Doga Anyone? Have You Heard Of This?

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Well here's a new one on me. I was listening to the late, late, late news the other night and there was this feature about "DOGA". What is Doga you ask? It's YOGA for Dogs...One of the pioneers of this is Yoga for Dogs is Kari Harendorf, who not only has her East Yoga Center in Manhattan and gives classes for people, but also has classes for people and their dogs...She also teaches weekly classes on Wednesday nights at Manhattan's rather famous animal shelter, Bide-A-Wee which is $18.00 per class: http://www.urbanhound.com/houndTalk/Forum.asp?linkid=20732&linklevel=1 Her regular Yoga Center is here http://eastyoga.com/about.html Also here is the article about "DOGA" (quote) Bring Your Mat, and Man's Best Friend Yoga for Dogs Is Becoming Increasingly Popular Around the World By RYAN OWENS and MELIA PATRIA April 1, 2008 For thousands of years, the ancient practice of yoga has led to peace and enlightenment for people wishing to unite their body and mind. While some techniques have changed over time, chances are the early gurus did not anticipate the newest set of devotees: dogs. Doggie Yoga"We're going to Om, but I want you to actually Om towards the dog," said instructor Kari Harendorf in front of a yoga class for dogs and their owners. "Inhale, Ommmm, Ommmm," she continued. The latest fitness craze for dog lovers is called "doga" and it's coming to a mat near you. In a typical doga class, owners help their pups facilitate different poses, and they also do their own poses using the animals as helpful props. Owners also perform doggy massage and acupressure to help soothe and relax their pets."This is about you and your dog, and time with your dog," said Harendorf as she began the class and instructed the owners on how to gently stretch their dogs' legs and paws. Speaking of stretches, this whole concept may seem like one to many people. But it's not to Harendorf, who is a yoga instructor, dog trainer and former veterinary technician. "When I tell people that I teach yoga for dogs, they say, 'Oh, my dog would never be able to do yoga. He's too hyper or too this, too that,'" she said. "I'll say, 'Well, try a couple of poses with him.'"That's how Harendorf started doing doga with her dog Charlie five years ago. "Every time I would get my mat out, Charlie would come lay on top of it," she explained. "I would go into [downward facing] dog and he would just lie under me and look up at me. He put his paw on my hand, and we started doing yoga together."Now, Harendorf and Charlie lead monthly classes at Bideawee Animal Shelter in New York City. The tranquil ambiance is set with candles, incense, and calming music. It turns out the quest for zen is not just for the hyper pups of the Big Apple. Doga has spread to Seattle, San Francisco, Jacksonville, Fla., Canada, and even Japan. Later this year, Suzi Teitelman and her dog Coali will debut the first doga exercise video for those who would like to practice their poses from the privacy and comfort of home..." http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=4568834&page=1 So those of you who have dogs..would you ever consider doing Yoga exercises with your dog and vice versa? But hey!! Equal time here!!!...maybe someone should start inventing "COGA"...Yoga for cats...any volunteers?