Doga (Dog Yoga)

Doga (a portmanteau of "Dog Yoga") is the practice of yoga with pet dogs.

Through acts of meditation, gentle massage, and stretching, doga practitioners seek to achieve a greater harmony with their dogs. Canine acupuncture and chanting are also known to take place within the occasional doga routine.

In Doga, the submissive dogs and their human masters work as one unit - the masters help their dogs facilitate different poses and, in some cases, the pets are used as props or instruments while the masters perfect their poses. This is seen to be a Zen way of practicing non-traditional yoga and training, while exploring power play dynamics.

Doga has received some criticism from the yoga community^[1]. Doga classes have been labeled inappropriate for trivializing the sacred practice by turning it into a "fad", for their lax policies on teacher certification, and for the dogs' interference in participants' concentration and relaxation when they are not properly trained to cooperate.^[1]

Doga enthusiasts have argued^[1] that the practice emphasizes yoga's focus on union between beings, helps establish a pack mentality, strengthens the bond between owner and pet, can provide additional weight resistance thereby intensifying one's yoga ritual. Doga can purportedly also provide a great source of entertainment for dog-friendly class members.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Lyttle, B. (April 8, 2009) "Bonding With Their Downward-Facing Humans", The New York Times.