DOWAGIAC — With summer just around the corner, Saturday mornings mean one thing to Heather Matthews and Dawn East of Hidden Acres Petting Farm: goat yoga.

Hidden Acres recently began its second summer of hosting goat yoga sessions, taught by instructor Jennifer Williams. Classes are at 10 a.m. every Saturday, and a second Saturday session will be added later this summer. Cost of attendance is $15 per person, and participants should preregister on the Hidden Acres Facebook page or by calling the farm at (269) 377-9759. The farm is located at 50581 Pleasant St., Dowagiac. 

Goat yoga, a practice that can trace its roots to Oregon, is a yoga class where participants can work with and interact with baby goats. At some points, a goat may even be placed on a participant’s back.

“It’s just so much fun,” Matthews said of goat yoga. “It’s just an hour of belly laughs for adults and kids.”

East and Matthews began offering goat yoga sessions last summer because they believed it would be a fun, family-friendly activity to provide the people of Dowagiac. Additionally, they believed it would combine the benefits of yoga and animal therapy.

When they first started, the cousins thought the classes would maybe attract five to six students per session, never expecting to get the response that they did. By the end of the summer, goat yoga became a craze, and each session hosted by Hidden Acres was full with nearly 30 students.

“We had no choice but to bring it back,” Matthews said. “It’s kind of become the ultimate family activity in this area.

“Since December, we have had people asking, ‘when’s goat yoga? Can I sign up for the first class?’” East added.

The activity has become so popular that East and Matthews have begun selling goat yoga T-shirts for $20. Proceeds from each shirt will go to feed three goats for a day.

The unexpected popularity of goat yoga has helped provide the farm with exposure and funding to care for the farm’s animals and to provide local children with education and activities.

“[Goat yoga] has helped the farm survive,” East said. “It really has.”

“We’ve had people come in for goat yoga, then come back with their kids to see the farm,” Mathews added. “That’s great to see.”

Saying that anyone from any walk of life can enjoy the activity, East and Matthews said they would encourage anyone to try their hand at goat yoga.

“It’s great therapy. It’s great for your soul,” Matthews said. “It feels good, and everyone is laughing the whole time.”