We visit an Alpaca Farm for an outdoor yoga class - which is interrupted by a naughty sheep. Lucinda Herbert learns what Alpaca Yoga is all about, and why it's becoming more popular.
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AnimalsTranscript
00:00 Being around animals can do wonders for our well-being.
00:05 Whether it's walking the dogs, feeding the ducks or hearing the birds chirping on a spring
00:11 morning.
00:14 It can feel incredibly uplifting just being around the natural world.
00:21 As more of us spend our days scrolling through social media and using smart devices around
00:26 the home, experiences that take us out into nature and away from the built-up world seem
00:32 ever more appealing.
00:35 And that goes for exercise too.
00:37 From wild swimming to outdoor boot camps, more of us are keen to ditch the gym and get
00:43 active out in the open.
00:45 Well, now there's a new way you can take a gentle outdoor workout in the company of
00:51 some adorable and funny animals.
01:00 So alpaca yoga, that's actually doing yoga in an outdoor space with the alpacas just
01:05 gently wandering around you.
01:08 They'll either be grazing, showing a little bit of interest in you and the whole ambience
01:14 is that you've got the very calming part of them being in there and nature all around
01:19 you and the fact that you're outdoors.
01:23 We do a similar thing as I do in studios, but I think people are just another level
01:30 of relaxed.
01:31 And afterwards when we lie down for a little body scan meditation at the end, and quite
01:36 often people just don't ever want to get up and move because they're just so relaxed.
01:39 I think it's such a combination of like, you can hear the birds singing in the fresh air
01:45 and just everything.
01:46 It's just so lovely and beautiful and peaceful.
01:48 It just makes it such a beautiful thing.
01:51 It's a shame you can't be outside all year.
01:59 We're told to arrive around 20 minutes before the exercise class begins.
02:04 This gives us plenty of chance to meet the ducks, the geese and of course the alpacas.
02:10 This yoga class has very little to do with burning calories and much more to do with
02:14 animal interaction and just enjoying the great outdoors.
02:21 It was just lovely today because you was out in the nature, listening to the birds, listening
02:25 to the music, beautiful sky, sunny sky.
02:29 It just couldn't have been better could it?
02:30 Just having the alpacas in the background, it was lovely.
02:35 As we take a slow amble through the paddock, we're encouraged to walk the alpacas to feed
02:41 them and to say hello to some of the other residents.
02:45 Walking them out, that's what we did really, that was really our main interaction with
02:48 the alpacas.
02:49 I fed them, I fed them, they've chewed my hand.
02:53 But as we start the class, there's one little fella who just can't resist joining in.
02:57 The naughty sheep that was going round trying to eat people's handbags and chew my laces
03:06 on my shoes.
03:07 So what was the sheep like then?
03:11 A bit of a cheeky monkey really.
03:13 I'm not sure if we'll always include sheep.
03:16 I think everyone quite enjoyed them though, they're quite cheeky but they do like to nibble
03:19 on your yoga mat.
03:21 So yeah, makes for an interesting experience.
03:24 We wanted to come and give everyone a kiss I think when they were lying on the mats and
03:28 have a root through everyone's bag.
03:29 So do the alpacas join in with the yoga?
03:46 They're not like goat yoga where apparently goats go and sit on you and all sorts of things.
03:52 The alpacas will just show interest in the ladies that are doing the yoga.
03:56 They'll go over, maybe have a sniff, but they won't actually come and sort of, they'll just
04:01 wander around the yoga that's taking place.
04:05 It was slightly different today because last week it was a bit touch and go with the weather.
04:10 I thought it might, it could rain, it was quite grey but it did hold off.
04:15 But we were in the paddock over there so the alpacas were in a more slightly enclosed space
04:21 so they did keep coming over to look at us.
04:23 And I think today because they had more space and they had the girl alpacas in the field
04:26 next to them, they were quite interested in flirting with the girls.
04:31 So they didn't come over as much but we had the sheep.
04:36 So it's quite a lot of sheep yoga today as well as alpaca yoga.
04:40 Thank you so much, I really enjoyed it.
04:44 Little herd coming past.
04:50 Having tried a few yoga classes over the years, this felt very different.
04:55 Although I didn't join in today, those who did all seemed to love the alpaca experience.
05:03 So how are you feeling after the session?
05:05 Oh nice and relaxed.
05:06 It's lovely to be able to do that in the open air.
05:08 I've never done yoga before particularly, so to actually do it for the first time out
05:13 in the open is fabulous.
05:14 Is it something you've thought about doing yoga before or is it more because of the animals
05:19 being out in the open?
05:20 It's more because of the animals being out in the open air I think.
05:22 I'd probably be more inclined to do it again out in the open air rather than in a gym setting
05:26 or something.
05:27 I think it was really relaxing and a bit different isn't it, a bit quirky.
05:31 I've done hot yoga in a studio but it's much nicer being out and about in the fresh air
05:35 with the sunshine.
05:36 Rather than being confined and looking up and looking at the ceiling somewhere, I was
05:40 looking at the sky and my feet were touching grass and the earth and it was lovely that,
05:48 a lovely feeling.
05:49 So how do you feel now?
05:50 I feel really relaxed and really happy.
05:52 It's been an absolutely fantastic day, I've really enjoyed it.
05:55 I'm really happy.
05:56 I'm really happy.
05:57 I'm really happy.
05:57 (upbeat music)