Yoga Paws Review: Everything You Need to Know Before You Book

When you spend your whole life growing up somewhere, you tend to forget all the incredible opportunities available. This year, I set out to explore more of my home city in Brisbane, and more of Australia too. It’s been a slow start, but I’ve really enjoyed it so far, and I’m just getting started on what should be a life-long process.

This week’s activity led me to Bulimba, where I got to try something I’ve never done before: yoga.

Not just any kind of yoga, this was puppy yoga with the team at Yoga Paws.

View this post on Instagram

For someone like me who had pretty much no idea what it involved, this was the best introduction you could ask for. A 1-hour session of beginner-friendly yoga, surrounded by gorgeous little puppies, it’s as simple and fun as it sounds. Read on for the full experience and my review!

DISCLAIMER: This experience was kindly gifted to me by the team at Puppy Yoga. That said, all opinions, experiences, and recommendations shared are genuine and my own. Life’s too short for me to talk about things I don’t like!

Getting there…

My sister and I drove to Bulimba, and parked around the corner from the Centre of Dance studio. There was plenty of street parking, which was great because there was a full class today.

The drive was alright, albeit rather dreary after such terrible weather. It’s good for the earth, as my sister (an environmental management major) always reminds me. Still, it’s not so good for my poor soul. Thankfully I had something fun to look forward to!

The Session

Again, I am a total yoga-newbie, so I went into this with an open mind. The team were great, so welcoming and organised as they checked us in. We went upstairs and took off our shoes before entering the studio where the puppies waited in a little pen. If their little whines and barks were any indication, they were as excited to see us as we were to see them!

They were Australian Shepherds, with the most beautiful multi-coloured coats and stunning blue eyes. They were so fluffy too! How could you not love these precious babies?

The class had everyone from single attendees to couples to a mum with her two kids, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. It was very quiet to me, although when I spotted our instructor at the op-shop down the road later, she said it was one of the loudest classes she’d had. Maybe I need to do some more classes to get a better read…

Our instructor, Yelly (Instagram: @yogayelly), gave us a bit of information to begin the session, both about the yoga and how to treat the puppies. It’s all pretty self-explanatory, about not holding the puppies while standing up or trapping them with you, as you have to let them roam free. It’s all included in the waiver you sign before the class as well.

We began with about 35 minutes of yoga, opening with a breathing exercise as the two staff members from Yoga Paws brought the dogs out and placed them around the room.

As puppies they are obviously not yet potty-trained, and with so many exciting people to meet, they could only do one thing: pee. It was a funny start to the session, but the Yoga Paws staff did a great job of tidying up their mess as they ran around with paper towels and spray bottles.

Luckily for me, the puppies loved me.

Unluckily for me, they all decided to pee on my mat.

I asked for a new one, and the ladies grabbed one out for me, immediately getting rid of the soaked one. I have had dogs throughout my life, so there were no surprises here and I didn’t find this too much of a problem. I knew it the puppies would be excitable, but it’s good to know if you aren’t as familiar with dogs!

Yelly, our instructor was great, calmly guiding us through each exercise amidst the chaos. I enjoyed the fact that you could play or cuddle with the dogs when they arrived, then rejoin the exercises when they trotted off to their next friend.

Then, when our exercises were done we had about 10 minutes just dedicated to playing with the puppies. Some were a little worn-out by then, their eyes starting to droop as they lay in between us. One found a spot by the wall and fell asleep completely!

Of course, I have mentioned the puppies throughout this review, but I had to dedicate a special section to the little stars of the show. These sweet babies were gorgeous, and so playful. I am happy to say that my sister and I were favourites, as they never wanted to leave our side.

One of these little guys, the brown one was an absolute menace. Cute as he was, he liked to tussle with the others, sneaking up on them unsuspectingly and diving at their toys. At one point, he was scrapping with someone on my sister’s mat, and one of the Yoga Paws attendants pulled the friend away—but the little chocolate-coloured one held on to his leg! He almost lifted off the ground with them, but my sister took him off. He was certainly a fighter!

Final Thoughts

I will say, the great thing about this is you don’t need any experience. Whether you’d like to ease into trying yoga, or you’d just like to try something new to spice up your weekend, this is a great place to start.

Hey, it could even be added to your travel plans if you’re headed to any of Australia’s major cities! They hold events weekly across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle, and Perth. So, if you’re a little stuck on planning things to do during your vacation getaways, you could add this in! (You know I’ve been seeing a lot of videos about Perth, so this might end up on the itinerary when I get over there!)

All in all, this was so fun! For a first timer, I really enjoyed this as a way to spice up the every day and add a little bit of fun to my week. At only $59 a session, this certainly won’t break the bank. You can go alone or with a friend, and it’s a great way to move your body and care for yourself. I mean, puppies might not heal all ills, but they can certainly lighten your day for a little while.

With locations across Australia, there is something for everyone, no matter where you’re based. As the sessions take only an hour, it won’t take much time away from all your other activities, and you still fit in a workout with plenty of puppy cuddles!

So, if you’re looking for something to do this weekend, I can only suggest you give this a go!

Until next time, happy travels! x

Looking for more travel information? You might like these blog posts:

Devin's World