If you want to incorporate quality time with animals into your yoga practice, you have a lot of options these days. There’s puppy yoga, cat yoga, and perhaps the most famous — goat yoga. Now, in Fairbanks, Alaska, there’s a new offering: a yoga class with fauna particular to the cold northern climes of the subarctic. Reindeer.
In a grassy pen at the Running Reindeer Ranch, adult and baby reindeer are milling around — grazing, nosing curiously at water bottles, and pawing yoga mats as people shake them out for class.The air is buzzing with mosquitoes, and the sky is threatening rain, but a good two dozen or so people have shown up for this petting zoo and exercise experience.
The reindeer yoga class is a brand new offering for the ranch — it’s only the third class. They usually give natural history walking tours with the animals. Jane Atkinson, one of the owners, does yoga herself. She thinks that reindeer are particularly well-suited to it. They’re twisty creatures — especially in the springtime when their antlers are growing and itchy, and they scratch them with their back hooves.
“So you’ll see the reindeer getting into these amazing poses,” she says, “and it’s like wow … look at this little yoga move that they do!”
One of Atkinson’s employees at the ranch, Elsa Janney, happens to also be a yoga instructor.She starts the class with a safety talk — things like, don’t touch the reindeer’s sensitive antlers because it could hurt them.
From there, much of the class follows a typical yoga class script. But there is some extra stuff mixed in, like what Janney says after she asks the class to pay attention to the sounds around them.
“Reindeer make a click when they walk,” she says. “That is a ligament connected to two different ankle bones. That is unique to both caribou and reindeer.” At the start of class, most of the reindeer are standing up or slowly wandering around the mats.
But as the class goes on, one by one they all lie down. Rocket, an elegant male reindeer, spreads out between the first and second rows and spends most of the class making a soft, breathy, grunting sound — like snoring.
The whole thing is pretty surreal. There’s a lot of giggling. Especially when one of the reindeer relieves itself on the grass.
And Diana Saverin says that trying to maintain focus was part of the workout.”As the rain came down, the mosquitoes buzzed, and the reindeer snored, it was like, can you stay with your breath?” she says, laughing. “It’s good hard work.”
“reindeer are not only for children;
they are for grandmothers fond of watching the moon.”
—
story/photo credits: ravenna koenig, npr.org, wemu radio
Reblogged this on The Words of Daniel Kemp and commented:
Something unusual
LikeLiked by 1 person
ty –
LikeLike
Sounds great except I’m not so sure about the mosquitoes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Alaska and reindeer – amall price to pay
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess that’s why they have Off and Deet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This sounds interesting. I don’t like mosquitoes though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I might put up with them to be in Alaska doing yoga with reindeer
LikeLike
I had read about this. Those reindeer certainly look laid back. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
yes, very relaxed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can’t help it..I’M SORRY..I’d be worried about ticks. 😬
LikeLiked by 1 person
no worries, just an interesting option )
LikeLiked by 1 person
That it is!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think the Downward Reindeer would be a hard move to maneuver for any human, Beth.
LikeLiked by 1 person
it might be tough to carry off gracefully
LikeLike
so interesting….. and I adore that quote you shared at the end. 🙂 Melts my grandma heart ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it –
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not sure if I could put up with the mosquitoes. But the reindeer – what a hoot.
Thanks for sharing this and that lovely quote. Being a Grama myself… who is also fond of watching the moon….
Have a great summer… (not sure where you teach but the students have been out for at least a couple of weeks here).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Here’s to the moon and the reindeer, both.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lucy Lockett: Opposing Summer?
Lucy Lockett likes the moon too 🙂 Even when it plays hide and seek.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’d like to try it just for the experience in spite of the mosquitos and my school is out)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do have a place sort of close for Goat yoga. But… I think I’d stink more from insect repellent! The Goats actually climb on people!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I’d love to try it though)
LikeLiked by 1 person
looks both
ridiculous
& beneficial 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
A winning combo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Do they climb on your back like goats? I think we should try taco yoga first. You with me?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m in!
LikeLike
I’m going to make this a thing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have no doubt that you will, eli
LikeLiked by 1 person
Who says I haven’t already? Well, minus the yoga.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That means I’ll have to invent flamin’ hot Cheetos 🧘♀️
LikeLike
Call it the Joey Harrington Special.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Or Mark Fidrych? Didn’t he play for the Tigers?
LikeLiked by 1 person
The bird!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such ideas…. I guess it is fun and probably more expensive. Who doesn’t want to do yoga with a reindeer…. ?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Right?!
LikeLiked by 1 person
How wonderful and reindeer are for anyone who believes in Magic. I love this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s right 💃🏿
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now THERE’S some inclusion!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! I think Rudolph would have appreciated it and we wouldn’t have needed that song )
LikeLiked by 1 person
’round here, we have the occasional rain-deer
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sure many utter ‘oh, dear,’ in response to the rain coming down
LikeLiked by 1 person
Even better than that was the delicious reindeer sausage we had in Alaska 4 years ago…lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had no idea –
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was so good that we had some sent to us frozen a few months after our trip was over.
LikeLiked by 1 person
wow –
LikeLiked by 1 person
super cool
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think so too
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is terrific!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think so too
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike
Wow! Who would have thought such a crazy idea would last more than one class? I guess California is not so weird after all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
it’s all relative –
LikeLike
So fun!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think so too !
LikeLike
I love this! Definitely adding reindeer yoga to my bucket list.
LikeLiked by 1 person
fantastic!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Awesome! I would love to do this!
LikeLiked by 1 person