Sweat it out with your pooch

The city went gaga just around two months ago when a café in Mumbai introduced a course in yoga with cats. So, it was only a matter of time before the canine-loving crowd also got into the game.

And now, dog lovers in the city would be delighted to know that a workshop in the city is doing just that. Oliver Pet Care and yoga trainer Samanta Duggal have come together for this workshop. While no one expects all dogs to follow along and do YouTube-worthy yoga tricks, the workshop, which is taking place at Doolally Taproom at Kemps Corner, seeks to calm both pooch and owner.

“Dogs, like cats, have a calming effect on their owners. If they can feel that you are agitated or unhappy, dogs are known to offer support — maybe it’s just a paw on the knee or pulling you to walk slower, they offer emotional support. So this is a great way for them to bond as well as have a calming effect on their owners,” says Jeru Jeejeebhoy, owner of Oliver Pet Care.

However, Jeru also expects that there will be a variety of reactions from the furry participants of the class, since, like their human counterparts, they come with varying personalities. “Some of them may try to copy their owners, some may just be snoozing in the corners, some might even just flop down on the yoga mat and refuse to let their pet parents do any yogasanas,” she laughs, adding that the overall bonding is what she is aiming for.

“One of my favourite adages is ‘ditch your dogwalker.’ I know that for many it’s a difficult thing to do, living busy lives as they do, but spending time bonding with your dogs is absolutely essential and some of it happens through exercise. That’s also where this workshop comes in,” she explains.

Samanta, who has had extensive experience in yoga and has even been Jeru’s trainer for the past decade, says that the fact that she has always been a dog-lover at heart, gave her the impetus to do this workshop. “I had a dog for the first 15 years of my life. Now, although I don’t have dogs of my own, I remain an ardent dog-lover, so of course, I’m happy to do this course. I’ve never done anything quite like it and I’m definitely looking forward to it,” she says.

The only reservation Samanta has to the workshop is the fact that dogs happen to be territorial creatures. “There may be some excitement what with so many dogs all packed into the same space. But, I’m sure that with the pet parents and Jeru around, it won’t be a problem,” she says.

Indeed, a big part of the exercises will include breathing and meditation for this very purpose. “Most of the 45 minutes of yoga will go into meditating exercises, which even the dogs will go along with. This will help to calm them down and will be an good for their health overall,” she explains.

Well, meditative or not, it’s bound to be a bunch of fun!