As part of the Wellness Week 2023 event lineup, on March 10, BUSU hosted a series of “puppy yoga” sessions where students had the chance to stretch their muscles and pet English Bulldog puppies.
BUSU hosted two puppy yoga sessions, meaning students could sign up to attend the event at 10 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. Both sessions were entirely sold out on the BUSU website several days before the event.
Throughout, students had the guidance of Echo Wang, the lead yoga trainer at the event and founder of “Yoga Kawa,” a Canadian-founded yoga company offering various yoga class services, including puppy yoga.
The first segment of the event was mainly dedicated to teaching students what to do and not to do once the puppies came into the session: for instance, not forcing them to stay still if they wished to wander around the room or what to do in case a puppy vomits.
Wang asked all attendees to relax, close their eyes and engage in a puppy-themed meditation session. She asked students to imagine an English Bulldog puppy coming toward them as they meditated and slowly stretched their necks in anticipation of the puppies being released into the room.
As soon as the English Bulldog puppies were released into the room, attendees were visibly happy and eager to interact with the dogs, with many being distracted from the yoga session itself to pet the puppies and take photos with them. For those who were still engaged in the actual workout, Wang guided students through beginner-friendly yoga poses, such as child’s pose and “puppy pose.” Despite most students shifting their attention to the fuzzy companions present in the session, those interested in yoga still were able to get a good yet easy morning workout, regardless of skill level.
Once instructor Wang finished the guided-yoga session, ample time was dedicated for students to take photos with the puppies. Wang gave students instructions on how to carefully hold the puppies for different kinds of photos to not to hurt them or startle them.
Likewise, Wang also offered to supervise and assist in more complex photo prompts, as in the case of students who wanted to take photos doing the “puppy pose” with a puppy standing on their back or students who wanted a photo with a puppy cradled in the hood of their hoodies.
Rebecca Cecchini, a first-year concurrent education student, found great joy in joining the BUSU Puppy Yoga session. “I expected there to be more yoga, but that’s okay because I know when you have the puppy, you just want to sit with the puppy, but it was still very fun. I expected it to be good, and it was very good,” said Rebecca. “I would totally recommend that they [students] come and try it because it was very fun.”
To keep up with BUSU Wellness Week events, make sure to follow their Instagram page and to routinely check out the events tab on their website. As well, to find out more about Echo Wang’s “Yoga Kawa,” follow them on Instagram and check out their website.
