Simply Soulful
Goat Yoga FAQ
The benefits you may receive from your Goat Yoga practise include:
- Combined physical and emotional benefits of yoga, laughter and animal therapy
- Increased relaxation, flexibility, strengthen muscles, energy levels
- Improved blood circulation, posture, balance, lung capacity, immune system, digestive system, sleep patterns
- Reduced cortisol (stress response)
- Increased endorphins (natural painkillers), dopamine & oxytocin (happy hormones)
- Deeper connection with the animal kingdom
- Lessons in love and compassion for ourselves and those around us
- A sense of tranquillity, calmness and positive well-being
- Balance of mind, body and soul
I offer both family classes and adult classes, at Dartington Dairy, Old Parsonage Farm, nr. Totnes, Devon, April through to September. Classes are suitable for all levels.
All classes are open to all levels of ability (both beginners and more experienced yogis alike) with both less and more challenging options being offered throughout the sessions. Family sessions are age appropriate. If you have any concerns about your health or ability before attending a class, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please bring an old yoga mat or a beach towel. This can be easily washed after your class.
Family Goat Yoga sessions welcome participants of any age. Participants under the age of 14 years are classed as children and must be accompanied by a paying adult. Participants over 14 years are classed as adults and should pay the relevant class fee.
Adult only Goat Yoga sessions welcome participants over the age of 14 years. However, anyone between 14 years and 16 years old, must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and a parental consent form must be completed before the treatment can be carried out.
If your child is on or around 14 years, please select the session that suits your child’s level of maturity and desire to attend a shorter 30-minute session, with children story telling (family session); or a full-length 60-minute session (adult session).
Visit my website and find the class you wish to check availability for. Each class will clearly display the number of spaces still available.
You can book and pay for Goat Yoga classes on the website via a secure online booking system. Your booking is secured with full payment which can be made by either credit/ debit card, or gift voucher code. After you have checked out, you will receive an email confirming your booking. You will be asked to complete a HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE the first time you attend. Please ensure you complete this before your first class.
If the class you would like to attend is fully booked, please click the JOIN WAITING LIST button, displayed in the event. You will be contacted if a place becomes available.
Please wear sturdy shoes for walking around the farm (it can also often be wet and muddy under foot). The class will be held in a barn on the farm. Whilst inside, please ensure you are comfortable and warm for your Goat Yoga class. Ideally, layers which can be easily removed as you warm up and put back on before final relaxation (preferably clothing you don’t mind being nibbled by the goats!). Traditionally yoga is practiced barefoot, but you might prefer to wear socks/ trainers to ensure warmth and protection form the concrete floor (and nibbling goats!).
Please bring a re-usable water bottle to stay hydrated and an old yoga mat and/ or beach towel to all classes. Please ensure you complete a HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE before your first class.
Classes will differ depending on the day, time of your class and the unique behavior of the goats. However, each session will include refreshments on arrival, a meet and greet with the farmer and some of the farm animals, and a Goat Yoga class. There is also the option to purchase Goatastic T-Shirts and products from the Farm Shop. Expect Kid Goat Cuddles and Cow Hugs along with epidemic proportions of smiling! Please bare in mind we are on a working farm, the goats will come and go as they please during the class. Whilst we are welcome to cuddle and stroke the goats, we are not permitted to handle them in a way that could cause them any distress. If they choose to climb onto our back during yoga asana, that is their choice; we are not permitted to pick the goats up and place them onto a yoga participant at any time. And yes, there will be lots of wee and poop, so please don’t be offended if the goats go about their natural business on your mat!
ADULT SESSIONS: The overall experience is 2-hrs and the Goat Yoga class is 1-hr.
FAMILY SESSIONS: The overall experience is 1.5hr and the Goat Yoga class is 30 mins.
Please avoid eating a meal or drinking caffeine 1 hour before class. If you need a pick-me-up before class, have something light like a banana or a small handful of nuts no less than 20 minutes before start of class.
