Yoga is a practice that is beneficial for the body and the mind and can help build strength and confidence. In recent years, many studios have come up with the brilliant idea of adding animals to their yoga classes, from bunnies to baby goats. Not only do the participants get a good laugh and a whole lot of love from these sessions, but often, the cute additions make headlines and help to raise awareness for a good cause—the Small Animal Rescue Society (SARS) was hoping that bunny yoga would lead to adoptions for these abandoned bunnies.
We are complete suckers for yoga sessions with animals, and when we heard about the English hotel offering yoga classes outdoors with lemurs, well, let’s just say feeling excited would be an understatement. Anyone who has ever watched the 2005 animated film, Madagascar probably loves lemurs, and although King Julien won’t be at the Armathwaite Hall Hotel and Spa, near the Lake District Wildlife Park in Keswick, England, his relatives are.
According to Travel + Leisure, the lemurs live in a wildlife park not far away and are already used to interacting with humans. The sessions, which have been dubbed “lemoga,” are apparently great for relieving stress and lowering blood pressure because of the lemurs' involvement, and attendees will “feel at one with nature, at the same time joining in with the lemurs’ play time.”
View this post on Instagram
Manager of the wildlife park, Richard Robinson, spoke to the BBC about what it is like working with lemurs, and how happy they make those who interact with them.
"When you watch lemurs they do some form of the poses naturally—that typical pose warming their bellies in the sunshine. It seemed to be a really good combination to encourage people to have a go and spend time with a lemur,” he said. "I don't think you ever see an unhappy zookeeper. We spend all our time with animals. We know how it makes us feel and if we can give a little piece of that to people then great."
We assume the zookeepers are on-hand to make sure these lemurs are properly cared for, and that these activities do not harm them in any way. So, the only downside to this type of yoga then, is the price tag. Matador Network notes that The “Lemoga Spa Break” starts at $649 for two people. Still, a weekend away may be just what you need!
[Image via Shutterstock]
