- April 26, 2024
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Barbie playfully joins Flagler Beach resident Jessi Dobbs during a yoga session. Photo by Paige Wilson
Palm Coast resident Jan Kase is comforted by Sherlock during a yoga session. Photo by Paige Wilson
Participants stretch upward while Peppermint wonders around. Photo by Paige Wilson
Palm Coast resident Kolin Calderwood shares a moment with Sherlock. Photo by Paige Wilson
Sherlock walks by yogis Kolin Calderwood, Susan Miller and Amanda Britton. Photo by Paige Wilson
Meditation Mama Yoga instructor Melissa Byram gives Sherlock some affection. Photo by Paige Wilson
Palm Coast resident Rina Chowdhury does yoga next to her dog Fluffy. Photo by Paige Wilson
Palm Coast residents Nicole O'Brien and Kayla Klufas give Peppermint some attention while they stretch. Photo by Paige Wilson
In a yoga session that included downward dog and a "paws" for breathing, about a dozen locals enjoyed the company of a few furry friends at the Flagler Humane Society on Sunday, Oct. 21.
Melissa Byram, of Meditation Mama Yoga, a local mobile yoga business, brought the stretches to the animals for two different 45-minute flows to cheer up the pets and hopefully encourage adoption. Guests paid $15 to participate in each session: dogs at 1 p.m. and cats at 2:30 p.m. All of the money from "Yoga Poses, Dog Noses and Meomaste Yoga" went to the humane society.
"I am a huge animal lover. I have two dogs; both of them are rescues. All my animals have always been rescues. I'm a big fan of adopting; don't shop," Byram said. "So, I thought it would be a great opportunity to bring awareness to them and snuggle with dogs. And who doesn't want to do that?"
She said the idea came about after she watched a viral video on social media of dogs in a yoga class. She knew she had to bring that same joy to these local animals.
Byram, a Palm Coast resident, noted that there was a shift in the energy when the dogs walked into the room: smiles lit up faces, giggles interrupted the deep breathes and no one was bothered when a dog came over to their mat mid yoga pose.
A few of the dogs walked in a little unsure of the scene, but quickly became affectionate with all the yogis.
"I would say it's a palpable energy, a palpable genuine connection between participants and the animals," she said.
Byram hopes to repeat this event, ideally making it a quarterly class to benefit the humane society.
