Phenomenological Qualitative Program Evaluation of Goat Yoga for Cultivating Joy and Positively Shifting Perspective
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Date
2023-05-12Author
Berbel, Teri Relyea
0009-0004-5029-688X
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There is increasing evidence that animal-assisted interventions are helpful for mental wellbeing in reducing anxiety and depression. There is also a large body of research supporting the benefits of yoga for symptoms of trauma. However, there can be resistance to participating in yoga interventions because of insecurity or personal aversions to the practice. Also, yoga alone may not provide sufficient positive affect attributes to promote the needed change. The combined yoga and animal-assisted intervention of “Goat Yoga” has been popular for several years as a fun and uplifting activity but has not been studied for its influence on mental wellbeing. This study provides findings from an interpretative phenomenological analysis using interviews and surveys with nine participants to determine the personal experience of the phenomenon of “Goat Yoga” for its influence on participants’ joy and shift in perspective. The findings suggest a positive impact on affect regulation. Four core themes captured participants’ experience of the combined yoga and animal-assisted intervention: (1) Fun, (2) Inducing Calm, (3) Shifting Focus, and (4) Removing Barriers. The findings suggest that “Goat Yoga” is beneficial as a complementary therapy for depression and anxiety, especially for treatment-resistant conditions, but further research is needed to determine relevance across various populations.