World on Wednesday | No. 02
April 20, 2011 § 23 Comments
I’m a huge fan of yoga and have been ever since my undergraduate days. Those were the years when I had a more flexible schedule and could pursue new recreational activities (by the way, I’m still referring to yoga… not campus partying).
It’s been a while since I’ve signed up for regular classes, and the issue I’m facing now with my knees is prompting me to get back into shape! When I attend a yoga class, however, it’s usually a solo affair because MM would rather be assigned pooper-scooper duty for a month than suffer the embarassment of being seen wearing spandex shorts. Well, then, what if Maple were to accompany me instead—after all, she’s already a natural when it comes to the ‘downward-facing dog’ pose.
For those who have already caught wind of doga, you’ll know that this new trend has been springing up in cities like Seattle and Chicago over the past two years. Now yoga enthusiasts can partner with their four-legged best friends and work through a series of asanas specifically designed with Fido in mind.
What are your thoughts about doga—fad or fab?
Doga is certainly an unusual concept and likely to appeal to a small niche market. Personally, if I’m looking for a serious yoga workout, then having the presence of a rambunctious Miss Maple squirming by my side would put me in a heightened state of anxiety rather than a state of zen. Nevertheless, I think doga is an alternative form of therapy that gives dogsters and their caregivers an opportunity to bond through potentially beneficial relaxation techniques.
If doga is ever introduced here in Singapore (I know I’m stretching the imagination quite a bit), I might just give it a try with Maple for the novelty. Until that day comes, it looks like I’ll just have to continue being the lone yogi in our household.
Here’s wishing everyone and their furry friends a wonderful Wednesday, and remember…
Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.
~ Etty Hillesum
Namaste.
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It’s Wednesday—time to blog hop!
The Adventures of Little Miss Red Maple Leaf 
I saw that quite a few years ago, have not looked it up here but they probably have it. I’m with you though, somehow I think Luna would be too antsy for it. Wyatt on the other hand is pretty chill and would probably like it. I think I would need to actually be comfortable with Yoga first. Which is something I have wanted to get into, but don;t know how as my hours are weird. One day maybe
Anna
http://www.akginspiration.com
LOL… yes, dogs who are naturals at chilling-out would probably find
yogadoga a breeze. All they have to do is blink ever so slowly and they’re already in that zone of zen. Similar to how runners experience an endorphin rush after a great sprint, yogis experience a more balanced state of mind after a great yoga session. Unfortunately, I also find that I have less time for yoga now these days, but I do hope to pick it up again. Give it a whirl if ever you have the time to slot it into your schedule!I too am curious about the practicality of Doga. When I first read about it, I wanted to try it, of course. But now that we have Toki, I just can’t imagine her cooperating . . . unless we had a private class at home (or maybe via a Doga DVD). I know Toki has the downward dog down pat, but what about upward facing dog . . . ? : )
Totally with you on that—a private class at home sounds divine! And, yes, upward facing dog would be a real challenge… I think most dogsters would just cover their eyes and never return to doga ever again!
I used to take yoga too; I found it to be very beneficial both physically and spiritually. UNTIL I had an instructor who insisted on forcing us beyond our own personal flexibilities, and I ended up with a permanent back problem.
I’m not too familiar with doga, but leave it to Seattle-ites to start a new craze! 🙂
Oh NO! That’s terrible—I’m so sorry to hear about your injury. These days it’s so hard to find a really experienced instructor who can accurately gauge a student’s level of comfort and help make appropriate corrections in the student’s posture, without causing harm. I hope you’ve been able to find an alternative to yoga!
Actually I have – I’ve found that Tai Chi is a good alternative for me. Very gentle on the body, calming to the spirit, yet it increases flexibility and helps maintain inner harmony. Hope I’m not sounding too “out there”, but it works wonders for me. 🙂
It’s fantastic that you’ve still found a way to keep fit, limber, and relaxed! Yes, I’ve heard about the wonders of Tai Chi. My hubby has been pressing me to do Qigong—he thinks it’ll be great if we could both try it out together. The only dilemma is that the classes are at 5:00am in the morning! 😯
I’ve never heard of doga, but it’s definitely an interesting idea! I wouldn’t know if it’s fad or fab until I tried it, though. I personally tried to do Pilates in my front room, and George didn’t really help by jumping on me every 5 seconds, so I don’t know if doga would work for us. It might be different with a smaller dog?!
Oh no, Maple’s the same way! The only poses I can get away with are the standing ones because the moment I sit or lie down on the floor, Maple will go straight into my lap or climb her way up on to my tummy 😀
Very interesting! I’ll have to read up on Doga. I enjoy doing yoga – it definitely relieves stress. And that picture of Maple on the yoga mat is adorable! 🙂
Yoga certainly helps me to relieve stress, too! Thanks for liking the picture of Maple on the yoga mat. I enjoy piecing bits and pieces together—sort of like decoupage, but the high-tech version 😉
Great info… I never knew such yoga exist. I wonder if there is doga in our country.
Hmmm… is there Turtle yoga,I wonder 😉
Maybe you could start a turtle yoga class!
Great idea! I will ask Kroten to join the exercise lol
I love the idea of doga…Gus is constantly hanging out on my yoga mat, and he’s already a pro at the plank position. 🙂
I think anything that encourages you to be active with your dog is a good thing.
P.S. When I clicked on your scribd document it said it was set to private. Just thought you would want to know. 🙂
You’ve raised a good point. Dogs are always eager to go for walks, dine out, canoe, and even do yoga if it means spending quality time with their caregivers. An active dog is a happy dog! Thanks for highlighting the scribd setting—I wasn’t sure what would entail if I had set it to public, so I selected the only other option which is private. I’ll give it a test the next time around and see what happens!
Woof! Woof! My mom is a YOGI n she helps me do DOGA. It’s Golden FUN. Happy Wordless Wednesday. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar
That’s fantastic, Sugar! You’ll have to show Maple some of your moves, if ever you both have the chance to meet 😉
Miss Maple is a true Yoga Dog!
Thanks for hopping by my blog!
Your Pal Opie
Oh, Miss Maple is still a novice, as she only knows one stance—downward-facing dog! She’ll do that, then flip over to her side and peer up with her eyes that seem to say, “Well, I’m waiting for my belly rub.” So much for yoga! LOL…
Great quote – you made me breathe deeply when I was reading it! Lori mentioned that Gus likes her yoga mat – it’s funny, anytime I’ve been around a dog and unrolled my yoga mat they seem to want to stretch out on it or at least give a good sniffing … hmm, maybe my yoga mat needs a washing?!
Hope you and Maple had a wonderful Wednesday!
-Chandra at Daley’s Dog Years
LOL.. dogs aren’t always very subtle at giving hints, are they? I’m glad you enjoyed the quote. I quite like it, too. It’s a good reminder for us to take a P-A-U-S-E and calm our senses when life gets too hectic 😀