NatNews

In recent years, self-care has become much more of a priority for many Americans, particularly millennials, and individuals are investing more time and money into overall wellness than ever before.

A key contributor was the 2020 pandemic, which isolated many individuals from their friends and family members and caused them to focus not only on their own physical health but also (and sometimes even more so) on their own mental health. In fact, according to the Global Wellness Institute, the mental wellness market—which includes senses, spaces, and sleep; brain-boosting nutraceuticals and botanicals; self-improvement; and meditation and mindfulness—grew by 7.2 percent that year, reaching $131 billion.

Dallas-area resident Melanie Cortinas said she has come to recognize how valuable and vital self-care is in such a fast-paced, ever-changing society.

“Self-care is one of the most important gifts you can give to yourself,” she said. “It’s necessary. But most of us don’t realize it until we get older. We spend so much time going and doing, believing we must in order to keep up. We learn that we need self-care to keep up with the rat race in a healthy way.”

There are a variety of ways people practice self-care in their daily lives. Some individuals prefer meditation, while others opt for physical exercise or pampering themselves. It doesn’t necessarily look the same for everyone, but finding what does work for oneself can inspire others to discover ways to take care of themselves, as well.

“For me, self-care is quiet time alone to evaluate the world and my role in it—doing the things I am happy doing alone,” Cortinas said. “I think it has become more important because we either experience positive results when we do, or we recognize it in others who practice it.”

Houston-area resident Darla Hogaboom said she tends to put others before herself so often that it almost feels selfish to prioritize things that are solely for her. However, she said she knows it’s important that her reserves stay full so that she can be there for others and still have enough energy for herself.

“I love to have time in the morning to pray and meditate and manifest things I want in my life,” she said. “[I also have] standing appointments to get my lashes done. I book out every two weeks for months in advance, and it’s a good time to just be still. Taking my daily walks, either outside or on the treadmill, and listening to classic novels are so therapeutic for me.”

Dallas-area resident J.T. Gordon has a handful of different ways he practices self-care, including going on long easy runs while listening to motivational music, taking walks along the lake at night, and stepping back and taking breaks from social groups and social media. He said his most effective form of self-care, though, is blocking anyone or anything that doesn’t bring positive energy into his life.

“That might be the best thing I do,” he said. “I stopped being around people who were neutral or negative toward me. When I surround myself with positive people who support me, life is a lot better and easier.”

Hogaboom also believes that focusing on the good aspects of one’s life and creating positivity within it will help a person live well and improve overall health and well-being.

“We are bombarded so much daily by social media showing us what we think we are missing out on that we forget the things that we truly have,” she said. “A simple scroll through any social media app can be scary and depressing. It’s so important to carve out a space during your day to turn everything off and just relax. Whatever you can do to center yourself and recharge is so important.”

The branches of a tree can help with directions, much like a compass. Branches that are more horizontal are found on the southern side of a tree, while those that are more diagonal and vertical are on the northern side of a tree.

In 2016, after seeing a video of a woman practicing yoga in her home while a baby goat was climbing over her back, Lainey Morse decided to begin the concept of goat yoga in the small town of Albany, Oregon. It wasn’t long before this new form of stress relief expanded across the nation, including into the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

Dallas-area resident Morgan Fritz said she had always wanted to try goat yoga but had never actively sought it out. But when one of her friends reached out and said there was a goat yoga opportunity listed on Eventbrite, she decided to buy a ticket and attend.

“It was mostly playing with goats and doing yoga when you could,” she said. “The goats are heavy, so when they climb on you (or put their hooves on you), you really have to brace yourself a little bit. As soon as a goat would get even a few feet near me, I remember I stopped paying any attention to the yoga instructor and just watched where the goats were going.”

Goat yoga has grown in popularity on the West Coast, as well. Ashley English, a resident of the Sacramento metro area, adores essentially every animal that has the potential to be a beloved cartoon character and saw the chance to take part in this form of yoga as a dream come true.

“At the time, I was working for a tourism organization, and we had two businesses in the area hosting goat yoga events that spring that I was desperate to cover in our blog and to promote more on social media,” she said. “It was so unique (at the time—I know it’s becoming more popular), and combining yoga with adorable animals sounds like something I made up as a perfect way to spend my time.”

For Dallas-area resident Megan England, the concept was unique enough to pique her interest, though she said not a great amount of yoga actually occurred.

“I love animals, and I like to do offbeat things,” she said. “Also, it was a fundraiser for the organization. But no one really did yoga. They just played with the goats and pigs.”

Fritz, who also took flamingo yoga (yes, it’s yoga with flamingos) while she was in the Bahamas recently, won’t be using goat yoga as a go-to way to stay in shape, but she said she would definitely take another class.

“It’s not necessarily a perfect form of exercise, but it’s a fun way to get together with friends and do something different,” she said. “Plus, goats aren’t scary, so that definitely helps (I would definitely say no to snake yoga).”

Dallas-area resident Libby Shewski has not yet taken goat yoga, but she has high hopes to do so in the future.

“I want to try goat yoga because the goats are so cute, and it’s a fun activity and way to mix exercise and cute animals,” she said. “Actually, I’d much rather try puppy yoga.”

England, who thinks that goat yoga has become so popular because of its marketability and how different organizations are choosing to operate, said she would also enjoy puppy yoga, but she would probably love the puppies a bit too much.

“Rescue groups are getting creative on how to raise funds,” she said. “Events like goat yoga provide the Instagram experience people like to document. Also, I think goat yoga is superior to puppy yoga because I know I can walk away from a goat, but I would cry leaving puppy yoga because I wouldn’t be able to take them all home.”

For English, there are hopeful expectations that goat yoga is on the horizon again. She said she is on the lookout for such events every spring, but the dates haven’t aligned with her schedule recently.

“I am deeply disappointed that I have not done it again,” she said. “It is just such a joyous and unbelievably cute good time. I don’t think you can be in a bad mood leaving a goat yoga class (unless you don’t like yoga, or you don’t like goats, in which case, what are you doing there?).”

WEEKLY PHOTO OP

NatNews dear reader Morgan Fritz enjoyed goat yoga when the opportunity presented itself

Tuesday, July 18: Dallasites101 Christmas in July Ladies Night at the Galleria Ice Rink
Wednesday, July 19: National Hot Dog Day; National Daquiri Day at Legacy Hall
Thursday, July 20: Deep Ellum Wine Walk: Summer Soirée
Friday, July 21: Shania Twain at Dos Equis Pavilion; U.S. Women's World Cup Watch Party at Happiest Hour
Saturday, July 22: WRRC Saturday run at Taco Joint