A First Coast woman instructing dog-yoga or “doga” classes worldwide just for you and your furry friend to enjoy while staying home social distancing.
Suzi Teitelman of Jacksonville Beach is a dog instructor and will be streaming a live class Saturday at noon on Rover.com.
“You want to become more like your dog,” Teitelman said. “Especially in these times when people are worrying.”
Teitelman’s dogs Arden and Also prance around her yard with no care in the world, even after Aloe has had a traumatic past.
“Aloe came to me on a dark rainy night when I became a foster,” Teitelman said.
Aloe was found deserted with a broken leg behind a bank at 4 a.m.
“He had been stabbed and someone had written on him, ‘RIP,’” Teitelman said.
After Teitelman adopted Aloe, she brought Zen to the rugged dog through doga.
“Doga has, if anything, brought us together because we’re looking at each other like ‘who’s this new mommy, and who is this new baby,’” Teitelman said.
Teitelman says the daily doga is healing not only Aloe’s body, but his spirit.
“Now he’s doing things he never did before like this arm that had a lot of problems is moving better,” Teitelman demonstrated. “He’s trusting me and I’m trusting him.”
Now, Teitelman wants to share this bond with the world and show the benefits of a deep connection with your animals.
”We’re looking to change our mental vibration through doga,” Teitelman said. "To become better people.”
Saturday, Aloe and Arden will be the stars on Rover’s world stage demonstrating a doga class for you to enjoy with your fur babies from a livestream.
“Right now it’s interesting to talk to these people as we all are going through the same things,” Teitelman said. “We all need our dogs and we all need doga and yoga to get us through this time.”