"Baaaa!" Niwot family hosts goat yoga classes for 4H Club

Local Niwot neighbors Aislynn Donovan and Jen Seely herded together neighbors, friends, family, and goats from May 24 through May 28 to experience a unique popular form of yoga called "goat yoga." The classes were hosted in Donovan's yard from 1-2 p.m. each day.

Donovan, 14, organized the event to support her local Boulder County 4-H club, Goats and Galore. 4-H is a nationwide youth development organization that prioritizes experiential learning, especially through pet ownership, community service, and leadership. Donovan is the vice-president of the Goats and Galore chapter and organized the goat yoga classes with Seely, a certified yoga instructor.

"This was all Aislynn's idea," Seely said, with one of Donovan's twelve goats in her lap. "She loves her goats. They're adorable. People light up when they see them, and I thought goat yoga was such a lovely fundraiser idea."

"My dad reached out to the (Left Hand Valley) Courier, I think," said Donovan. "This was a huge success last week. We hope it gets bigger. I'm really loving it." The guests paid $30 each, which covered costs, materials, and fundraising for 4-H.

Donovan plans to study agricultural science in the future, and put on the event to save up some money. Over 10 percent of the proceeds went to Goats and Galore to sponsor events, meetings, awards, and community engagement.

During previous weeks, the pair led sold out classes, with participants ranging from middle school students up to grandparents. During the class, Seely guides groups through All-Levels Vinyasa Flow Yoga movements as young goats nuzzle and play with the participants.

"Aislynn and I did a lot of research into goat yoga, actually," she laughed. "It's therapy at the end of the day – exercise therapy, animal therapy, laughter therapy. People are having so much fun!"

Donovan has owned goats and participated in 4-H for over seven years. She says that she first got involved after going to a petting zoo at the Boulder County Fair. "It was my dad who fell in love first," she said. "We got one goat. But how could you just have one? We needed two. Then four. Now we have a dozen!"

Donovan has goats of three different breeds, and last year, after a bear attack, she and her family built a new barn to house them. According to Donovan, both goats and humans love the classes. "We needed to do something with the goats. For 4-H, but also for them."

Seely, who founded and teaches at Root & Ground Yoga in Niwot, hopes the classes will be a gateway to further participation. "It's great to see people laughing and smiling and having fun. I've designed the yoga to be for all levels, and I hope that it works as an introduction to people who may just be coming for the novelty."

Donovan plans to expand goat yoga in the future. "I think we're just about done for this season, but I hope to do this again next spring. This started as a small, like, side thing, and now it's big and it's successful. I'm very proud of it."