UC Santa Barbara Students Using ‘Goat Yoga’ to Relieve Stress

Students at UC Santa Barbara can participate in “goat yoga” this December to relieve stress before final examinations.

According to the Daily Nexus, the student newspaper at UC Santa Barbara, students will soon be able to participate in the newest trend in animal therapy, goat yoga. Goat yoga involves allowing goats to jump on the back of participants. Other participants choose to snuggle with the goats on a floor mat.

The event is hosted by sophomore student Eli Bahar. He claims that goat yoga is more productive than regular yoga because the interaction with the animals actually releases endorphin. “It connects you to the people around you and provides a friendly atmosphere,” Bahar said. “It is more than zen and more of an experience.”

“It was an amazing experience and a crazy wild adrenaline rush. You are just surrounded by people having a good time,” Bahar added.

News outlets have highlighted the rise of “goat yoga” as a practice. The concept was developed by Lainey Morse in 2016. Morse discussed the metaphoric rise of “goat yoga” classes in an interview with ABC.

“It might sound silly, but the way these classes are working, it’s becoming deeper and bigger than I thought,” Morse explained. “I have people that have cancer and are going through chemo, and their main goal is to come to a goat yoga class when they’re done.”

The goat yoga class at UC Santa Barbara will cost $40 per participant.