Jennifer Schultz offers a fun and unique approach to fitness and stress relief with her goat yoga classes. With sessions held in her Utica cabin in the woods, she said the atmosphere is welcoming and offers a chance for personal growth.
The journey began years ago when Schultz began taking yoga classes at the YMCA. She loved learning, and decided to become a certified instructor after training in Evansville. She then became interested in goat yoga after finding classes on the internet.
“I thought that idea was brilliant,” she said.
Schultz had raised fainting goats for many years before teaching yoga and said that they are sweet and gentle.
“They are perfect for goat yoga,” she said.
So, Yoga in the Woods was born. The studio is located at 2978 KY 140.
Schultz said that baby goats offer a light mood to the sessions because they are constantly moving, playing with one another, or climbing on the students.
“Yoga helps people with stress, then when a goat is added to a class, there is laughter,” she said. “Goats make funny noises and are curious. No one can be sad around a goat.”
To illustrate her point, she said that a few weeks ago two goats were butting heads and one of them fainted.
Goat yoga classes are seasonal and offered upon request at Yoga in the Woods, but Schultz offers four Hatha Yoga classes weekly. Throughout the summer, she also teaches yoga at the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden.
“Yoga is not competitive, and I ask my students to compare their growth to themselves and not others,” she said. “We are all on our own journey. Through my yoga classes, many students become friends, so we are a growing community. Beginners are welcome, and people can expect to relax, relieve stress and laugh. I have been told my classes are special because of my meditation at the end of class.”
Yoga in the Woods is on Facebook and Instagram. Sending a private message is the easiest way to sign up for classes.
