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BOISE GOAT YOGA!!!

YASSS YOGA WITH GOATS...

Raggedy and Ana continue their adventure with new experiences by getting their stretch on with hungry goats.  You might ask what is goat yoga?  Goat yoga is likely a different experience depending on where you chose to participate. Boise Goat Yoga is a quaint miniature farm located between Meridian and Boise.  They have a pasture where you and several participants lay out yoga mats, amongst piles of hay, where goats freely roam from pile to pile while you pretend to yoga but are trying to get the goats to cuddle or nudge you.   The instructor acknowledged that this kind of yoga is more about having a good time then serious yoga practice. So onto the experience....

Upon arrival, you can hear the goats bleating and the chickens clucking.  There was hot tea available and a toasty fire because it was a little chilly. 

Why Yoga with Goats? 

Raggedy:  I love animals. All animals! Especially snuggly ones. I love yoga! All kinds! Especially kinds that include animals. More than once, I been accused of being a hipster. What's more hipster than Goat Yoga!

Highway: I want goats, I want those cute little goats that parkour off one another in little pajamas!  My husband says “no” so I have to get my goat fix in other ways!  I do enjoy yoga but themz goatz was amazing!

What was it? 

Raggedy: Of course, I was running late but Hwy had kindly saved me an upfront and center seat! Once I settled I took a moment to take in the area! We were seated nicely near a huge willow tree which I quickly learned is goat cereal. Next to our mats, our hosts also placed little piles of hay to entice the goaties over to our mats. 

Highway: I got there early thinking maybe we would get some extra time with goats, but instead I got to hear how excited they were to see us!  They were non-stop bleating until the owners released them.   The facility is quite cute, they have a crossfit or high impact training facility and then a farm outback!  

Raggedy: Our host introduced us to their "Om on the Range", the chickens and goats, and settled us into a mindful yoga practice. As a regular yogi practicer, the flow was smooth and familiar enough to follow along and also become distracted when I wanted to lure a baby goat to my mat. The goats were so well behaved! They were a variety of ages and sizes and SO SO HUNGRY! Those babies ate for our entire practice! Every now and again, one of our hosts would take some willow tree branches as a treat for them which they loved! Towards the end of our practice we found ourselves under some raindrops but after a few sun salutations we drove those clouds away. 

Highway: I think my expectations were pretty high. I imagined that the goats would interact with the yogis more but they were super focus on their breakfast.  Though as you can see above, the goats do a little yoga to...I call it modified downward dog. 

My favorite was the end when we got to play with the goats, hold them, feed them and spoil them.

Would you do it again?

Raggedy: I really had a great time! The hosts were so generous and lovely, the space is fantastic and can accommodate large groups, and how often do you get the chance to lay around with goats! I only wish i heard more bleats from the goats. :) Overall, I'm not sure I'd make this a weekly or monthly practice but I totally recommend giving it a try!

Highway: Yas!!!  I had a great time, the goats were super friendly and seemed to be okay with the attention. Since I can’t have my own, I will just have to keep finding ways to interact with them. 

HUGE thank you to #BoiseGoatYoga for letting us play with their lovely pets! 

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CircusTrix for Derby Chix

Raggedy and Highway try EXTREME AIR SPORTS!!

Where: CircusTrix in Nampa Idaho, whose website boasts they offer “The Ultimate Extreme Air Experience!”, complete with over 39,000 square feet of connected trampolines, including the famous angled wall trampolines and launching decks.  We must give honorable mention the Ninja Obstacle Course, the rock climbing wall, and the gladiator jousting pit. 

Why?

Raggedy: I'm really scared of heights but I also like a challenge. This place allowed us to try a few things we've never done! Rock climbing, ninja warrior, trampoline tricks, and getting stuck in a foam pit until someone has to pull you out. 

Highway: I liked that they had a wide variety of activities.  I had seen lots of videos of folks doing tricks on wall tramps, and I wanted to TRY IT!!

What?

Raggedy: We decided first we'd attempt the Ninja Warrior course. There was a few different kinds of obstacles there; rings, ropes, balance boards, and such. At 5'1" some of these were a STRUGGLE for me. I for one am basically all lower body strength so with the added extra height to climb I didn't last too long on many of these obstacles. I did however to manage to get stuck in some very odd positions before hurling myself into the foam pit to avoid tearing a groin muscle.

Highway: I too am vertically challenged and find that my strength also derives from my lower body.  BUT I have watched enough American Ninja Warrior and Ultimate Beast Master to know that you can get creative in conquering these obstacles. At one point I think I was in the rafters just climbing up and over an obstacles so that I didn’t have to prove to myself that I still lack of upper arm strength.  Just call me GRACE...

Raggedy: The thing I was most excited for was the high jump onto a crash pad. By "high" I would estimate 10-12 feet but like I said I'm scared of heights! When I walked up to the top I had to tell the guy it may take me a while. Surprisingly, it only took me about 1 minute of talking myself into it before I jumped. I think it may have been hard to catch my face in a photo. Just imagine what someone would look like during a plan crash and that is probably an accurate description of my face. I LOVED it though!

