Where to practice goat yoga in Michigan

With warmer weather finally hitting the Mitten, you may be looking for some places to enjoy the great outdoors and get in some exercise too. So why not try your hand (or your whole body?) at a goat yoga session?

Goat yoga is regular yoga with a fun twist for animal lovers. While students do their poses and work on their breathing, baby goats join in the sessions with them. Instructors might place some tasty treats on students’ backs, encouraging the baby goats to climb atop for a free light massage (note: not all classes allow this) or enjoying the goats as they wander through the class, providing their own source of stress relief and entertainment. 

Goat yoga can be a lot of fun and it comes with proven benefits too: It aids in stress relief, provides a calm and relaxing environment, decreases blood pressure, and is beginner-friendly. Plus, it’s so much fun that it can take the pressure off of someone who may be hesitant to try a yoga class in a studio. Most goat yoga places require you to bring your own mat, but no previous yoga experience is required. 

If you’ve ever been curious about trying goat yoga, now is the time to make it happen, with many Michigan farms, studios, and even local breweries hosting regular or pop-up goat yoga sessions through the spring and summer. Here are some of the best places we found to try out a goat yoga session in Michigan. 

The Goat Yoga Studio

Where: Plymouth, MI

When: Weekly classes May through July 2024; private booking available

Price: $35/class

Photo courtesy of The Goat Yoga via Instagram.

The Goat Yoga studio is located near Ann Arbor and Detroit and is a 27-acre rescume farm that houses horses, chickens, goats, and a pig. The yoga studio hosts regular goat yoga classes as well as private parties and events. The goat yoga classes can be held indoors in the event of inclement weather, or outdoors, and are run by a certified yoga teacher who has a heart for animals. “Very relaxing, I felt amazing after my session. Goats were so sweet,” reported one reviewer after a class. 

Yoga on the Farm Holly

Where: Holly, MI

When: Weekly May through July; private booking available 

Price: $26/person

Photo courtesy of Yoga on the Farm via Facebook.

Intended for those aged 13 and over, Yoga on the Farm in Holly, Michigan offers a slow-flow beginner-friendly 60-minute yoga class right on the farm. A certified yoga teacher leads you through the class and students learn all postures and breathing before the goats join the class, so it’s a seamless transition for everyone. The goats that join the class include a Fainting Goat, Nigerian Dwarves, and Nigerian Dwarf crosses, ranging in age from 3 years to 9 years.

Classes can accommodate up to 12 students and some accommodations for those with disabilities or special needs can be made, but the farm encourages anyone with additional needs to contact them to book a private class or event. Children ages 8 and up can also join as part of a private class. An indoor studio in a renovated historic barn is also available for inclement weather. 

Bluebird Meadow Goat Yoga

Where: Ada, MI

When: Check the calendar for specific dates

Price: $35/person

Located 20 minutes northeast just outside of Grand Rapids, MI, Bluebird Meadow Goat Yoga Farm offers many different types of goat yoga classes and events. They have traditional goat yoga classes as well as parent-child yoga, and for non-yogis, they also have “goat cuddle” opportunities as well. Classes and events are held in an open-air barn. Children can attend the yoga classes as long as they are not disruptive and the recommended age is 8 years and up. There are also special events like “Animal Happy Hour” and private booking available. 

Esham Family Farm

Where: Albion, MI

When: Check the Facebook page for dates

Price: $30/person for drop-ins; $25 for registered students

Photo courtesy of Esham Family Farm via Instagram.

Esham Family Farm has two yoga studies: One is indoors (and heated) and one is outdoors, so classes can be held rain or shine. The Esham Family Farm has been running goat yoga since 2018, so they know what they’re doing and they offer adult goats and their cuddly babies to join in on all the yoga fun.

The classes are one hour long and the farm does permit the baby goats to climb on top of your back if that’s your preference. (Remember, not all facilities allow this, so it’s a good idea to double-check before you book!) The farm also offers smart ways to save money on goat yoga if you’re on a budget: You can bring a friend to a class and save $5 each or purchase a punch card for additional discounts. 

