Kimberly Brooke became a certified yoga instructor in 2012 because the technique brought her physical healing and she wanted to share the method with others.
Two years later, she moved to a Magnolia farm with her husband where the two have since welcomed about 40 chickens and 15 goats into the family.
Around the beginning of 2017, a new national trend was taking place that—strangely enough—combined Brooke’s passions for yoga and farm animals. Known as “goat yoga,” the concept involves conducting yoga classes in an environment where goats have access to guests during the class.
Skeptical of the concept’s legitimacy at first, Brooke said she did some research and learned goat yoga is a proven form of animal-assisted therapy. When she taught her first goat yoga class earlier this year and saw the smiles it brought to participants’ faces, she said she was officially convinced.
“When you’re around these animals, you can’t be unhappy,” she said. “For an hour, you’re not thinking about your grocery list, your to-do list, the bad news you got yesterday, your job—whatever it is. You get to be free for just a moment.”
Brooke teaches regular weekend classes alongside her Nigerian dwarf and Nigerian pygmy goats Butch Cassidy, Sundance Kid, Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, Calamity Jane and Annie Goatley, among others.
Goat Yoga Texas is also available for mobile events such as corporate team building, school clubs, birthday parties and bachelorette parties in the Cy-Fair area. Participants at least 12 years old can register online for $29 each class, and a legal guardian must accompany anyone under age 18.
Brooke practices Hatha yoga, which is designed to calm the body and mind. Because each movement can be scaled to an individual’s ability and desired intensity, the classes cater to all levels of experience, she said.
Once the 45-minute class is over, guests can stay to bottle-feed and play with the goats, practice freestyle yoga and take photos.
“These goats are bred to snuggle,” Brooke said. “You come here and something’s wrong, it will not be wrong anymore when you leave. We want to bring that to as many people as possible.”
Know before you goat
Goat Yoga Texas uses Nigerian dwarf and pygmy goats because of their small stature and gentle nature, owner Kimberly Brooke said.
- They weigh no more than 40-60 pounds when fully grown.
- Their size allows them to easily climb on yogis’ backs.
- They do not bite and do not have top front teeth.
- They are handled daily and are used to being picked up.
Aitken Farm & Ranch
20000 Bauer Hockley Road, Tomball
281-732-7833
www.goatyogatx.com
