Unwind with Yoga and Puppies: A Unique Wellness Event for Pune Residents

After an entire week of screen time and deadlines, a yoga session is almost a must to relieve stress. Last weekend, young Punekars did just that, with a booster dose of serotonin as sleepy and playful puppies joined the participants during the session.As participants rolled out their mats, a handful of shelter puppies trotted in, instantly lifting the energy. Some puppies curled up under the strongest AC vent and fell asleep almost immediately, while others explored the mats, sniffed water bottles, or tried to get participants to do the 'pawasana'.

Sinduja Krishnakumar, founder of Pawga and organiser of the event, shared, "We came up with the idea in 2020 after volunteering at dog shelters.

We wanted to change the approach towards adopting puppies by giving it a happy spin." The team specifically chose indie dogs because they are often overlooked. "A portion of the proceeds from the yoga session goes back to the shelters, and the puppies get used to human interaction.

This helps with the adoption process," adds Sinduja.When the session ended, no one rushed out. Some stayed on their mats, quietly watching the puppies stretch or sleep. Others helped carry sleepy pups back to their crates. An hour of gentle movement, soft laughter, and wagging tails left everyone lighter, calmer, and unexpectedly happy“This is more relaxing than regular yoga because of the puppies.

They help people unwind and be calm. I love dogs and I love teachingCombining both at this session was amazing. -Akanksha Bhilwadkar, who led the yoga session“My experience was amazing. At first, I was nervous because some puppies were shy. I wasn’t sure if I could pet them, but by the end, they got comfortable.”-Divya Jaiman, who works in cybersecurity