This unique approach to fitness has been around for years, but really gained international popularity in 2011. Since then, world record attempts have taken place all around the globe. Before Saturday, the record was held by 265 doga participants from San Diego that was established in January 2015. According to Suzette Ackerman, the organizer of the Hong Kong event, Dog Yoga is particularly important in large cities and in nations where workers feel excessive pressure to succeed. What gets lost in all that commotion and emphasis on work is spending quality time with one’s pet. Doga provides a fun solution to this problem.
Doga has something for both the dogs and their owners. For beginners, like at the event in Hong Kong, a lot of stretching involving the furry companions takes places. Coupled with this stretching is a lot of massaging, similar to the typical belly rubs that dogs receive. For more advanced participants, a number of traditional yoga poses, including up dog, tree, and cobra are done while holding the canine. Finally, for those individuals with the flexibility and balance, there is a top level of doga in which complicated yoga poses, including down dog, boat, and camel are performed while the dog balances on the person’s body.
With the Hong Kong record not even a week old, organizers in Miami have announced that they plan to challenge the doga record next year. So if you’re looking to get your name in the record book while also taking in the sights of South Beach, it might be time to start stretching, book your plane ticket, and get the dog’s travel carrier out of the closet.