If you have any health conditions you think may affect your Goat Yoga practice, please indicate this at the time of booking AND on your HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE. If your health changes after you have submitted your HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE, please let me know as soon as possible. We can then have a chat about your health and how it might affect your Goat yoga practice. It might be necessary to modify some of the yoga practices to ensure your safety and comfort during class. If you have any allergies, please bring appropriate medication and advise me in advance.
If you have any concerns about your health and eligibility to participant, please contact me in advance.
Sessions can be tailored to support pregnant and post-natal yoginis. Relax, stretch and breath with confidence, comfort, and support. If you have recently given birth, please wait for a minimum of 6 weeks, before returning to your practise.
*IMPORTANT INFORMATION* Gov.UK: Advise pregnant woman to not come into contact with expectant farm animals, due to risk of infection to their unborn baby.
Please see my blog post called - Supporting pregnancy; before, during and after - and contact me to discuss how to maintain a safe practise.
Yes, there is plenty of free off-road parking at Dartington Dairy. Please bear in mind the venue is a working farm. It may be muddy during wet weather. Full details are listed within the Goat Yoga event listing.
The class is held on a working farm. There will be animals, it might be smelly and it could be muddy! This is all part of the beautiful experience of connecting with nature and enjoying the great Devon outdoors. Toilets and hand washing facilities are available. It is recommended that you wash your hands, after coming into contact with the animals. There is a small farm shop selling farm produce, and arrival refreshments will be available at the start of your session, but please note there is not currently a tea room or coffee shop on site.
To ensure you don’t miss out on any of the fun, please arrive at the time stated in the agenda on the event page/ your confirmation email. However, if you think you might be running late for your session, please email or text me in advance. If you are running a few minutes late, this should not be a problem, however if you are running very late, this might affect your enjoyment of the experience.
If a class is not going ahead I will endeavour to let you know the week before. If a class needs to be cancelled at last minute I will contact you using the details you provide at the time of booking or on your HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE (therefore please let me know if your details change). You are welcome to call or text me on 07941 508 004 to check if a class is going ahead.
If you have booked a Goat Yoga class and can no longer attend, please see my Refund Policy.
Yes, of course. You can purchase Gift Vouchers for friends and family by either choosing a specific item or a set price. Goatastic T-Shirts can also be purchased online, and either mailed to you or picked up free of charge from a yoga class. You can make your purchase by visiting the Shop on my website
This is a great idea, and indeed many families and yogis do exactly this. To complete your visit to Simply Soulful Goat Yoga and Dartington Dairy simply visit local historic market town of Totnes, which offers a plethora of accommodation, restaurants and activities. In addition, accommodation is also available at Dartington Hall. Nearby Dartington Barn Cinema and Sharpham Wine & Cheese Tours are lovely local excursions.
Our activity is located on a working farm. For your safety, please be vigilant at all times in order to avoid trip hazards. Wear sturdy shoes for walking around the farm (it can also often be wet and muddy under foot).
Our activity involves livestock. Please be vigilant at all times to avoid injury from the goats (they can often jump up or nibble). Always wash your hands after coming in to contact with livestock.
Absolutely! Individually tailored yoga, meditation, holistic therapy and Stand Up Paddle boarding activities and packages, suitable for both business and personal clients are available.
Whether your focus is on relaxation and rejuvenation, or motivation and inspiration; the perfect package can be tailor made to suit you.
Alternatively, design your own personalised empowering event with friends, or a motivational company team-building package, for an event with positive impact.
Please contact me to discuss your requirements, after which a non-returnable deposit is all that’s required to secure your booking; you can then sit back, relax and let me take care of the rest!
Please keep an eye on my website for current class time tables (including date exclusions), workshops, retreats and promotions. You can also Sign Up to my Newsletter and/ or follow me on Twitter and Instagram. I also have two facebook pages – one for Simply Soulful Yoga and another for Simply Soulful Goat Yoga. See you there!