I Did a Goat Yoga Class in LA, Here's What to Know

Goat Yoga has been on my radar for the past year. To be honest, I’m not much of a ‘Yogi’ as they say, but I am a big fan of animals, so the idea of incorporating them into this exercise sounded right up my alley. 

For those who are curious about Goat Yoga and want an honest opinion of what to expect, I’ll give you the lowdown on all the details, including whether I think it’s worth your time and money. 
The program I signed up with is called Laughing Frog Yoga, who provide the yoga, and they partner with Hello Critter Care, who provide the adorable goats. Tickets were $39 – surprisingly much cheaper than I thought. 

For $39, you get an hour-long yoga class with the goats plus time afterward for photo opportunities. However, you are welcome to take pictures throughout the class as well. The event was located at Marine Park in Santa Monica, California. The best part about that? Free parking! And at 9:00 am on a Saturday you should have no trouble finding an open spot. 

We arrived shortly before 9. Although they email tickets when you initially sign up online, once we got there, they just asked for the name on the reservation to check us in. I'd still recommend having your tickets with you though just in case.

Right away all our attention was diverted to the goats, who were accompanied by a professional handler. Initially, I was disappointed to only see two goats there, but the handler does a great job of bringing them around to everyone throughout the class. 

Most classes seem to advertise baby goats. For ours, we had one baby goat and the other was larger. Goats are known to jump around, so you should expect them to jump on your back or walk through your legs. The baby goat is so light you barely feel it, but for those with back problems, the bigger goat may be harder to handle. However, you can always address this beforehand if you have any concerns.

Once the class was done, the handler once again came around with the goats for photo ops, and I will say, those goats are clearly used to having their picture taken. The baby goat, Koko, was especially great at looking right into the camera. Does she work in the movies too? 

Goat Yoga Pros:
1. Affordable price
2. Unique outdoor excursion with animals
3. Friendly staff

Goat Yoga Cons:
1. Only two goats
2. Goats may go to the bathroom near you

Should you do it?
​
Honestly, I think this was totally worth it, especially if you’re looking for something fun and unique to do. My biggest critique was that we only had two goats and the class was likely around 25-30 people. Had the price been higher, I would say pass, but it was still affordable enough to not feel discouraged about spending the money with limited goat access. The biggest misconception is that the goats are free to run around. Instead, a handler takes them around to everyone throughout the class multiple times to help guarantee everyone gets time with the goats. All in all, I would recommend this as a great activity to try out.