Downward dog with actual dogs!
The trend of puppy yoga has arrived in Newcastle, thanks to the University of Newcastle (UoN) Law Students Association.
The pupils organised a fundraiser for Dog Rescue Newcastle in Wickham recently, which was open to anyone, including adoptable puppies Wallie and Marvin.
The six-month-old canines joined the yoga students in their practice led by instructor Lauren June, the owner of Holistic Her.
She described the event as “amazing”.
“It was so well put together. It was heartfelt, it was thoughtful, it was a beautiful way to introduce people to the practice of yoga,” Lauren said.
“Not only that, it brought awareness and raised money for Dog Rescue Newcastle who is doing fantastic work saving these beautiful puppies.”
As one of the attendees, I found being mindful of my own body was pretty difficult with Marlin and Wallie darting under yogis, licking faces and chewing on mats.
But, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Lauren agreed, saying: “Of course, it’s not traditional yoga, it’s yoga inspired.”
It was evident that mindfulness was not the main goal, it was the eruption of laughter and fawning over adorable dogs.
And, the puppies had just as much fun.
The rescue team explained to the class that being off-leash around new people helped the puppies gain confidence, socialised them and promoted their adopt-ability.
“Yoga is a beautiful practice to connect with yourself,” Lauren said.
“Having the puppies there breathes more connection with the whole class.”
For all skill levels, two legs or four, puppy yoga was a fun-filled experience.
As an international student who misses my rescue pup 8,008 miles away, I found it to be an enriching experience that brought a little bit of home to Newcastle.
- University of Newcastle journalism student Katherine Johnson
For more community stories:
- Father’s ‘Bloody Long Walk’ to support beautiful daughter
- Hunter schools race for global hydrogen title
- ‘Sleapy’ has 250,000 reasons to smile after another successful fundraiser
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