There are many things you can do on a farm, and one of them is, obviously, yoga. We had our first yoga class on the farm last Saturday.
The great thing about solar sharing is that you can do just about anything under the panels. Yoga class sounded like a fun event.
Because goats participated as well, we'd like to call it Goat Yoga.
 |
| Yoga on the farm |
With one typhoon just having passed last week and another scheduled for next week, we were lucky with the weather - the class coincided with one of the few sunny days in between.
 |
| We were lucky to have a blue sky with inspirational clouds (clearly, white sheep in yoga poses). |
This very first class was kind of trial lesson to see how things turn out, therefore we invited only a few trusted friends in case it's a disaster. Participants involved 4 humans and one goat. (Other goats showed up too, but irregularly).
Our teacher was a friend who is a yoga instructor. Inexplicably, she agreed to give a lesson in this unconventional setting, for which we will be grateful forever.
Goats and chickens took part too
As yoga was new to our goats and chickens as well, we were not sure how they would react. Our worries we unnecessary - both goats and chickens were matter-of-factly cooperative from start to end. |
| A chicken and a goat helping with preparation |
Goats licked clean the boards for yoga mats and chickens gladly helped eat bugs under the boards. Incredible volunteers.
Solar sharing yoga
Early September can be still quite hot in Japan. Boards that we laid on the ground to put our yoga mats on turned pretty hot under the sun.
Many yoga poses involve lying on your back, and too much, too hot, too direct sun is something you prefer to avoid. However, because this is solar sharing, the problem is mitigated: solar panels cut about one third of the sunshine, providing a little shade to the yoga doers.
 |
| This is what you see when you lie on your back |
However, the sun moves and the shade follows it faithfully, so (unfortunately) the panels don't guarantee you the shade all the time. Still, better with them than without.
But today was a sunny and windy day, and yoga outdoors was pure pleasure.
If we want to avoid the sun next time, we better start the class earlier in the morning. This time we started at 10am, next time maybe somewhere around 8am will be the best.
Now I finally understand why Radio Calisthenics ("rajio taiso," popular in Japan) starts at 6 am.
One discovery was that chickens were mostly uninterested in yoga, but goats did show some excitement and at least one goat actively participated! :D
 |
| Chicken passing by, unmoved. A goat making a yoga pose. |
 |
| Chicken briefly watching us from the side (before deciding this is not her thing) |
Can you spot the difference?
Here is a Spot the Difference Quiz for you. There are seven differences between the two photos below. (If you find more than seven, let us know)
 |
| Spot the Difference Quiz (there should be seven differences, or more.) |
Answer:
- Instructor's leg
- Left student's leg
- Right student's leg
- Lower-right corner student's leg
- Goat in the back
- Goat in the front: face
- Goat in the front: pooh
After the class, which started at 10am and finished at about 11 am, we sat together and had some delicious home-grown grapes - gift from one of the participants. What a perfect Saturday morning this was.
ツイート
