KELLYVILLE, Okla. — If you are looking for a break from your busy day, a farm in Kellyville may have just what you need. The peace of yoga combined with the joy of some sweet and curious partners.
With 25 acres of green pastures and horses grazing in the distance, it is a peaceful place. Perfect for yoga.
Only in this class, there are a few extra participants.
"Softening the forehead... relaxing the eyes," Yoga instructor Daisy Haro calls out to the group - humans and goats. Yes, goats.
Lots of baby goats. Nigerian Dwarfs and mini Toggenburgs, Alpines and Lamanchas.
As the class breathes deeply and arches their backs into cat pose, the goats crowd in with gentle head butts and even climb on backs.
In the corner of the grassy enclosure, Leah Chatron, who owns the farm, is covered in goats. She told 2 News she heard about goat yoga during the pandemic.
"I drove to Missouri, that was the closest place, and did a class there. Then decided to come back and start my own goat yoga," said Leah Chatron, owner of High on a Hill Dairy Goat Farm.
A few goats soon grew into a lot of goats, and Leah started offering classes. Saturday morning class is for all ages. Or she books private ones.
"We get a lot of bachelorette parties, birthday parties, team-building events," Chatron said. "We've even had sororities come."
At the beginning of each 75-minute session of petting goats, pictures and yoga, instructor Daisy Haro introduces visitors to the goats.
"So, this is S'Mores," said Daisy Haro, yoga instructor. "We named her S'Mores because she looks like a burnt marshmallow. She also has light blue eyes."
Her goal is to provide some quiet time in the Oklahoma countryside and share the peace that yoga brings to a fast-paced world.
"So, I like to use this class as a way to rebalance find some center, find some stillness," said Daisy Haro, yoga instructor. "Reconnect with nature, love on some goats and have fun."
The goats are playful and I found when I gave it a try, they are more than happy to cuddle.
"Well, it's like being a little kid. It's absolutely like being a little kid," said Angela Morningstar, a class participant. "They crawl on you. You're the jungle gym."
"The yoga was great. The goats were amazing!" said Bob Parker with a big smile. He practices yoga three times a week in Owasso and didn't hesitate when invited to try the goat yoga class in Kellyville for the first time. "And then they're just like this (as the goat licked his chin), they're just sweet as can be."
This is the second year for goat yoga at the farm and Leah's herd of goats keeps growing. So does the number of visitors. Leah is a teacher in the local school system and an entrepreneur at home.
"They're paying for themselves which is the goal," she said with a laugh. "So, that's really nice since I have a lot of them now for the yoga."
They may not be house-trained but they're certainly friendly. Visitors like Robin Coyle, who has been to class several times, say goat yoga is 75 minutes of bliss.
"What would you advise someone who has never done something like this in their life?" asked Karen Larsen, 2 News Oklahoma anchor.
"Oh, show up! Don't be afraid to show up because you will laugh and no matter what your day was life you will walk away feeling so good about it," said Robin Coyle, repeat visitor. "You'll have so much fun and these goats love. They love big."
Participants told 2 News, the class ends with laughter, photos and a new sense of joy.
Currently, High on a Hill Dairy Goats offers a 9 a.m. class on Saturdays. Sessions are open to adults and families with children 5 and older. Private sessions can be booked through the website.
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