Anna Kowalski, 46, owner and CEO of Outdoor Yoga Peak District has been incorporating farm animals into her outdoor yoga events for nearly three years.
The Chesterfield resident, who has been teaching yoga for around 15 years, wanted to add a fun twist to her outdoor yoga sessions, in order to get more people to try their hand at the holistic pastime.
Anna said: “I wanted to try and set up sessions that make it really clear that it’s about the fun and being outside. It’s not about doing perfect poses or looking a certain way. It’s something for everybody.
Anna first got into yoga after finishing university to help deal with the stress of her final year of studying.
Anna said: “It really helped me to relax. At the end of the yoga sessions you do a relaxation period and it just really helped me to clear my mind and to breath properly. I didn’t really realise just how stressed I was until I did that.
“I was like wow this is the first time I felt good and my mind felt clear. I thought this is incredible and I’ve got to share this with people.”
After becoming hooked, Anna began teaching children's yoga at schools all around Derbyshire.
In 2021, Anna set up Outdoor Yoga Peak District to run yoga sessions outside in nature. She hoped to provide the benefits of yoga amongst stunning local surroundings such as Curbar Edge.
After meeting people who own alpacas, Anna started hosting yoga sessions which included alpaca trekking three years ago.
Over the last year she has hosted yoga sessions with an array of animals such as pygmy goats, lambs and horses at various venues across the region.
Anna said: “I think it’s what people want. I think people want more fun, and it’s very light-hearted with the animals. We don’t take it too seriously.
“The animals want to eat food off of people's backs and climb on them. It’s just so uplifting, and it really provides that fun element.”
The outdoor and animal yoga sessions will run until around the end of October.
Over the autumn and winter months Anna hosts several types of indoor events. She hosts well-being days, as well as aromatherapy and sound bath yoga sessions.
Outdoor Yoga Peak District also hosts yoga with craft sessions. This combines yoga with the crafting of flower crowns, wreaths, and dream catchers with a local florist.
Anna said: “I work with all different people to bring these sessions. It’s never just yoga on its own and it’s just a way to do something different as there is so much competition in Chesterfield.
“I try to be a bit experimental and just keep trying things. If something doesn’t work and no one books on then I move on to the next idea. I’m always trying to put different things on so that my customers keep coming back. Along the way I’m attracting new ones as well.”
Yoga sessions with Outdoor Yoga Peak District can be booked on their website where you can also get more information about some of the services they offer.