Hilltop Views Farm  

Where: Williamston, MI

When: Dates May through July

Price: $30/class

Photo courtesy of Original Goat Yoga™️ via Instagram.

Billing themselves as the “original” goat yoga destination in Michigan, Hilltop Views Farms launched goat yoga in 2016 and has many upgrades to the experience that might make a trip to Williamston worth it. For instance, they host goat yoga in a beautiful updated 100-year-old barn complete with fairy lights for a magical experience, offer goat “Yotel” experiences for people looking to take a retreat—alone or as part of a group—away from the busyness of life at five different satellite locations, and as a franchise of Original Goat Yoga, even have training for other farms or individuals looking to get involved in goat yoga. 

Holy Hill Farm

Where: Sturgis, MI

When: June 7, 8, 28, 29

Price: $35/class

Photo courtesy of Holy Hill Farm via Instagram.

Holy Hill Farm in Sturgis, MI partnered with a local yoga instructor to offer limited goat yoga classes this summer—there are only 4 classes in June and classes are limited to 15 students each, so you’ll want to be sure to register for a spot early. Kids must be age 13 years or older to participate in the goat yoga classes. If you miss a class, you can also book a private goat yoga experience for $350 with a minimum of 10 participants—booking a private event also gives you access to the farm fun, including getting a chance to bottle-feed the baby goats, browse the farm, and shop for goat milk products like cheese and soap. 

Schomaker Farms

Where: Saginaw, MI

When: May 29, June 1, June 13, June 19, June 22, July 10, July 24, July 27

Price: $30/ticket; $25/ticket if you buy 3 or more

Photo courtesy of Michigan Forensic Examiners via Facebook.

While Schomaker Farms in Saginaw doesn’t regularly offer goat yoga, the farm is hosting some limited dates and times as part of a special fundraiser this summer to raise money for victims of sexual assault in Michigan. Class participants should bring their own mat, water, and towel, have to pre-register, and know that while classes are non-refundable, makeup classes will be offered in the event of bad weather. The farm is hosting two different yoga class times: sunset yoga for a relaxing end-of-the-day experience for adults and kids ages 12+ and morning yoga for the early risers, with kids ages 6+ welcome to attend. 

Westview Orchards & Winery

Where: Romeo, MI 

When: Every Wednesday evening from May to July

Price: $48/person

Michigan native and mom of three Jesse Worden reports that she attended goat yoga at the picturesque Westview Westview Orchards & Winery in Romeo and had a wonderful experience. Guests enjoy an hour-long guided yoga class and get free wine or cider and freshly baked cider mill donuts as part of the class experience. 

“It was super fun!” Worden gushes. She also assures any hesitant participants that if you’re scared of the goats pooping or making a mess, not to worry: “They had cleaned everything before we started, so they really didn’t start pooping all over until the end because we were feeding them!” That being said, she does add it would be a good idea not to bring a “super nice mat” to class, just in case. 

Goat Life Farm

Where: Oxford, MI 

When: Check booking calendar for dates

Price: $45/person

It’s clear that the owners of Goat Life Farm, a small family farm in Oxford, MI, really love their goats. With a tagline that proudly reads they live “the goat life,” their farm offers goat experiences from “Mommy, Me, and a Goat” tea parties to goat products like goat milk soap, candles, and sugar scrubs. They also, of course, have goat yoga experiences that include the “Great Goat Yoga Class,” which is an hour and a half long, evening yoga, and parent-and-child yoga classes. Yoga classes are indoors in a heated barn and include a 30-minute yoga class and an additional hour after class of enjoying the goats and complimentary treats and beverages. 

Other Michigan Spots for Goat Yoga

Keep your eyes peeled for these family-owned farms that will soon be launching goat yoga for the first time or for the season! You’ll want to check back with them regularly or get on their lists to get notified when they launch their goat yoga classes so you’ll have the chance to nab a spot as one of the first students:

• Doxie View Acres in North Branch, MI
• Deep Roots in Caledonia, MI

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.