Have you ever heard of something that sounds like a joke but is actually real? That’s how many people think of goat yoga. And it’s quickly becoming more popular.
The idea is simple: A yoga instructor leads a class of humans while goats run around and jump on you.
Nittany Meadow Farm, located in Boalsburg, offers Centre County’s first and only goat yoga classes and it’s been a hit across the area.
The farm partners with downtown State College yoga studio Wellness in Motion to provide a fun and relaxing experience.
Mandy Glitzer instructs the class. She says the idea for this addition to the farm came in a different way than expected.
“It was a random Facebook occurrence,” Glitzer says. “[Nittany Meadow co-owner Tara Immel] posted on a local moms Facebook group that she was looking for a yoga teacher to come out and try goat yoga at the farm. The goats had never actually tried yoga before. I actually had never taught goat yoga before, but after the last year and half we had I thought hey, why not? Why not have some fun.”
Goat yoga began here in early April and now because of its rise in popularity classes fill up weeks in advance.
“I have wanted to try goat yoga for at least five years,” said class participant Emily Killam. “I first heard about it when I lived in Virginia and I love goats so much. I could not have been more excited when I found out that there was goat yoga in State College now.”
Nittany Meadow Farm also provides “goatcations.” Guests can book an Airbnb and stay at one of the cottages.
There are also farm tours and customers can buy locally raised pasture-fed beef, pork and goat meat.
The farm plans to continue goat yoga during the winter months at the top of its barn.
For information on registering for goat yoga classes and Nittany Meadow Farm’s other offerings, visit www.nittanymeadowfarm.com.
