Arrivals & Departures Kidding around with goat yoga in Arizona

Held at Arizona's Welcome Home Ranch, about an hour south-east of Phoenix, the Goat Yoga classes have the motto of “making people happy, one goat at a time”.

The practice sees yogis and goats pose together to relax and de-stress.

During the guided yoga classes, the goats roam around as participants get into downward dog and other positions. The goats are then carefully placed on the guests, allowing them to reap the benefits of being around animals: think endorphins from exercise combined with pet therapy.

In the summer months, goat yoga raves and pyjama parties are also on offer.   

A handful of other places in the US also offer goat yoga, including a farm in Oregon that has sessions combining it with wine tastings.

If you're keen to take part but don't have a trip to the US planned, some venues closer to home are also getting in on the act.

A fitness studio called Eliit, north-west of Sydney, offers goat yoga, while the Possum Valley Animal Sanctuary, in WA's Mt Helena, recently began running goat yoga classes — the upcoming sessions quickly sold out, but you can keep an eye on the sanctuary's Facebook page for updates.

Fact File

• Arizona's Goat Yoga offers one-hour classes from $US12 ($14.90), with additional time afterwards to mingle with the goats. For more, visit goatyoga.com.