'Dog Yoga' Helps People and Their Pets Unwind Together

You know yoga. You may even know goat yoga. And seeing dogs – a beloved member of the animal kingdom participate in the ancient practice is truly a thrill.

Dog yoga, or “doga” as some are calling it, is a practice you can find throughout the world. The main difference between the pup-friendly practice and its human-only counterpart: pets are encouraged. And while not every canine understands quite how to tackle the contortions of every pose — outside of the iconic downward dog position, of course — the addition of dogs in the studio space helps owners get in touch with their breathing as they go through the flows and gives them an activity to share with their pets.

“They’re healers. They’re natural healers. They know what’s out of balance and what’s not,” notes Mahny Djahanguiri, the U.K.’s “doga” practice founder, of the wisdom of dogs — and how their lack of ego can be a good lesson for owners. Take a look at the human-canine connection in practice, in the video above.

 

Write to Raisa Bruner at raisa.bruner@time.com.