On Katherine Harrison’s farm in Groveport, every animal has a job. The chickens offer eggs. The cats provide comfort. And the goats help teach yoga.
Later this month, Harrison Farm will begin its ninth season of Goat Yoga, an outdoor beginner-friendly vinyasa yoga class paired with curious goats, a chance to explore the farm, and plenty of opportunities for goat selfies.
About 30 of the 150 goats that live at Harrison Farm in Groveport are “Yoga Goats” that are free to roam among the students taking yoga classes there (photograph courtesy of Dana Bernstein).
The idea for the program arose organically, says Harrison, owner and operator of Harrison Farm. (Her secondary title, she says, is “chief minion” to the goats.) She met yoga instructor Dana Bernstein in 2016 while she was planning Bernstein’s wedding, and the two hit it off.
A working farm
Harrison Farm, which primarily raises sheep, goats, and chickens, has a mission to connect people to both animals and farming. Beyond Goat Yoga, the farm features agritourism programs and educational opportunities, often hosting interns who take on their own projects, such as raising ducks, rabbits, pigs, and honeybees.
“I knew nothing about goats,” says Helen Cosner, a teacher at South-Western City Schools near Columbus who has taken more than 10 classes. “Now I’m obsessed.” Cosner hosted her 40th birthday party on the farm, and called it “epic.”
Of the 150 goats on the farm, 30 are “yoga goats” — primarily goats that were bottle-fed by humans when they were young, a result of a mother not being able to care for them. The human-to-goat bonding that happens during the bottle-feeding period allows the young goats to look to people as a source of food, comfort, and attention. “Because of [the bonding], they’re perfect for yoga, because they know when they’re around humans, good things will follow,” Harrison says.
And some goats self-select into the program.
Ruth, for example, is one of Bernstein’s favorite goats. At the age of 10 (a goat’s average life span is about 8 years), the geriatric goat, who had always been nice to humans, decided that she would take part in the weekly festivities. “She does make a whooping sound when people get around her food,” says Bernstein, “but she’s really sweet to the yogis.”
Harrison prefers a 1-to-3 goat-to-human ratio for yoga classes, though it’s not always predictable. Goats, in general, are hard to predict, and Bernstein and Harrison have learned to let them take the lead during the classes. “Sometimes they cause chaos and run across mats and bump into people,” says Bernstein. “Other times, they’ll chill, relax, sit, or even fall asleep during class.”
Outdoor asana
Bernstein teaches several types of yoga in studios around Columbus, including vinyasa, power, and ashtanga, but she holds Goat Yoga near to her heart.
“I love teaching outdoors; it brings a different element to the class,” Bernstein says. “Goat Yoga is a low-pressure introduction for beginners, but it also is a fun adventure for experienced yoga practitioners, and it offers a direct connection to nature.”
That connection is what makes the class attractive, says Cosner, who had dabbled in yoga for a few years before attending Goat Yoga. “It was completely different than what I expected. I thought I would be jumped on by pygmy goats. I had no idea that I would be experiencing a refreshing mindfulness experience and feel so connected to the land.”
Cosner enjoys the unexpectedness of the class. “The goats might come sit on your mat, and you can pet them when you’re doing downward dog. Or they might come up right next to your friend while they’re doing a sun salutation.” Cosner has plenty of photos of these encounters, and says that they all contain the best smiles.
“It’s a full body and mind experience, and a break from the racing mind,” she says. “I love it.”
The details
Harrison and Bernstein invite their Goat Yoga guests to the farm half an hour before the one-hour class begins, and afterward, visitors are welcome to explore, meeting animals and feeding bottle babies, says Harrison.
Most guests bring their own outdoor-worthy mats, but the farm does have a few extras for folks who come empty-handed. And usually, they won’t leave with empty stomachs. When time allows, Harrison provides homemade chocolate chip cookies alongside coffee and tea. Farm goods, including fresh eggs and honey, are always for sale.
Goat Yoga classes run from late April to early October and cost $26 per person. Registration opens a month before each class, and dates are listed at www.facebook.com/harrisonfarm13. Email harrisonfarm13@gmail.com for reservations. In case of rain, classes are moved to the farm’s airplane hangar.
