With goat yoga having gone mainstream, you can now do downward dog with a python. LXRYOGA in Orange County outside of Los Angeles offers yoga classes with pythons. Studio owners Tess and Huy Cao keep a dozen of the animals at the studio. Students select a crystal at random—each snake is named for one.
SFGate's Paul Mejia slithered into a class:
Eventually we make our way to a standing position at the top of the mat, and Tess tells me to put my hands together as if in prayer. She then gently places Pyrite in between my thumb and my index finger, instructing me to then hold the snake near the middle of her body rather than her neck. The snake is both lighter and heavier than I expected: She only weighs about 5 pounds, but feels dense depending on which pose is happening at any given moment[…]
Compared to other classes I've taken, I'm struck by the mental gymnastics of the snake yoga experience: By virtue of holding a living being in my hands, and trying to be mindful of making sure she's supported there, I find that my mind drifts less towards day-to-day worries and existential thoughts, which can sometimes happen when you're engaging in yoga — where you are very much in your head. Tess says that's part of the intention of snake yoga.
"You really have to stay in tune with staying safe, keeping the animal safe," she says.
Previously:
• Italy bans puppy yoga
• These capybara yoga classes will make all of your dreams come true
