Goats on yoga mats are not two things you see every day. But to 24-year-old yoga instructor Sydney Frost, the seemingly odd combination makes perfect sense.
“I’ve always been really connected to animals. I love them with my whole heart,” said the University of Florida animal science graduate.
In January, the certified yoga instructor opened her own outdoor yoga business with a unique twist: incorporating goats into the sessions.
“When I moved to this farm, we had a lot of goats, so I decided, 'Hey, let’s get these goats working,'” Frost said.
The idea of Gainesville Goat Yoga was born.
The hour-long classes are located on a farm in Archer near Archer Road. They take place every Sunday, with roughly 30 participants per session, who benefit from petting and playtime with the goats before and after class.
But for Frost, yoga is more than just physical exercise, and goats are more than just farm animals. For the past two years, they have helped improve her mental health.
“There’s always that pressure to do more, be more and achieve more,” Frost said. “I just was kind of succumbing to that stress and that pressure and kind of crumbling underneath it.”
By working out daily and staying active through yoga, Frost was able to shift her focus out of her mind and into her body.
“At the end of 2022, I got into yoga when I was trying to overcome some mental health challenges, and it really helped me,” Frost said.
Frost discovered that incorporating goats into her yoga practice not only added an extra level of emotional support but also became a therapeutic experience. The goats, with their playful and affectionate nature, proved to be a popular attraction, drawing in more and more participants.
“It was endless,” Frost said, regarding the number of people inquiring about classes. “The goats were selling themselves.”
Samuel King, a 29-year-old farrier, met Sydney through work. He has been to four of Sydney’s classes and described the physical benefits he has noticed through goat yoga as transformative.
“I’m bent over all day working, so to be able to stretch my body back out in the other direction," King said. "I’m in a lot less pain at work these days."
Sydney Jarchow, a 22-year-old teacher, was introduced to goat yoga when she crossed paths with Frost and her goats at a local farmer’s market.
Although initially skeptical, Jarchow now says she feels grateful for the experience.
“Just the fact that you’re literally doing the goat yoga with the goat right next to you, I think, is super cool,” Jarchow said.
Shannon Dixon, a 27-year-old senior health communications specialist, added that the adorable creatures in the farm setting incorporate an element of spontaneity and fun into the classes, regardless of a participant’s experience with farm animals.
“It’s just good to be around nature and get outside,” Dixon said, adding, “On top of goat yoga, it provides a humor aspect. So that’s really healing as well.”
Although the goats don’t have much personal space, it’s a part of the class that everyone enjoys.
“I think she’s just a great teacher,” King said. “She’s done an awesome job, and I think it’s something people should definitely check out if they have some free time on a Sunday.”
For people wary about jumping into yoga, Frost finds that the friendly goats are disarming. Some goats watch the yoga practice with curiosity. Others stand quietly but close, and a few place their hooves or jump on participants’ backs while doing poses. One goat is fond of chewing hair. They all help Frost accomplish the goal of making participants feel like they are in a judgment-free environment.
“Animals are always the same,” Frost said. “They see things as they are, and they’re not going to judge you, and they’re always gonna love you.”