Yoga Lessons with Alpacas – More Space Creates More Connection and Sharing
For the past four years, in the wonderful setting of “Gli Alpaca del Doss”, I have been experiencing the beauty and lightness that these incredible companions are able to create around us.
The trend of animal yoga was born and spread mainly during the second half of the 2010s. The most well-known form, goat yoga (yoga among goats), exploded in the United States around the mid-2010s. From there, the idea of integrating gentle animals into yoga classes expanded to other species, including docile camelids such as llamas and alpacas—chosen for their calm, soft nature that encourages contact.
Experiences that combine yoga + animals + natural environment aim to provide several benefits reported by practitioners and participants alike:
- Greater relaxation and stress reduction thanks to contact with calm animals and the natural setting.
- Easier access to a state of lightness and playfulness that helps the practice (the animal “distracts” in a positive way).
- Increased sense of well-being, improved mood, and a deeper feeling of connection with nature.
- For many people, this combination also serves as a social activity and a form of experiential tourism.
These effects are consistent with literature and reports on the therapeutic and recreational value of activities involving animals, as well as with observations from practitioners in the field.
