Akhila DamodaranA three-hour workshop that will help you bond better with your pooch through yoga comes to town next month.
Neeraj, who with his Delotus team is travelling across South India conducting workshops, calls Doga ‘the sacred union between pets and pet parents’.
“Including your dog in your yoga practice enables you to observe your attitude towards yourself and all living beings, and gain a deeper insight of your behaviour patterns that arise from the mind,” says the contemporary speaker, teacher and writer on philosophical and spiritual subjects.The workshop includes yogic techniques, mantras and some asanas.
“People equate yoga with asana. But asana is a small part of yoga. Yoga stands for union,” he elaborates.
A lot of the postures are derived from the animal kingdom, he explains. They are modified on the basis of how the dogs and their parents respond to it.
The event’s date and venue have not yet been finalised. Registrations are likely to open a day or two before the event.
Parents can come with their ‘small, submissive and docile dogs’. But the canines shouldn’t be scared, either, he maintains. The dogs will be assessed before the event.
“This might be a first-time experience for them,” Neeraj admits. “In the past, we have done this with aggressive as well as shy dogs.”
But such experiments need space, something the organisers are not sure of getting this time.
If the dogs are excited, there are ways to relax them — through treats — he says. Then, they will move around and play, and perhaps join in the exercise, imitating the other canines around.
Neeraj rubbishes the notion that Doga is just about canines performing acts.
“It is all about creating a bond with your partner pet,” he reiterates. “They may or may not perform stretches themselves, but they will push you to do it. And pet parents will feel relaxed when their pets are around.”
Moreover, dogs are known to have a therapeutic effect, he continues. “It is proven that they are good stress busters,” he says.
Doga is gaining popularity, he thinks. He has been interacting with the people on his Facebook page about its benefits.
He says, “Nature is an integral part of yoga which leads to relaxation, and dogs are a part of nature. I feel animals are superior to humans.”
http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/Yoga-with-dogs-comes-to-Bengaluru/2016/07/21/article3539061.ece
