Photograph courtesy Puppies & Yoga Cincinnati
I’ve been feeling a bit blue lately and I’m exploring those feelings versus ignoring them or being upset for having them. Long walks, scenic drives, and journaling have been good for my soul, but I’m not going to lie: I also enjoy scrolling Instagram when I get a few minutes. My algorithm is full of great music, Seinfeld memes, guinea pigs, goats, chickens, puppies. It’s actually a very positive space for me, though the way IG knows my brain is certainly a little unsettling.
However, as I laid in bed scrolling on a Saturday night and saw an ad for puppy yoga in Cincinnati, I immediately clicked. Impulsively, I signed up for one of the few remaining spots the following Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m.
Puppies & Yoga classes happen across the country and in Cincinnati, the location varies—for me, the class took place at the Garage on York in Newport. I love Newport and Covington and never pass up an opportunity to spend time in these Northern Kentucky cities, which I view as extensions of our beautiful, river-bisected home.
The class itinerary was 45 minutes of yoga, 30 minutes of puppy chill time, and included drinks and mats. I brought my own mat—my backup, because, puppies—and dressed for a yoga class that I knew would be the least serious and probably most fun I’d ever taken.
Photograph by Sarah McCosham
For context, I have my yoga certification and practice daily, at home—I interviewed a Peloton instructor for a story a while back and we hit it off; I love her classes. I used to teach postnatal, baby, and toddler yoga, so I’m familiar with the delightful chaos that happens with nontraditional yoga. I also love puppies; we have a 4-year-old golden and were planning on adding another puppy this spring, but both my husband and I found out we each had severe dog allergies. (We’re getting allergy shots so we can hopefully get a puppy later this year!)
All this to say, I took extra allergy meds and arrived 10 minutes early, as instructed. The puppies at Puppies & Yoga are not announced until closer to the event; for my class, we ended up with St. Bernard and Poodle puppies. But really: You can’t go wrong with puppies.
Upon walking in I was told to scan a QR code to sign a waiver, which took longer than it should have because I was distracted. The adorable puppies were in a large gated area with mats and lots of toys. I immediately began cooing to them in my puppy voice (you know the one).
Photograph by Sarah McCosham
After signing in, I selected a spot up front and was immediately greeted by a curious pup who thought my hair was a chew toy. I couldn’t help but smile. The women to my right were giggling the entire time, too; you don’t come to a class like this with any self-consciousness or expectations. This isn’t a “serious” yoga class, but it is a well-planned beginner class with lots of stretching (unless you end up with sleeping pups on your mat, which happened to quite a few folks in class). Also, you will be interrupted—the puppies will invade your space, there will be some accidents (all of which were expertly cleaned up in record time), and there will be lots of laughing.
My yoga teacher always instructs us to leave egos at the door and meet ourselves where we are. And have fun. “It’s just yoga,” she always says. “Don’t take it so seriously.”
As I walked out to grab my coat and shoes, the instructor, Abbey, came over to ask how class was and said she hoped it was enough yoga for me—she could tell I practiced. I told her I loved the class, that she was a fantastic teacher, and I got a solid, much-needed stretch. I told her about my former life as a baby yoga teacher and that I had four kids; I was used to chaos. However, I added that I’ve cleaned up more than enough accidents and as cute as the puppies were, I was ready to sit and enjoy a post-class cocktail (hello, Vintage Revival in Covington). She said she didn’t blame me. “There was a lot of pee at the end,” she laughed. “Things escalated quickly,” I agreed.
After class I filled out a survey and got a coupon for another puppy yoga class. 10/10 I will absolutely be going back. Puppies&Yoga was good for my heart and soul. It was the perfect puppy microdose—an infusion of joy in my life that I needed. Thanks, Instagram.
Up next: goat yoga this May. Can’t wait.
Facebook Comments