The Importance of Striking a Balance Between Work and Play
The Importance of Striking a Balance Between Work and Play
The way we take care of ourselves greatly impacts our ability to connect with all that surrounds us. In trying to keep up with an increasingly technology-dependent world full of success-hungry people and their insatiable desires for perfection, prioritizing our emotional well-being and maintaining a balance between work and play often feels like the last thing we have time for. It’s important to remember that taking a break won’t put you behind. They say rest is just as important as productivity. The mental clarity that results from stepping back and slowing down will propel you forward, allowing you to achieve your well-deserved success in a happier, healthier manner.
Simply letting go of our anxieties is easier said than done. However, surrounding yourself with carefree critters while simultaneously partaking in an activity good for the body, spirit and mind can help. Allow yourself to do away with burdensome societal pressures for a moment and enjoy the spontaneous nature of charming goats as you embark on an adventure that is sure to be the Greatest Of All Time.
Benefits of Exercising With Goats
Past studies have shown that even the smallest of interactions with animals can decrease levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) in the brain and increase the production of dopamine and serotonin (hormones that trigger happiness). Physical activity, such as yoga or hiking, will naturally produce endorphins (more happy hormones), and when you combine that with the presence of adorable goats… well, it can’t get much better than that.
Goats are pure and transparent creatures; they don’t carry around heaping piles of mental baggage like we humans do. Living up to expectations, maintaining good reputations, etc. All of that depends on the strength of the walls we build around ourselves, and it ultimately blocks our view of the world around us. Goats, however, don’t have any walls whatsoever. Or, if they do, the are easily jumped over. The concept of conforming simply does not exist within a goat’s mind, making it that much easier to connect with the benign creatures and learn a thing or two in the process.
Goat Yoga Brings People Together
Not only does goat yoga inspire a better connection with nature, it also inspires better connections with the people around us. It’s a perfect team-building experience. Coming together and enjoying the company of goats allows you to enjoy the company of the people nearby as well. Yoga doesn’t usually involve so much talking or giggling with the person on the next mat over, but yoga with goats naturally encourages conversation. It’s actually more of a stretch n’ play session with goats. Something about the little hooved animals precariously balancing atop shoulders or trotting through a playground of arms and legs easily helps to break the ice. Trying something new and creating shared memories of a unique experience forms meaningful bonds that can last a moment, a lifetime or somewhere in between.
It Isn’t Just a Flash in the Pan
There’s a reason that goat yoga has stuck around since 2016. Unlike other wellness trends that fizzle out, goat yoga has proven itself to be genuinely beneficial to those who give it a shot. The playful nature of the goats reminds us to maintain that balance between work and play, and enjoy life’s little moments in real-time. Exercising produces endorphins, and interactions with animals can do a multitude of things to lower our stress and lift our spirits. The complete lack of boundaries, filters or judgment in a goat’s mind keeps us humble and in the moment, helping us to better connect with those around us. Give it a try and see for yourself, the wonders of goat yoga and all that entails.