Wellness
Therapy Fur All!
Pet Yoga answers to the needs of many of us looking to disconnect from stress, slow down, or simply feel good about ourselves.
When Bengaluru-based corporate professional Charu Periwal Dugar heard about a puppy yoga session being hosted in the city by the pet wellness collective Pawsitive, she signed up almost instantly. “I have always enjoyed working out and the moment I saw that it was yoga with puppies, I was overly excited and went for the session with a group of friends,” she recalls with a laugh.
Inside the cosy venue, around 30 participants rolled out yoga mats while nearly two dozen playful puppies wandered freely between them. Some curled up quietly in laps while others strutted around the room, climbing onto the backs of the participants mid-pose or demanding cuddles.
“More than the workout, we were just having fun around the puppies because they were literally all over us. There was absolutely no stress,” she describes. “If you wanted to do the yoga, you could. If you just wanted to sit and chill out with the dogs, that was also completely fine.”
It isn’t just yoga — it is a room full of wagging tails, happy hearts, cuddles, and absolutely no stress
Hold That Pose!
With International Yoga Day around the corner, Pet Yoga (often called puppy yoga, or Doga) seems to be catching the attention of a growing number of urban professionals, students, families, and even first-time yoga practitioners looking for something softer and more emotionally uplifting than a traditional workout. Subhashree Madhavan is co-founder of Chennai-based Pawga, India’s first pet-yoga and experiential adoption initiative that organises sessions across cities. “Sinduja (Krishnakumar) and I have been friends since our undergraduate years, always driven by a shared desire to create meaningful change,” she reveals, adding, “After discovering the concept of goat yoga, we wondered why India couldn’t have puppy yoga. What began as an experiment evolved into Pawga, a movement aimed at encouraging adoption, and creating awareness and changing the narrative around rescued animals across India.”
Founded in 2019, Pawga combines beginner-friendly yoga sessions with free interaction with shelter puppies and rescued indie dogs. A large part of its mission is centred around adoption awareness and welfare for shelter animals, with a portion of the proceeds from every session supporting rescue initiatives. “The animals are free to roam, cuddle, and socialise, creating a stress-free environment for both humans and animals,” informs Subhashree.
Healing feels better when rescue animals bring comfort to both hearts and homes.
The yoga routines are devised to accommodate the animals. In the puppy-yoga session attended by Charu, the instructor carefully chose simple, undemanding poses that participants could comfortably perform even with puppies climbing onto them. “I had one tiny puppy sitting on my lap for most of the session and I could still do some of the asanas,” she shares. “Nothing was strenuous. It was all designed in a way where you could actually do it with the puppies around you.”
Wellness Beyond Workouts
In a post-pandemic culture shaped by burnout, digital fatigue, and loneliness, many people are moving away from rigid fitness formats towards wellness experiences that feel gentle, emotionally restorative, and socially engaging. Dr. Murali Krishna—Visiting Consultant-Psychiatry & Counselling Services at Aster RV Hospital, Bengaluru—believes the appeal of pet yoga lies in the way it combines movement, mindfulness, and emotional companionship.
Beyond a trend, it becomes a space for connection and healing
“The rapid city environment results in many people developing stress symptoms, together with feelings of loneliness and extended work hours. Extended periods on the screens for work and otherwise is causing a lot of screen fatigue,” Dr. Krishna explains. “Yoga practice, which includes pet companionship, establishes a peaceful yet happy atmosphere that enables people to find relaxation and restore their emotional energy.” According to Subhashree, the sessions have also created unexpected moments of connection among strangers. “We’ve seen children become more compassionate towards animals, and individuals dealing with loneliness find moments of joy and peace,” she notes. “Beyond yoga, the sessions become a space for emotional release, mindful connection, and community-driven healing.
“What may appear as a fun social-media trend often becomes a deeply emotional and healing experience in reality,” emphasises Subhashree. “We’ve seen people who came in stressed or emotionally exhausted leave feeling lighter, calmer, and more connected.”
Yoga, mindfulness, and companionship create a gentle space where stressed minds can pause, heal, and recharge
Besides, such get-togethers help rescued animals engage with humans. Charu sums it up best. “Dogs are naturally therapeutic. Just being around them makes you feel lighter”
Pet Yoga For Starters
- Interaction with animals may help lower cortisol levels and boost oxytocin, often called the feel-good hormone
- Many pet-yoga sessions in India collaborate with shelters and rescue groups to encourage adoption
- Most pet-yoga classes are designed for beginners and focus more on relaxation than intense fitness
- Some organisers include calming add-ons like breathwork, meditation, herbal teas, or matcha counters
- Organisers say several attendees eventually go on to adopt pets after interacting with rescue animals during sessions
