Located in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, about 20 minutes west of UPrep, is Resilient Hearts Animal Sanctuary’s Bark and Burn class. Working as a non-profit, the puppy yoga and Bark and Burn classes ask for donations to allow them to continue rescuing and re-homing puppies.
We attended their Bark and Burn class, which consisted of puppy playtime and a mix of bodyweight or puppy weighted workouts. The hour-long session gives people an opportunity to de-stress after a long day while getting in some light physical activity. With puppies everywhere and the challenge of doing squats while holding a lively, barking pup, the session guaranteed you’d leave with a big smile.
An added bonus of a weekday nighttime session is that the puppies are often wiped out from a long day of activity. While some still had fun bursts of energy throughout the night, running around the room and playing with the toys, others found comfort curled up in laps and drifting in and out of sleep.
It is important to understand that wherever you may attend for puppy yoga are treating their puppies with respect and taking their needs into consideration. At Resilient Hearts, puppies are brought in from their foster homes, clarifying that they are being cared for and thought of. As we went through our workout, puppies often took a pee break, with volunteers on standby to keep the space as clean as possible.
The workout was not always smooth – one pose challenged you to hold a sleepy, heavy puppy while remaining in a squat. Other moves included split squats, planks and dead bugs all while being in the presence of squirming, excited puppies. When the burn became too much we had some cute puppies to go play with
We thought it would only be fitting to review our experience using a rating system that matched the theme: five paws. After a short discussion, we quickly agreed that this decision required almost no debate at all. From start to finish, the class was filled with pure joy, laughter and, of course, an overload of puppy cuteness that completely melted our hearts. The combination of adorable dogs and an accessible workout made the experience fun for everyone, no matter the fitness level or mood that day. Whether you’re a serious gym-goer or just looking for a lighthearted way to unwind, this class is absolutely worth trying–just take our review as a sign! The positive energy in the room was contagious, and it was impossible not to leave smiling from ear to ear. Without hesitation, we give it a perfect rating: five out of five paws.
