doga. Yoga for (you and) your canine companion.
Yes, your dog can become a dogi too! In case it is not obvious to you, a dogi is a canine yogi, that is, a person who practices or is a master of yoga. There are books, DVDs, and numerous yoga centers devoted exclusively to yoga for dogs. Apparently, even in these dark economic times—perhaps especially in these time—our Best Friend could use an opportunity to better integrate body, mind, and spirit.
The press on doga as a practice tends to emphasize the benefits for the human partner more than her/his companion. However Julia Kamysz Lane reports in The Bark that “Doing gentle doga stretches with my Dalmatian, Darby, helped her overcome a fear of nail clipping. It also came in handy with our young mixed breed, Ginger Peach, who has an impatient and pushy personality. She not only learned to tolerate the stretches, she now offers her legs in anticipation!” |
1. Lane, Julia Kamysz. 2008. Doga. The Bark. Accessed Jan 11 2009 from http:// www.thebark.com/ content/ doga.
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About the illustration: Figure 1 provides a glimpse of what this shared practice looks like. Or maybe not quite. Tory (the human shown here) tells me that Dash (the canine) has “always driven me NUTS when I try to do floor exercise, so I taught him the command ‘Doga’ and he will roll over and put his legs into the air and, most importantly, leave me alone!” |
2. Tory. 2009. Re: Permissions Request for Doga 004. to A. MacLeod. Jan 11. |