Yoga with the Alpacas

National World - Broadcast Video

We visit an Alpaca Farm for an outdoor yoga class - which is interrupted by a naughty sheep. Lucinda Herbert learns what Alpaca Yoga is all about, and why it's becoming more popular.

Transcript

00:00 Being around animals can do wonders for our well-being.

00:05 Whether it's walking the dogs, feeding the ducks or hearing the birds chirping on a spring

00:11 morning.

00:14 It can feel incredibly uplifting just being around the natural world.

00:21 As more of us spend our days scrolling through social media and using smart devices around

00:26 the home, experiences that take us out into nature and away from the built-up world seem

00:32 ever more appealing.

00:35 And that goes for exercise too.

00:37 From wild swimming to outdoor boot camps, more of us are keen to ditch the gym and get

00:43 active out in the open.

00:45 Well, now there's a new way you can take a gentle outdoor workout in the company of

00:51 some adorable and funny animals.

01:00 So alpaca yoga, that's actually doing yoga in an outdoor space with the alpacas just

01:05 gently wandering around you.

01:08 They'll either be grazing, showing a little bit of interest in you and the whole ambience

01:14 is that you've got the very calming part of them being in there and nature all around

01:19 you and the fact that you're outdoors.

01:23 We do a similar thing as I do in studios, but I think people are just another level

01:30 of relaxed.

01:31 And afterwards when we lie down for a little body scan meditation at the end, and quite

01:36 often people just don't ever want to get up and move because they're just so relaxed.

01:39 I think it's such a combination of like, you can hear the birds singing in the fresh air

01:45 and just everything.

01:46 It's just so lovely and beautiful and peaceful.

01:48 It just makes it such a beautiful thing.

01:51 It's a shame you can't be outside all year.

01:59 We're told to arrive around 20 minutes before the exercise class begins.

02:04 This gives us plenty of chance to meet the ducks, the geese and of course the alpacas.

02:10 This yoga class has very little to do with burning calories and much more to do with

02:14 animal interaction and just enjoying the great outdoors.

02:21 It was just lovely today because you was out in the nature, listening to the birds, listening

02:25 to the music, beautiful sky, sunny sky.

02:29 It just couldn't have been better could it?

02:30 Just having the alpacas in the background, it was lovely.

02:35 As we take a slow amble through the paddock, we're encouraged to walk the alpacas to feed

02:41 them and to say hello to some of the other residents.

02:45 Walking them out, that's what we did really, that was really our main interaction with

02:48 the alpacas.

02:49 I fed them, I fed them, they've chewed my hand.

02:53 But as we start the class, there's one little fella who just can't resist joining in.

02:57 The naughty sheep that was going round trying to eat people's handbags and chew my laces

03:06 on my shoes.

03:07 So what was the sheep like then?

03:11 A bit of a cheeky monkey really.

03:13 I'm not sure if we'll always include sheep.

03:16 I think everyone quite enjoyed them though, they're quite cheeky but they do like to nibble

03:19 on your yoga mat.

03:21 So yeah, makes for an interesting experience.

03:24 We wanted to come and give everyone a kiss I think when they were lying on the mats and

03:28 have a root through everyone's bag.

03:29 So do the alpacas join in with the yoga?

03:46 They're not like goat yoga where apparently goats go and sit on you and all sorts of things.

03:52 The alpacas will just show interest in the ladies that are doing the yoga.

03:56 They'll go over, maybe have a sniff, but they won't actually come and sort of, they'll just

04:01 wander around the yoga that's taking place.

04:05 It was slightly different today because last week it was a bit touch and go with the weather.

04:10 I thought it might, it could rain, it was quite grey but it did hold off.

04:15 But we were in the paddock over there so the alpacas were in a more slightly enclosed space

04:21 so they did keep coming over to look at us.

04:23 And I think today because they had more space and they had the girl alpacas in the field

04:26 next to them, they were quite interested in flirting with the girls.

04:31 So they didn't come over as much but we had the sheep.

04:36 So it's quite a lot of sheep yoga today as well as alpaca yoga.

04:40 Thank you so much, I really enjoyed it.

04:44 Little herd coming past.

04:50 Having tried a few yoga classes over the years, this felt very different.

04:55 Although I didn't join in today, those who did all seemed to love the alpaca experience.

05:03 So how are you feeling after the session?

05:05 Oh nice and relaxed.

05:06 It's lovely to be able to do that in the open air.

05:08 I've never done yoga before particularly, so to actually do it for the first time out

05:13 in the open is fabulous.

05:14 Is it something you've thought about doing yoga before or is it more because of the animals

05:19 being out in the open?

05:20 It's more because of the animals being out in the open air I think.

05:22 I'd probably be more inclined to do it again out in the open air rather than in a gym setting

05:26 or something.

05:27 I think it was really relaxing and a bit different isn't it, a bit quirky.

05:31 I've done hot yoga in a studio but it's much nicer being out and about in the fresh air

05:35 with the sunshine.

05:36 Rather than being confined and looking up and looking at the ceiling somewhere, I was

05:40 looking at the sky and my feet were touching grass and the earth and it was lovely that,

05:48 a lovely feeling.

05:49 So how do you feel now?

05:50 I feel really relaxed and really happy.

05:52 It's been an absolutely fantastic day, I've really enjoyed it.

05:55 I'm really happy.

05:56 I'm really happy.

05:57 I'm really happy.

05:57 (upbeat music)

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