Highway: Yes it was difficult to catch her face in the video but despite being scared, Raggedy walked up there not once but twice to challenge herself and face her fear. 

Raggedy: We also did the rock climb which hurt my feet (shoeless in too big mandated socks!) and the trampolines which Hwy was SO good at. I was terrified of breaking my neck so my whole body tensed up like crazy.

Highway: I can’t say I have any desires or remaining aspirations to be a rock climber.  It was incredibly challenging but when your body size and thighs do not give you the length you need to get from one hold to the next, it just seems that I might not be meant to be.  I did get to try the wall tramps, which does require some blind trust that your body will do what you think it will do and that the trampoline won’t just move on you.  But free-falling backwards from about 5-6 feet is a little intimidating. 

Raggedy: The wall climb would be fun with shoes on...I think. I was scared of face planting into the thing but of course Hwy got up first time around. 

Highway: The wall climb was rad, it looked just like the one on American Ninja Warrior, although I am sure it was not near as tall as the actual one but it was challenging to get up the wall and then pull yourself up once you reached the top.   Getting down seemed easy enough, jump into the foam pit and lodge yourself so tightly that you can’t move your legs, that you have to pull out one foam block at a time to slowly dislodge yourself or lose a sock to who knows where. 

Would you do it again?

Raggedy: I had fun! Surprisingly doing flips off a trampoline into a foam pit is still fun even in your 30′s. I might go back next time without Hwy though so I don't get so upstaged. ;)

Highway: I would recommend it for anyone who has kids and likes to do things with their kids.  Again, I took the family ... because we had a Groupon!!!...but they had a lot of fund and to see the adults cutting loose and trying things was fun for them too. I would only go back if Raggedy invited me...

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Burning a Stone - Boise Curling Club

Hwy and Raggedy go Curling!

Hwy: I love the Olympics, set alarms to wake up at 1:35 am to watch the US curling team or stay up past 9pm to watch Women's hockey...love the Olympics.  

Raggedy: I know of the Olympics. I watch when it’s on but definitely not setting alarms for that. No ma’am. 

What’s Curling?

Wikipedia tells us Curling is originally a Scottish sport played on ice in teams of four. Two teams of four take turns sliding heavy polished granite stones or rocks across the ice towards the target or house. Each team has eight stones to try to get closest to the center of the house. Curling is a major sport for our neighbors to the north and athletes can be seen wearing festive pants, much like in roller derby! 

Why Curling?

Hwy: OLYMPICS 2022!!! I feel like curling gets a lot of attention during the Olympics and I thought it would be a great opportunity to engage that Olympic spirit by trying one of the Olympic sports. Also, since my snowboarding trip to Banff, Canada and seeing the Curling Facility, I have wanted to try it.

Raggedy: Curling looked fun and easy to make ridiculous! So, naturally I was down for this. Plus, this seemed like a life size version of shuffleboard!

What did we think:   

Hwy: I was super stoked for this month's event. I was watching the Olympics, and they made it look so easy. Holding a broom (I now know it to be called a sweeper) and so gracefully pushing themselves down the lane of ice like they are anti-gravity figure skaters without the dancing and music.   

Raggedy: To this day I still haven’t seen curling! But now I feel like I need a season pass to Boise Curling Club’s games. 

Our lesson started with an off-ice safety lesson where we learned that ice is slick and also how to be graceful swans when walking on the ice. Interesting side note: Our instructor started curling similar to how Raggedy started derby! New to Boise and wanted to meet people! He joined curling and she chose derby! After 35 minutes waiting for the zamboni machine to clean the ice, we were off to be graceful swans. 

Hwy:  The rules state that you must introduce everyone to one another with a handshake and wish everyone "good curling", which we did. 

Raggedy: Good curling, Hwy. 

Hwy: Good curling! Then we learned the proper stance. If you take a clinic or participate in curling event, you will learn that they have teflon on the bottom of one of their shoes that makes it incredibly slick, you may also learn that it is incredibly difficult to do a low...very low... lunge on a teflon bottom shoe while hurling a rather heavy stone down an icy lane. 

I placed my foot in the hack, placed one hand on the stone and one hand on my pvc pipe stabler, I lunged back and tried to slide forward on one foot. I felt like I had started my first day of Olympic training!  

Raggedy: It was surprisingly easy to balance once moving! And the rocks are so much heavier than you realize. Once we learned to balance by sliding alone, we practiced throwing the rocks. Pro tip! Don’t rely on the rock for balance cause once, it’s gone...

...if you want to see that in motion. Text me. It’s hilarious. 

Would I do it again: 

Hwy: YES!!! My husband and I have discussed joining a beginners curling team.  I recommend it for anyone wanting to try something new and different. My husband and our two kids joined us and they did phenominal, they loved it and talked about it for days. The Bonus was that we were able to watch the Men's Curling team following our curling camp and they understood the rules and strategy which made it super fun. I really did enjoy this activity and could see my self low lunging into the competitive world of curling!

