To better improve their physical and mental health, members of faculty and staff participated in goat yoga outside of Rugby as part of their annual health and wellness week Oct. 19 .

According to the instructors, while yoga generally helps to relieve stress, goat yoga particularly targets participants’ emotional wellbeing.

“Yoga itself is already grounding and relaxing, but then you add in the goats, and afterwards you just feel like the most mellow human being that’s ever been,” instructor Rae Scharfman said.

Although costume designer Lisa Peters did not participate in the actual yoga, she was able to pet the goats.

“It was a relaxing, nice break in the day to come and be in the moment with the little goats,” Peters said. “It’s hard to think of anything else when you’re there petting a little baby goat.”

The attendees enjoyed the experience, Scharfman said, and appreciated the relaxing activity.

“They all left looking blissful and in a cloud which is the goal,” Scharfman said