If your dog is always lying at your feet while you’re on the computer, if he runs around you when you prepare food and even if he gets into the bathroom with you while you take a shower … why not be your yoga partner? 
This discipline has a very appropriate name: doga, which, in case you hadn’t noticed, is the union of ‘dog’ and ‘yoga’. And that’s exactly what it is: a normal yoga class that you take your dog to.
Doga, yoga for dogs
- But where does this come from? According to her creator, Suzi Teitelman, of the love her and her pet profess for each other. Her cocker spaniel Coali, the protagonist of this whole story, loved to get on the mat while she practiced her asanas. After a while together, the dog ended up much more relaxed. And the rest is history… Thousands of people and dogs have become hooked on this aspect of yoga. And on Instagram it is fashionable because it has been filled with photos of owners practicing postures with their dog.
- The doga does not want your dog to do the sun salutation, but rather that you can share your asanas with him. “We include the dog in the postures, with which we also help him stretch and massage him. We work on his chakras and on the energy centers of the dog and ourselves,” explains Suzi, who teaches doga in Florida. The owners blend in with their pets and become a balanced one on the mat. Doga has benefits for both the dog and its human companion because, like traditional yoga, it relaxes and exercises the body, and as the creator emphasizes, “a deeper connection is created between you and your dog when you do doga together”.
- This union goes much more than just sharing a moment, since the touch between the two builds a stronger emotional relationship, which facilitates coexistence at home. In addition to your physical health, since it can also be good for improving your dog’s flexibility and circulation, these classes will help you learn to control and train your four-legged friend.
- This teacher invites all breeds to try the doga, whether they are large dogs like a German shepherd or small dogs like a Chihuahua. The postures are adapted to each dog and each owner according to their possibilities, their experience and their objective to achieve. “All dog breeds can practice doga and all dog breeds should. And the most nervous, with more reason,” she explains to us. Nor is there an ideal place to practice it, it just requires a bit of tranquility and, if you want, relaxing music.
- Our fast pace and full of stress also affects our dogs who can feel anxious. After a good doga session, pets come out more relaxed, as it helps them regain the balance that we took from them. As the creator of this discipline tells us: “A dog that is in harmony is not a stressed animal. They are happy and calm. The dogs are very happy in class. They react to the happiness of their owners who feel good practicing yoga. And the owners feel good because they see their dogs happy”.
- It is important that each dog go at their own pace, because not all pets are the same. The first time you practice it, invite your dog to sit next to you. Through caresses and tranquility and silence, little by little you will get your pet to enjoy relaxing. There are dogs that will love to imitate your asanas, but others will prefer to just lie next to you while you do them. If you always use the same mat, you will get him to identify it with the moment to relax.
- The doga is the perfect combination for those who like yoga and want to spend more time with their dog. The best thing about the doga is that you can adapt it to your needs and turn it into a catoga, if you have a cat, or a parakeet, if you have a parakeet. Please refrain fish owners.
