Bunnies try yoga in North Franklin Township
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Addison Mercurio, 10, of South Strabane Township, does a yoga position as two bunnies watch her at Hillsview Chapel at Presbyterian Senior Care.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Lauren McCarl of Carnegie feeds a bunny during a bunny yoga class.
Visitor
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Adalyn Gleason, 4, of Washington does a yoga position as a rabbit sits on her mat.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Rabbits were part of a yoga class at the Presbyterian SeniorCare campus last week.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Yoga instructor Amy Pelkey meditates during a bunny yoga class.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Christie Campbell of North Franklin Township enjoys having a rabbit on her mat during a bunny yoga class.
Yoga enthusiasts were hopping for a good cause last week.
Participants in an evening yoga session at Hillsview Chapel at the Presbyterian Senior Care campus in North Franklin Township got to practice the cat, cow and downward-facing dog poses with bunnies.
About 10 bunnies from Rabbit Wranglers, a coalition of rabbit foster caregivers in the greater Pittsburgh area, tried yoga for the second time, but they had trouble staying on the mats and were more interested in bouncing around the room.
“This is so much fun,” said Racheal Diehl, a member of the Rabbit Wranglers. “The bunnies love it, and they get all their exercise.”
As yoga with animals has become more of a trend, Amy Pelkey, a yoga instructor from South Strabane Township, said this was the first session she’s ever led with bunnies.
“Yoga is about being present,” she said. “Animals ground us to the present moment, so I think there’s an attraction to that. If you can breathe and move, you’re doing yoga – the challenge is being aware of what you’re doing. Put the pause button on your to-do list and be right here right now.”
The yoga session, hosted by the Presbyterian SeniorCare network, raised money for the Wranglers and Washington Area Humane Society. Another bunny yoga session was held a few weeks ago in the Pittsburgh area.
Food and water dishes, as well as litter boxes, were available for the bunnies during the hour-long session.
“We just wanted a fun community event,” said Kelley Mercurio, director of admissions for Presbyterian Senior Care. “Everybody, including the bunnies, really enjoyed it. We’re hoping that it’s something we can continue doing.”
Tara Gleason, of Washington, and her 4-year-old daughter, Adalyn, participated in the yoga session. Adalyn was particularly interested in catching and petting the bunnies.
“We do yoga at home,” Tara Gleason said. “There are some yoga books for kids that we like to do together. I had never heard of a bunny one before, so I was glad that I was able to bring Adalyn to this.”
The event also raised awareness about the many rabbits that aren’t cared for properly, are abandoned and need to be adopted.
Diehl said that rabbits are often found abandoned in the wild or in garbage containers.
“Dumps are extremely common, unfortunately,” she said. “Bunnies are the third-most popular pet behind cats and dogs. All bunnies should be house bunnies. They shouldn’t be left outside or released into the wild.”
To learn more about the proper care or adoption of bunnies, visit www.rabbitwranglers.org.