Humans and felines alike can find cat yoga a wonderful opportunity for interaction, while felines get to experience love, affection, and socialization outside the shelter environment – not forgetting finding their purrfect match!
At the start of class, Spandex-clad yogis begin stretching and meditating in an environment filled with cats.
Relaxation
Yoga can help both people and animals reduce stress, increase strength and flexibility, and lower blood pressure. When combined with cats, however, the exercise becomes purr-fect for pet lovers! Cat yoga has quickly become popular at animal shelters and studios where both participants receive an exercise workout while cats gain interaction with humans that makes them more adoptable.
Humans attending this class listen to relaxing music and move into various poses while a cat roams among them, either batting at their toes, climbing up legs or lying on their mat – adding an entertaining, playful element that helps people unwind.
Shelter cats also benefit from interspecies interactions, as it gives them an outlet for natural acrobatics and play that enhance their mental well-being. Furthermore, this helps break down fear many people have of cats while creating positive associations between these species of animals and humans.
Strength
Yoga not only improves balance, core strength, and sense of self but it can also reduce stress and anxiety. And practicing in the presence of felines could even enhance this serenity effect!
Human and feline interactions that promote peaceful interaction trigger touch receptors to release oxytocin, producing an euphoric feeling and helping lower heart and respiratory rates simultaneously. When beneficial touching occurs between humans and cats, touch receptors release this hormone, producing its effects through touch receptors on touch receptors in touch points between them. This action produces positive benefits.
So if you want a relaxing stretch with your feline companion by your side, why not join a cat yoga session at your local animal shelter or community center? Both of you will reap the benefits of this yoga trend while having loads of fun together – plus adoptable cats will get extra love and socialization opportunities while you’re there – it’s win-win all round! Just don’t forget the catnip!
Flexibility
Cat yoga instructors have found that this exercise can help their students improve their flexibility, especially in their hips and spine. Yoga also promotes core strength, balance and coordination for improved overall physical health as well as mental wellness by helping to focus on being present while increasing meditation skills. Cats too can reap many of these same benefits; yoga helps burn calories efficiently while managing their body mass index levels and increasing cognitive functions.
Though it might not look like traditional yoga at first glance, kitty yoga classes provide participants with an elevated sense of calm. Plus they help raise funds for animal shelters while spreading awareness of homeless pets’ plight and increasing adoption rates – something any cat lover cannot resist! And more money goes directly toward helping the animals!
Socialization
Cat yoga is an engaging exercise designed to foster bonding between you and your feline companion, as well as to increase happy hormones such as endorphins and oxytocin that may help relieve stress, improve balance, ward off depression and anxiety, as well as relieve any tension caused by stressful environments.
Cat lovers find cat yoga to be an enjoyable alternative to traditional classes, while simultaneously building relationships between yoga participants and shelter cats and kittens. DCAS animal shelter manager Ryan Voutilainen believes interacting with yoga participants helps get kittens used to people and make them more adoptable.
While some yoga enthusiasts might hesitate to practice with cats, most find it adds an exciting element to an otherwise challenging practice session. Cat yoga events also serve as a powerful fundraising strategy for shelters; many sell out fast! Plus, many yogis become so attached to their adopted kittens they take them home! Talk about karma at work!https://www.youtube.com/embed/kwrEYVn3O1g