Calm and relaxing? Studio introduces snake yoga
This yoga class could help you overcome your fear of snakes...
A yoga studio in California is making headlines after introducing a unique way to enjoy the mind-body practice. It offers snake yoga classes!
You can do a warrior pose while holding a ball python in your hands. The snakes also slither across your body while you are deep in the savasana pose.
Tess Cao, co-owner of LXRYOGA, tells PEOPLE magazine that snake yoga can also help people "overcome the fear of snakes through breath".
"We find them fascinating creatures, and our goal is to help people unlearn everything about these misunderstood creatures,” she told the publication.
Ball pythons are common household pets because they are generally thought to be calm and docile snakes. Tessa and her husband, Huy Cao, own several pet snakes and decided to incorporate their love for the reptiles into their other love—yoga.
Before taking the class, yogis are introduced to the snakes and taught how to handle them properly. “Although they are very social and friendly pets, we want to avoid causing them any anxiety,” Tess told People.
The snakes are named after crystals such as Howlite, Pyrite, Carnelian, and Obsidian. Each attendee randomly selects a crystal to see which reptile they will use during the session.
ALSO READ: Ten reasons why you should try yoga
The snakes are only used during non-moving parts of the class. A post on the studio's Instagram page reveals how the idea for snake yoga came about.
"Early 2020 when we had to close our doors due to the pandemic, we were debating on what we were going to do with all our additional free time. It was a tough decision between a puppy and a snake, but it’s pretty obvious which route we took. We now have 8 friends that we absolutely adore and we may or may not have a few more slithering friends joining our family soon," the post read.
A 45-minute session costs $160 (R2,800). Kids can attend the classes "as long as they can follow instructions". A maximum of four people are allowed per class.
Snakes are not the only animals to be incorporated into yoga classes. Goat yoga and bunny yoga have been popular in several parts of the world over the years.
"We know that introducing such a unique offering to the world can lead to different opinions and we totally get it! Some might say our offering is a 'gimmick like other animal-incorporated yoga' and we have no say since we’ve never experienced those ourselves, but we truly believe in what we offer," the studio said.
"Some may take our class for fun, some are curious about snakes, & some really want to overcome their fear of snakes, but what matters most is we’ve seen everyone leave feeling empowered, along with a new perspective & appreciation for snakes, not to mention, many want their very own snake after their experience!"
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Main image credit: iStock/Viktor Velychko