family has worked to address the stigma around mental health through goat yoga and open dialogue initiated by the yoga instructor. Goat Yoga Chicago has recently added 30-minute mindfulness classes to wrap up some classes, too, providing exercises and techniques to help participants after they leave the farm.

“The most wonderful thing about goats is that they love everybody,” says Kerr. “They’re fully present” and accept you as you are, she says. Combining that connection with the grounded nature of yoga helps participants let go of stress and anxiety, she says.

“Everyone is always more focused on having a good time than having to focus on any super hard exercise poses or looking goofy. Goats come first, yoga comes second."

- Emily Lambillotte, Primrose Farm

“For some people, it might be intimidating to go to a serious yoga class,” Jones says. “People at these classes do the poses, but a lot of the time they’re also hanging with the goats who are looking for attention. It’s relaxing in a different way.” Lambillotte, who teaches the majority of the classes, says while the classes do include yoga, they really focus on breathing exercises and stretching and that no poses are particularly challenging. In addition to several new baby Nigerian Dwarf goats that arrived this summer — Oatmeal, Sugar and Snickerdoodle — Primrose has added a twist for the animal aficionados out there: calves.

“They’re really friendly,” Lambillotte says, noting that as babies, they are small enough to meander around with the goats. “Sometimes

even friendlier than the goats!” Primrose has calves every year in the spring and summer, so they always expect to have them around for spring and summer classes. “I love how every single session is different,” Lambillotte says. “Every one is so different I never know what to expect. Sometimes they’ll be running in circles between people’s arms and under their bellies and doing crazy stuff. It’s always fun to see how the goats decide to interact with the public for the day.” Primrose likes to keep attendance around 10 people so everyone can enjoy one-onone time with the goats, but they can always stretch it to 15. “Everyone is always more focused on having a good time than having to focus on any super hard exercise poses or looking goofy,” Lambillotte says. “Goats come first, yoga comes second.”

CH CHEC ECK K O U O UT T TH THES ESE E LOCATIO N S F O F OR R GO GOAT AT YO YOGA GA

¢ BLUE SKY FARM 8S890 Mighell Road, Sugar Grove 630-774-9211 www.blueskyfarmgoatyoga.com

¢ GOAT YOGA CHICAGO 11N435 Muirhead Road, Elgin 224-276-6001 www.goatyogachicago.com

¢ ORIGINALGOATYOGA — CEDAR POINT 249 Route 71, Cedar Point 888-992-4628 www.cedarpoint.goatyoga.net

¢ PRIMROSE FARM 5N726 Crane Road, St. Charles 630-513-4370 www.primrosefarm.org/goat-yoga