Goat Yoga RVA was founded in May of 2022 shortly after Eric Evans gifted four adorable baby goats to his fiancé Katie. The goats were immediately the stars of the farm. Their curiosity and joyful spirit was such a positive addition to the family farm, made up of already 40 Alpacas. After discussing the concept of bringing goat yoga to Pactamere farm, Eric and Katie worked up a business plan and started on renovations.
With only a few weeks of planning, marketing, renovating and hiring teachers and staff, along with adopting 12 more Nigerian Dwarf goats, Goat Yoga RVA was born!
Neither of us knew anything about goat yoga. We had heard all about the incredible health and wellness benefits that it provided, but we knew we had to try it. We wanted to share the joy the goats brought us with the community and surrounding area, as well as reach out to individuals, families and children who struggle with loss, trauma or mental illness and make a positive difference in their lives. And what better way, than incorporating yoga with goats?
“Eric and I have both felt the immense sadness of losing people we love, and yet having the goats in our lives somehow makes the healing process easier.
We fell in love with them the first day they came into our lives. They are pure unconditional love. Even on a bad day, we can‘t help but smile and be happy when we’re around them and we know you will too!”
Since we started goat yoga in June of 2022, we have had at least seven thousand people come to one or more of our classes.
It’s been a wild, fun and exciting journey for both Eric and I. From the first class of almost 80 people, to every class since, it never gets old. There’s something magical about watching people come to a class and for 1 hour and living purely in the moment.
While many of us already know the incredible benefits yoga has on our wellbeing, goat yoga connects us to the present moment and to our bodies. Goats already live very happily and easily in the moment, so when we share our practice space with them, we tend to see through their eyes and become connected and present ourselves. It’s a simple and fun way to be joyful.
Goat Yoga is about letting ago of our doubts, fears, sadness, and stresses. It allows us to simply exist in an uncensored, unscripted world.
While some may say that goat yoga isn’t “real” yoga, we say you’re wrong.
Aside from being endlessly Instagram-worthy, (obviously), goat yoga embodies the original concept of mindfulness.
We challenge anyone to think of anything else while 24 goats jump, snuggle and fight for your attention. It’s a full hour of being out of your own head, instead of within it; an hour of letting go of expectations and living truly in the moment.
If yoga is about the journey to uncover our innermost selves and connect with our state of being, then goat yoga is just that.
And for the exercise enthusiasts, be prepared to challenge your core strength in a series of poses en tandem with goats.
In essence, goat yoga is the perfect oxymoron. It’s both a disconnection with life’s day to day stresses and a reconnection with yourself, nature and others. It’s both a rhythmic balance of poses and a chaotic journey. It challenges our sense control and eases us into an out of control blast of laughter and joy.
We welcome you to try it.
And look forward to sharing this rewarding experience with you!
— Katie & Eric
Goat Yoga RVA at PACTAMERE FARM
Our vision at Pactamere Farm, is to enrich lives through positive connections & therapeutic healing to those struggling with loss, trauma and mental illness.
The simple act of petting animals releases automatic relaxation responses, lowers anxiety, and provides comfort.
Adding the fact that animal interaction can lower blood pressure and increase cardiovascular health is why we, at Pactamere Farm, want to share the incredible benefits animal assisted therapy has on us.
Our mission is to promote mental & emotional healing through human-animal interactions.
At PACTAMERE Farm summer Camp, Junior Farmers will get up close and personal with all of the sights, sounds, and smells of a working farm. Alongside their peers, campers will : learn about and care for our many farm animals; interact with nature; try their hand at gardening; explore their creativity through arts and crafts; and develop sportsmanship through friendly team competition.