Chill out with ‘puppy yoga’ in Topeka to support Kansas nurses

TOPEKA (KSNT) – A Topeka animal shelter is offering locals a chance to relax with a special yoga class alongside a bundle of puppies.

Next week, Helping Hands Humane Society (HHHS) will be holding a ‘puppy yoga’ class to help people relax, get fit and play with some cute animals along the way. This isn’t the first time the organization has held classes like this before though.

HHHS spokeswoman Emi Griess says the shelter has been partnering with a local yoga instructor named Suzi King to regularly hold animal yoga sessions. It initially started out as yoga sessions with cats and kittens but now includes puppies and dogs as well.

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“I formed Kitty Karma Yoga in partnership with HHHS back in 2016 as a way to bring two things I was passionate about together: teaching yoga asana and animal welfare,” King said.

Classes are held at HHHS and are generally $10 per person with the money going directly to the shelter. However, the next class is a first for HHHS as it will also be a fundraiser for the Baker School of Nursing. This will bump up the price to $12 per person with the extra $2 going to the university’s nursing program.

“It’s a very different vibe with cats and kittens vs puppies,” Griess said. “Cats and kittens are not too noisy, they will kind of run around and play. With the puppies, it’s a little more rambunctious.

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Griess says the yoga classes help animals learn how to socialize and let people meet adoptable pets in a fun setting while learning about the shelter’s mission. Guests are also encouraged to bring donation items when they visit from the wish list for HHHS.

“I think its very different from regular yoga classes because of the animal element,” Griess said. “It can introduce this new type of exercise and stress relief to animal lovers.”

Griess says the next class may not feature puppies as planned previously and instead consist of adult dogs from the shelter. Either way, attendees can expect to hang out with dogs during one of the two sessions scheduled for next week.

Two classes are currently on the HHHS schedule from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 25. Class sizes are generally capped at 30 people. To register for a class, click here.

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To keep up with future animal-themed yoga sessions with HHHS and Kitty Karma Yoga, follow the HHHS on Facebook. The HHHS can be found at 5720 SW 21st Street in Topeka.

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