On May 12, South View Middle School will host an interesting twist on an otherwise traditional activity: they will have a yoga class, but with goats. The event will have two sessions, one from 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM and the other from 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM. The sessions will each have twenty-five spaces for entry, and cost $25. While the goats themselves will not be doing yoga moves, the atmosphere of being surrounded by goats while trying to do relaxing yoga stretches can cause a lot of laughs and good times. The company behind the operation is Have Ya Herd Goat Yoga, founded last year by Kevin and Jessica Lubich with the goal to, as their website says, “take this love [of goats] and make it available for everyone.”

“I didn’t think [goat yoga] was an actual ‘thing.’ I didn’t think people would like it,” co-founder Jessica Lubich said. “A lot of times at the end of class there will be a round of applause. I don’t think that’s something that happens in a regular brick and mortar yoga class. It amazes me every day.” Doing a yoga class with goats has recently become a nationwide phenomenon, with classes being held in several US states and attracting a high volume of ardent participants. Lubich says that in the future the company would love to expand class sizes and even add space for yoga with other animals.

The Edina Community Education organizer of the class, Carynn Roehrick, says that she hopes the event will appeal to a variety of different age groups, and provide them with a fun event that helps strengthen connections between each other.  

“Goats are social creatures that love interaction and being around humans,” Roehrick said. “We feel that pairing nature, yoga, and animals will be a therapeutic and fun opportunity for participants. Our community is always looking for ways to interact with one another through new experiences.” If enough interest is generated by the event on May 12, Roehrick says that a future goat yoga event is definitely a possibility.

The future for goat yoga is looking bright with Have Ya Herd’s first classes away from their home location in Roberts, Wisconsin. These Edina classes are the first step in the company’s goal to expand out from the home location. If you’re interested in applying for the class in May, signups are located on the Edina Community Education website. As the first two sessions on May 12 fill up, additional classes may be added in the near future, so stay posted if you want to experience this life-changing event!