HURRICANE — Goat Yoga is not a ba-a-a-a-ad way to relieve stress, and you can immerse yourself in all the baby goat goodness at this local farm.

In the city of Hurricane, you’ll find Inner Peas Farm, a 1 1/2-acre property that’s home to 25 goats. Among those are six 2-month-old kids and more under 1 year old. And they’re ready to play all day.

“Each of our baby goats this year was named after an author,” Inner Peas Farm owner and yoga teacher Camille Zolman said, pointing at the fur babies. “This is Fitzgerald, there’s Jay Kay and Rowling, Jane and Austin and those two are Earnest and Hemingway.”

Zolman, who is certified as an experienced registered yoga teacher, has been a student of yoga for 10 years and has taught the practice for eight years. She also leads yoga teacher training courses along with regular classes at Sun Rock Yoga and Moqui Yoga & Wellness and offers private one-on-one and group yoga sessions by appointment.

But throughout those years, she dreamed of starting her own Goat Yoga. And this year that dream came true.

Growing up, she said her parents had chickens and a garden, but neither she nor her partner DJ Zolman grew up on a “real” farm. While living in Ivins in 2020, the pair found themselves ready to escape the craziness of the world and slow down. When they found the acre property in Hurricane, they jumped on it. They have since purchased an additional half acre.

“We wanted more of a cool, relaxed life,” she said. “I wouldn’t consider us farmers, but what we do forces us to slow down a bit. And we wanted that for our kids, too.”

Originally, they purchased goats to keep the weeds down in their pasture. But when the babies came, they fell in love. Wanting to share the goodness with the community, they held their first Goat Yoga class in March and officially opened classes to the public in May.

They’ve had visitors from all over the world visit their farm for Goat Yoga since, including a couple from Slovenia who flew into Las Vegas, Nevada, and came directly to their farm before starting their six-week road trip.

Zolman said Goat Yoga is completely different than a regular studio yoga class. The best part for her has been watching strangers come together and be silly while having fun with the goats and stretching their bodies in nature.

“It’s more about the experience,” she said. “It’s kind of like animal therapy. You get outside, people get to stop and slow down and breathe and laugh and just connect.”

Weather permitting, they plan to offer classes through November. Classes will resume in the spring, once the cold weather passes. Due to size restrictions, Goat Yoga also depends on the availability of baby goats.

DJ Zolman said they currently have 25 goats, which means they can always have babies. It’s easier to manage when several mom goats give birth at the same time so the kids are all together. Goats around 4 or 5 months old are the best size for Goat Yoga.

“There’s just something therapeutic about being in the earth with baby animals,” DJ Zolman said. “And it’s really great to connect in the sunshine. There’s really nothing like it.”

“It’s like happy chaos,” Camille added, laughing. “Because goats are animals, so they’re a little bit unpredictable.”

Inner Peas Farm also has 48 chickens and 14 fruit trees. They plan to put in a cut flower farm and a large garden for fresh produce, as well as build a shaded yoga deck.

Outside of her farm and teaching classes at local yoga studios, Camille Zolman is also the founder of Zion Yoga Fest, a yoga event that recently took place at Maxwell Park in Hildale. The idea for Yoga Fest came after moving from Ogden to Southern Utah. She quickly realized the yoga community was segregated and wanted something that would bring them together.

“I just couldn’t find a community, and I think moving is really hard in general,” she said. “So I always joke that I started the Yoga Fest because I wanted to have friends. I needed friends. But it’s true.”

The first year, which started out as Southern Utah Yoga Fest, took place inside the Washington Community Center. It was held at Green Valley Spa the following year, and in 2019, the festival took place in Kayenta. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the 2020 Yoga Fest was held online, then it took a three-year hiatus. 

“This year was just amazing,” she said. “It was just incredible. It was a full weekend and I’m still sort of in shock and awe. We had people from the local community, Florida, Hawaii, California, Texas, Indiana and Canada. Just, wow.”

While Zion Yoga Fest originally started as her “brainchild,” she said the entire event this year was a team effort and she couldn’t have done it on her own.

For those interested in experiencing Goat Yoga, dates are announced a month in advance. Outside of scheduled classes, private Goat Yoga sessions are available. Visit their website for more information. Follow @innerpeasfarm on Instagram for the latest news and updates.

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