This is a cool fusion of three things you’ll like and indeed need if you like to socialise with friends, like coffee or tea, enjoy the company of cats and understand the advantages of a bit of yoga to maintain balance in your life.
I have a friend who does yoga to slow his brain down as it is a bit overactive he says but each person takes their own benefit from yoga such as improved flexibility.
And flexibility is a good word for this article because cats are amazingly flexible. They can lead the way if they are present at a yoga class in a cat café which is exactly what you’ll see at Charlotte’s Mac Tabby Cat Café in the heart of NoDa, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.
I love the fusion of these three elements. A yoga instructor, Eva Mathieu, is working with Charlotte’s Mac Tabby Cat Café to run yoga classes and as you can see from the video the cat café cats are there with them.
Eva makes a nice point when she says that sometimes beginners at these sorts of classes are a little anxious about being shown up, of looking bad and being judged by others. The presence of the rescue cats, all of whom are up for adoption, helps remove some anxiety perhaps because they distract the participants and make the yoga session more fun.
The cats participate to a certain extent because Eva likes to put some catnip on the mats. She says that participants have to accept the possibility of a scratch or two on their mats. This should be no problem for cat lovers.
The video shows a very emotionally warm environment. There is a natural fusion between these elements. All three, cats, café and yoga, help to de-stress and leave customers feeling a bit better.
On a personal note, I attend Pilates once a week at the local YMCA. I am going in today at 08:30 today. Pilates and yoga is not just about doing the exercises, it’s about socialising with like-minded people and having fun. Rescue cats can add to that.
I don’t know how successful cat adoptions are at the cafe but Eva says:
“It’s just a really good place to get to know cats and their personality..We will welcome you with open arms and open paws.”
I’d bet that cats with yoga is good for the cats too as they are more likely to find a new forever home.
