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Goat yoga? Yes, it's a real thing here in Brevard

Jessica Saggio
FLORIDA TODAY
A goat nuzzles Angel Errigo during Goat Yoga in Melbourne.

Goat yoga. It’s exactly how it sounds. It’s yoga, but with goats – and yes, it is a real thing here on the Space Coast.

Luna Sage Acres, a small goat farm near the Melbourne/Palm Bay line, decided to get creative in helping people connect body and mind. The farm, which also is known for its goat milk soap, teamed up with local yoga instructor Joyce Jimenez to offer a one-of-a-kind experience: yoga … but with goats.

So how does goat yoga work? It’s pretty simple, said Jimenez. She leads the class, while goats intermingle with participants. While you’re doing that downward-facing dog, you may have a goat nibbling on your water bottle or nudging you for a pat on the head. It makes the class light-hearted and fun, she said, not to mention it’s therapeutic.

“Honestly it feels like it’s a class like no other. The goats are walking around, and it kind of uplifts the energy in the class,” said Jimenez. “…Goats are just a good animal, they let out a good energy and a lot of people are open to it and trying something different. I think it’s therapeutic for them to get out of their own head.”

Jimenez said she uses the peaceful sounds and sights of the farm to help participants reach a new level of relaxation. You might hear a rooster crow or a horse neigh or the trickling from a nearby well.

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Goat yoga classes began at the farm last month, said Raina Hammond, and so far it’s been a hit. Classes fill up quickly, and participants must pre-register. The farm hosts one class per month and the cost to participate is $25. This includes the class and a visit to the farm. Participants are encouraged to hang out afterward, learn how to milk a goat, take some photos in the goat selfie station and enjoy the scenery or have a picnic lunch. Classes max out at 20 participants, but group events or birthday parties can be arranged. The class is geared toward all skill levels, and no experience is required.

“Animals are relaxing, they lower blood pressure, people connect with animals,” said Hammond.

The goats certainly steal the show, said Hammond. There are eight goats on who mingle during the class, including two babies. One of the goats, Luna (who is the farm’s namesake), is pregnant and due sometime in April. They are mischievous, said Jimenez, so you may not make it through the class without giggling.

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Hammond and her husband, Corey, run the farm, with their 6-year-old daughter, Aila. The family first started raising goats because they heard goats would make good companions to their horse, Biscuit. Corey then began making goat soap, which the duo sells out of Paradise Health stores and the Malabar Feed Store. Paradise Health is where they met Jimenez, and married the two ideas together: Yoga and goats.  Hammond said she got the idea online from a farm up north that had tried it. There were hundreds lined up to experience the goat yoga, so why not give a whirl here in Brevard?

“It’s honestly a beautiful environment to be around and to practice yoga,” said Jimenez.

If you go:

When: April 30th, 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Cost: $25 per participant

Where: Luna Sage Acres, 3330 Hield Road, Melbourne

Reserve tickets in advance at yogawithjoyce.ticketleap.com/goat-yoga/

Be sure to bring a yoga mat, water and a towel or sheet to put underneath the mat.

For more information, visit the Luna Sage Acres Facebook page or call 321-544-1897.

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