On a monthly basis, two local organizations supply oxytocin, dopamine and other feel-good drugs in the form of puppy yoga. In Confluence Park, every third Wednesday of the month, yoga enthusiasts gather underneath the curved pavilion for an evening of stretches and doggie shenanigans.
Mobile Om, an outdoor-based yoga program with free community classes, partnered with SNIPSA, San Antonio’s nonprofit animal rescue service, for this event. Participants pay a $20 donation that goes toward SNIPSA’s mission, and all puppies at the event are adoptable.
Cassandra Fauss, the founder and CEO of Mobile Om, started the studio in 2013 after moving to San Antonio and looking for a yoga community. Once a one-person company, Mobile Om has developed into a community space with thousands of classes taking place outdoors around San Antonio.
The idea for puppy yoga originated with Fauss, who connected with Liz Lackey, SNIPSA’s volunteer and outreach coordinator, to bring the vision to life. Having participated in bunny and goat yoga previously, Fauss said that puppy yoga offers a unique advantage.
“Puppies, I feel like they embody a lot of what I try to get people to feel in yoga,” Fauss said. “People automatically started to feel more warmhearted. They started to feel that idea of unconditional love and joy, and I really thought that it was a really great way to get people to embody that.”
Lackey noted that the benefits of this event aren’t just for the humans. SNIPSA is a foster-based rescue, meaning that the animals stay in homes rather than living in the shelter. Puppy yoga allows the dogs to be socialized with people and other furry friends.
“Our thought is, if you are able to place these animals in people’s homes, it helps them become more adoptable. So events like puppy yoga, you have these puppies who are running around in a new environment being engaged with 20, 30, 40 people,” Lackey said. “They’re learning what it’s like to be around humans so they’re not scared. They’re able to be in an environment with their siblings, so they can be with other dogs. It’s just very helpful for them to be together and to be more adoptable for other people in the future.”
While puppies are a large component of this event, Mobile Om yoga teacher Chrissy Jenkins tailors her lessons to the group’s particular needs that day.
“It’s very pure joy. Everyone who comes here leaves happier, calmer. It’s a joyous job,” Jenkins said.
The Trinity golf team attends puppy yoga on a regular basis. They try to make the events as often as their schedule allows.
The team uses it as a bonding experience, sometimes going out to dinner together afterwards. Lauren Huddleston, junior marketing major and member of Trinity women’s golf, lists her favorite aspects of the event.
“It’s fun. You get to be outside. The park that it’s at is really cute and nice. And, community building, team bonding, puppies. All the good things together in one thing,” Huddleston said.
Lackey said that puppy yoga is good for everyone, especially college students. She recommended anyone considering attending the event to try it out.
“I think any kind of opportunity that you can get a puppy kiss and a puppy scent, because the puppies have such a fun smell as well, it’s always very helpful, especially as a student,” Lackey said. “You’re going to do something good for your body by stretching, and then you’re also contributing to the community and learning about puppies in need, and you’re just improving their lives as well as your life.”
There are plenty of opportunities outside of the monthly yoga for students to get involved with Mobile Om and SNIPSA. As for yoga, Fauss and her team hold different yoga events throughout the city every week — and SNIPSA is always looking for more volunteers.
Lackey said that SNIPSA has a special relationship with Trinity, having worked with many student volunteers in the past and even collaborating with the university for an internship. Students can sign up to volunteer on the website or participate in their fundraising events, including puppy yoga and their annual “Race for the Rescues” 5K event taking place on Sept. 27.
