At one exercise studio, goat and puppy yoga are a thing of the past.
Now, people can relax while having a snake slither up their backs.
LXRYOGA, a studio in Costa Mesa, California, offers the latest trend by way of snake yoga — and people who are scared of the slithery reptiles are the target audience.
“Some might say our offering is a ‘gimmick like other animal-incorporated yoga,’ but we truly believe in what we offer,” Tess Cao, co-owner of the studio, told People.
The purpose is to “help individuals overcome the fear of snakes through breath,” said Tess, who owns and operates the studio with her husband, Huy Cao.
Tess and Huy bring their own pet ball pythons to the 45-minute , $160 classes, where they are “mindfully incorporated into this gentle yoga class.”
The six snakes are named after crystals, and the four members of the session will randomly draw a crystal to find out which snake is their trusty partner.
Tess said that the serpents are “very social and friendly pets,” but to “avoid causing them any anxiety,” they host an orientation prior to the class to teach participants what to do — and, of course, what not to do — with a snake.
“No one has ever been bitten! Our oldest snake is 4 years old, and we have never been bitten either,” she told People.
Of course, the prospect of an attack is terrifying to some.
Tess recalled a man and his girlfriend who had opposing reactions to the squirm-inducing process.
“She was screaming out of excitement,” Tess told SFGATE.com. “He was screaming out of fear.”
The reporter covering the yoga session also took part in the exercise, which led to Tess explaining that a snake’s movements can be misinterpreted.
“If you feel any squeezing, it’s her just trying to not fall,” Tess told the writer. “She’s not trying to, like, attack or anything like that.”
How comforting.
Not only do the participants handle the snakes, but they allow the slithering creatures to roam their bodies while they’re still.
“Savasana — where students lie down on their backs with eyes closed, while snakes are placed on their bodies — feels like a ‘Fear Factor’ episode, but most say it’s actually grounding and relaxing,” Tess explained.
One studio visitor was able to shed her uneasy feeling after handling a ball python.
“I was scared at the beginning,” Daniela Tunny recently told the Orange County Register,” but now I feel really happy that I did it.”
That revelatory aspect is what Tess hopes for.
“Some may take our class for fun, some are curious about snakes, and some really want to overcome their fear of snakes,” she told People. “But what matters most is we’ve seen everyone leave feeling empowered, along with a new perspective and appreciation for snakes — not to mention, many want their very own snake after their experience.”
