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My dreams finally came true: I tried puppy yoga.

My first thought was this: is puppy yoga ethical?

Man performing crow pose during puppy yoga class touching noses with a dog on her mat

So I did a little digging intoTake A Paws, where I’d be attending my first class.

Thankfully (from what I know), they are.

Animal workout classes are hot right now, from puppy yoga to exercising with goats, bunnies and kittens.

Writer Sam stroking puppy during puppy yoga class

Heres how it went down.

What is puppy yoga?

Thats puppy yoga in a nutshell.

Sam stroking puppy during yoga class

And the yoga begins.

I tried puppy yoga for the first time heres exactly what happened

Here’s what I learned.

If theyre sleeping, dont wake them up!

Arrow

However, yoga in all its forms has a strong mindfulness component.

One of the most mindful activities out there includes playing with animals.

The researchers believe the oxytocin system plays a key role.

Arrow

Yoga or no yoga, puppy yoga has health benefits.

I mean, it’s hard to get much cuter.

I was lucky enough to attend on “labrador day.”

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After a sleepy start, the pups livened up and came to join our session.

If youre unfamiliar with the autonomic nervous system, you have two strands: the sympathetic and parasympathetic.

Your sympathetic nervous system is your fight-or-flight state that controls hormone responses like cortisol and adrenaline.

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Its pretty clever at helping you tackle danger.

On the counter, the parasympathetic system is your rest, repair and recover state.

I felt incredible after just one hour of puppy yoga, and Ill definitely be back.

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The next timebreathing exercisesdont do the trick, I might seek a puppy yoga class instead!

Keep your eye out for classes and more throughout the year.

In the meantime, why not give these a try?

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Best Buy

Garmin Venu 3

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Fitbit Charge HR Wireless…

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