Yoga Cats

A “photo-story” of the Burkhalter cats demonstrating their devotion to their yoga practices

My kitties are all, clearly, reincarnated yogis — maybe highly-advanced yogis who have returned to this realm with enough sensibility to be born into a house of yoga humans who will worship them, and who provide a variety of opportunities for them to practice their meditation and āsana techniques.

Bisou enjoys urdhva hastāsana (arms up in the air pose), but he is also very musically-inclined and really likes to play the Tibetan Singing Bowls and the harmonium. He aspires to be in a kirtan band one day.

And Mr. Emerson particularly likes vṛkṣāsana (tree pose), especially when his mom holds him up in it.

Both Uma and Bisou are quite curious about Buddhism.

But Uma has also explored Ganesha (the remover of obstacles), and the Goddess too. I suspect (since she has so much divine female energy) that she falls more into the Goddess camp though

Freyja also enjoys yoga, especially when she can practice alongside me.

She has been known to assist me with my private clients when I am teaching restorative sessions. She adds that extra little touch of snuggling to give them that last little ounce of relaxation.

Bisou has really been working on those “yogi toes.” I think he has a pretty good paw spread, don’t you?

Uma prefers the most brightly-colored mats (orange, purple or turquoise). I think she is trying to stimulate her chakras. Here she is connecting to her sacral chakra, the centre of being through which we connect with the deepest voice of the self, finding stillness and wisdom.

And here is Bisou, helping me with savāsana (the relaxation pose) this morning.

The Burkhalter yoga cats hope that you enjoyed watching them practice and that this might inspire you to roll out that yoga mat too. Everybody could use a little more yoga in their lives. And, by the way, I am told that there are quite a few yoga dogs out there too. Check it out. Yours might be one of them!

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Erika Burkhalter is a yogi, neurophilosopher, cat-mom, photographer, and a lover of nature and travel. She has been studying and teaching the ancient yogic texts for many years and holds an MA in Yoga Studies, as well as a MS in Neuropsychology. She has been teaching yoga for twenty years. Erika teaches yoga philosophy for Loyola Marymount University’s extension program and has traveled within India seven times to study yoga, to see the ancient sites, for graduate school study, and to take her yoga students on retreats to see the land where yoga originated. Erika is also an editor for Dharma Talk, a medium publication.

Photos and story ©Erika Burkhalter. All rights reserved.