NAMA-SNAKE: Python yoga no ‘gimmick,’ California studio owner says

Published Oct 14, 2024  •  Last updated 0 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

A studio in California is offering snake yoga, in particular for people suffering from ophidiophobia -- a fear of snakes. Photo by Getty Images

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A studio in California seems to have grown tired of the goat and puppy yoga fads and is instead offering snake yoga, especially for people suffering from ophidiophobia (a fear of snakes), according to the New York Post.

LXRYOGA, which is based in Costa Mesa, Calif., in the Greater Los Angeles area, insists this is not a “gimmick” and they want people to feel “empowered” as one of their six ball pythons snuggles in for a moment of Zen.

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Co-owner Tess Cao told People that they “truly believe” in what they offer.

“Some may take our class for fun, some are curious about snakes and some really want to overcome their fear of snakes,” she told People. “But what matters most is we’ve seen everyone leave feeling empowered, along with a new perspective and appreciation for snakes — not to mention, many want their very own snake after their experience.”

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Tess, who owns the studio with her husband Huy, said the purpose of the sessions is to “help individuals overcome the fear of snakes through breath.” The Caos provide their pet ball pythons for the 45-minute classes at (US)$160 a pop, according to the Post, and the reptiles are “mindfully incorporated into this gentle yoga class.”

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Each customer begins by randomly drawing a crystal matching the name of one of the six snakes that the Caos own. An orientation session is next, so that participants know how to handle or not handle the “very social and friendly” pythons.

“No one has ever been bitten,” Tess told People. “Our oldest snake is four years old, and we have never been bitten, either.”

That doesn’t mean everyone is comfortable with the slow-moving constrictors, though, as Tess recalled a session where a boyfriend and girlfriend had very different reactions, according to the Post.

“She was screaming out of excitement. He was screaming out of fear,” Tess told SFGATE.com.

Participants not only get to handle the reptiles, but part of the session includes letting the snakes, er, explore their hosts.

“Savasana — where students lie down on their backs with eyes closed, while snakes are placed on their bodies — feels like a Fear Factor episode, but most say it’s actually grounding and relaxing,” Tess said, via People.

“Some might say our offering is a ‘gimmick like other animal-incorporated yoga,’ but we truly believe in what we offer.”

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