These cats do yoga — but don’t ask about downward-facing dog

Jessica Almendares spent a recent afternoon doing yoga with tiny felines at a Florida shelter.

By Cindy Arboleda

Miami Herald

DORAL, Fla. — If you told Jessica Almendares she’d spend her Saturday afternoon doing yoga surrounded by tiny felines three years ago, she’d probably laugh and say, “No way, I hate cats.”

But Almendares was up front at the “Meowmaste: Yoga with Cats” workshop last weekend at Miami-Dade Animal Services Pet Adoption and Protection Center in Doral.

“I was never a cat person. Then I adopted my first kitty three years ago, and my life changed for the better,” she said. “Cats are so sweet and loving. They are terrific pets that care and love you so much.”

Almendares adopted her second cat at the Miami-Dade Animal Services Pet Adoption and Protection Center in Doral and became a regular volunteer. “When I heard they were mixing it up doing yoga with cats, I got very excited. I couldn’t miss it,” she said.

The idea to practice the “downward facing dog” pose among cats came to Tara Smith, who had to organize a yoga-related project in her community as part of her yoga teacher training program.

“I immediately thought of this shelter,” Smith said. “I was a big part of building this shelter and its opening last year. I knew how beautiful it is, and I wanted to bring exposure to it.”

Smith is a 500-hour certified yoga teacher. She is also the director of internal services for Miami-Dade County.

“I did some research and found that nobody had done a yoga class with cats in Miami before,” she said. “I have a passion for yoga, a passion for cats, and I love my public service job.”