Goat Yoga | Photo by Abigail Abbott | The Wright State Guardian
In celebration of World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10, Campus Recreation brought in goats to act as yoga and cuddle partners for students and staff. The adorable, furry animals jumped on students’ backs as they conducted their yoga poses.
Intention of goat therapy
The intention of goat therapy at WSU was to bring the Wright State community together and to create a stress-free environment for everyone to enjoy.
Associate Director of Campus Recreation Billy Willis explained.
“We know that this time in the semester is tough, like midterms and papers are due and everything, so our goal is to provide just a little bit of fun in between their classes and studying,” Willis said.
Evelyn Oktavec, a graduate assistant for Campus Recreation, also described the event as being an opportunity for students to explore something new.
“The students that attended, we hope that they learned new ways to release stress or any negative thoughts impacting their mental health,” Oktavec said.
Goat yoga trend
Oktavec clarified that no other animals were thought of for the event, as yoga was the confirmed physical exercise for the afternoon, and goat yoga has continued to gain popularity.
The owner of GoatCountry LLC, Josh Keeton, described how his company first noticed the trend and decided to join the frenzy. Three years ago, the company’s first goat was always on Keeton’s back, making him realize that goat yoga exists through this simple interaction.
“No matter what I was doing, he was just on my back, walking around,” Keeton said. “Really not a lot of places around here do [goat yoga], so it gave the idea to offer it around here, and once we started doing it, we realized very quickly that it elicits a lot of smiles and very good feelings.”
Staying active
Any students and staff interested in continuing their fitness journey with campus recreation can sign up for yoga and other activities on IMLeagues.com. Students can also visit GoatCountry LLC’s website to see where the goats will be heading next.
Goat Yoga | Photo by Abigail Abbott | The Wright State Guardian
