Suzi Teitelman has taught disco yoga. She has taught aqua yoga. At seven months pregnant, she has every intention to do yoga with her child.
You might think that resume has tapped out her creativity. Yet with a voice that exudes exclamation marks, Suzi’s work as an actor and a sought-out yoga teacher is just beginning.
We could speak to Suzi for ages about all of the amazing
out-of-the-box yoga spaces (move mat, get out of the way). Yet we just had to focus on her yoga classes with dogs.
Doga (rhymes with yoga) brings the same creatures that chase their own tails into the sanctuary for inner peace. After 9/11, Suzi decided that she wanted her own dog. She raised a black cocker spaniel from a little puppy and built herself up to the five dogs she now owns today. Creating Doga was an “organic” experience for Suzi.
Interested? There may be more face licking than you’re used to in your everyday vinyasa class, yet there will also be far more smiling.
Here are some of the things Suzi wanted us to know about yoga with your favourite canine companion:
1. Best to do yoga before doga. Doga can make the traditional moves harder. Having a lump of fur weighting down your boat or Warrior II increases the challenge in your core and your quads. If you’re too concerned about understanding yoga protocol, you could also hurt your dog. Best to know the basics.
2. All dogs welcome. Suzi believes that, “all of us have an innate truth and calmness within us. Dogs find it easier than we do!” It is a practice of allowing. Doga is
designed for any dog. Some owners will tell Suzi that they don’t believe that their dog could fit in. Suzi says that the person has to put in the right energy and the dog will follow. “Your dog is not going to want to do it if you’re not going to want to do it. It is a partner class!”
3. Laughing is encouraged. Although sometimes
the spiritual side of life can get super serious, there is no other way to react when you pick up a dog’s hind legs and notice that they love stretching in handstand. Who knew? They just need a little assisting. Quite frankly, most of us do!
4. More than one dog? Suzi says her dogs line up for yoga. “They all want it,” she laughs. Her online videos show the dogs getting their stretches on and moving to the back of the mat in succession. More companions means a little juggling but you aren’t exempt from a Doga class.
5. Leave the wild and crazy stretches for humans. Just as aggressive yoga adjustments can hurt the yoga practitioner, assisting a dog into crazy poses could
be potentially injurious. It might make more sense to do some doggie massage or align their chakras. “Dogs have chakras just like people do,” declares Suzi.
Most Doga classes are
organized in a park, but Suzi did teach one class in a lululemon store. Suzi can help yoga instructors to up their certifications to work with dogs. “I would love more people to work with me,” Suzi says. “I’m so glad there are other teachers out there and that it's becoming a phenomenon.”
The yoga community just keeps expanding! Pawesome.
Learn more on Suzi’s website here.
