At Nature’s Trail Yoga in Orland Park, yoga mats share space not only with people seeking peace and balance but also with a herd of friendly, four-legged participants.
The studio, located at 14655 S. 82nd Avenue, is owned and operated by yoga instructor Michele Apps, who opened the business in July 2019.
For Apps, the concept derived right at home.
“It was my daughter Devin’s idea,” Apps said. “We all love animals, nature and yoga.”
That simple inspiration has grown into a one-of-a-kind experience where calm breathing and gentle stretching meet soft bleats and curious goats. Apps currently has 18 goats, most of which came from Grasse Acres in Door County.
“Sixteen are mine,” she said. “One I took in from my neighbor last year. She had to move and could not keep him. He’s an old guy, 14 now, and very sweet. Another one is from a friend who moved out of state and could not take him.”
Apps describes goat yoga as a joyful mix of fitness and therapy.
“It’s like mixing animal therapy and yoga,” she explained. “You get the health benefits from yoga, meditation, stretching and breathing, and the goats are there supporting you and comforting you emotionally. It’s also very fun and entertaining.”
During classes, the goats often relax on participants’ mats. Afterward, guests can pose for photos, sometimes with a goat perched playfully on their back.
Apps, who lives in Orland Park, said her love for nature, yoga and animals led her to open Nature’s Trail Yoga.
She earned her yoga certification from the 90 Monkeys School of Yoga in Boulder, Colorado, where she studied under world-renowned yogi Amy Ippoliti. She also holds certifications in Yoga for Cancer (Y4C), Gravity Yoga, Meditation, Breath Coaching, Reiki, and Sound Healing. Her continuing education includes Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Yoga Therapy, Yoga for Facial Release, and Yoga Philosophy.
Outside of yoga, Apps is a professional flutist, composer and filmmaker. Her award-winning videos capture the beauty of nature and can be viewed on her YouTube channel, Michele McGovern Music.
This October, Nature’s Trail Yoga is offering a seasonal favorite, “Paint a Pumpkin with Goats,” every Friday. The two-hour, 15-minute sessions invite participants to pick a pumpkin from the studio’s small patch, paint it while goats dressed in Halloween costumes wander nearby, and enjoy outdoor relaxation by the bonfire, creek or waterfall.
“Customers can take pictures with the goats, visit the horses and chickens, and just unwind,” Apps said.
The event takes place at Nature’s Trail Yoga, and registration is available at www.naturestrailyoga.com.
Throughout the fall, goat yoga classes also feature costumed goats. The studio’s small shop offers handmade goat milk soaps, sugar scrubs, bath bombs, smudge sticks and jewelry.
From the soothing sound of the nearby creek to the laughter that erupts when a goat joins a pose, Apps said her goal is to create a space that brings peace, joy and connection.
“It’s all about creating a space where people can relax, laugh and feel supported by both the yoga and the goats,” she said.