Raggedy: I loved this a lot too! If there was an open curling night I would be a regular. Plus as a mega sweater, I loved being cold and wearing light clothing. *note the difference in clothing from myself in a long sleeved tee and Hwy in several jackets*

Thank you for following us for our February adventure! We will leave you with our serious curling athlete poses! 

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Sleeping with Strangers - Yoga Nidra

Hwy and Raggedy try Yoga Nidra

Raggedy: The concept of Yoga Nidra was a completely new concept for me. 

Hwy: Yeah, I cannot say that I am necessarily the type to lay down and hang out for an hour exploring my inner thoughts or finding my inner totem, but I am the type who can monopolize on a chance for a quick nap. 

Raggedy: Totally. I’m not a good sleeper, but I am an appreciator of meditating. And also of laying down on my butt as much as possible. 

What’s Yoga Nidra?

Wikipedia tells us Yoga Nidra is deep relaxation and meditation, a state called samadhi. Yoga Nidra is among the deepest possible states of relaxation while still maintaining full consciousness.

Why Yoga Nidra?

Hwy: I am a regular patron of Boise Hot Yoga Studio that offers a variety of classes from 90 minutes of Bikram Yoga to Aerial Yoga to Nidra (Meditation). The studio is holding a 30 day bingo challenge and there is a square designated for each of their new classes, including Nidra; so I talked Rachel into attending with me. 

Raggedy: I am always up to take advantage of a free workout so I was immediately on board. This of course was before I was aware of what Yoga Nidra is. 

What did we think?

Hwy: We began by placing our yoga mats down covered by some blankets and then a few blankets to cover with.  There were lit candles, the aroma of sage and lemongrass, and the soft yet high toned sound of our instructors voice. 

Raggedy: The instructor asked us to get into as comfortable of a position as possible because once the class begins it’s encouraged to move as little as possible. She also asked us if we were comfortable being touched/corrected, which surprised me. How can someone lay down incorrectly?

Hwy: The class begins with some deep breathing and within minutes of the instructor rubbing my forehead’s worry lines and the verbal go ahead to fall asleep I was sound asleep. 

Raggedy: That made me realize why we were going to be touched. It was totally quiet at this time (with the exception of breathing noises) and I appreciated redirection of facial and shoulder tension. 

Hwy: I woke to my own light snoring only to find myself on the back of an eagle flying north to the land of healing. I felt like I had skipped ahead in a Harry Potter book where I was seeking my totem on the back of my trusty eagle. 

Raggedy: Yeah, the guy next to me fell asleep almost immediately, too. I knew this because he started to snore right away. In case you were wondering, Hwy doesn’t snore. I’m amazed at other’s ability to fall asleep so quickly. I knew there was no chance of me falling asleep. The instructor guided us through recognizing the feelings in our body through story telling. My massage therapist is always telling me to fix my shoulders and that was very apparent in this class. I noticed I’d redirect my shoulder’s away from my ears and within minutes they’d be full on tense again.

Hwy: Shortly thereafter, we had traveled up and down and then inward where I found a rock, that I was to imagine into my totem. My rock became a totem, my totem rock, it did not transform as the instructor suggested, it did not exude light as the instructor suggested...but it was MY rock!

Raggedy: I totally don’t remember the totem portion. For a bit, my mind wandered some. I was thinking about how differently my body felt in different parts. My legs and hips were so tense and uncomfortable but my back and arms felt so rooted into the ground and still. It was a crazy contrast. 

Hwy: The class comes to a close with some deep breathing and an "OMmmmm" which had me pinching the webbing of skin between my thumb and pointer finger so that I did not laugh out loud. 

Raggedy: Same. I also felt way too self-conscious to “Omm”. That feeling of “what if I’m the only one who does it?” totally took over. 

Would we do it again?

Hwy: It’s not that I don’t appreciate what meditation has to offer but I had never experienced it in person and had never envisioned myself experiencing that in a serious way.  After the "OMmmm"  I leaned over to Rachel and whispered "I fell asleep" to which she giggled and affirmed "I know!"

Raggedy: I know! Just like Han. 

Raggedy: By the end, I appreciated the practice but mostly just wanted the feeling to return to my butt again. 

Hwy: I’m glad I experienced it and I am delighted that we were able to kick off our Off the Track in Boise Blog with such an unusual experience!

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It’s possible you’re asking yourself “What did I just get myself into?!” Well, we are probably asking ourselves the same thing. If you are reading this and you don’t know us, welcome! We are Ana and Rachel or possibly better known as Ana Highway to Hell (Hwy) and Raggedy Ann-ihilation. We met playing roller derby in Boise, ID for Treasure Valley Roller Derby. Since then we have been teammates, co-presidents, WFTDA medal winners, friends, confidants, and travel mates. 

So, what are you doing here? 

Over the past couple of years, we’ve made a habit of having a “Hwy and Raggedy try something new!” date. This year, we will try something new together at least once a month and chronicle it here. Every month we will answer these three questions. 

Why did we choose this?

What’d we think?

Would we do it again?

We really hope you’ll follow us all throughout 2018 as we put ourselves in possibly awkward and definitely new situations! What do you hope we try this year?