Meet your Cook County Neighbor: Martha Williams

Jul 03, 2023 05:09AM ● By Editor

Submitted photos

A Boreal Community Media Exclusive - July 1, 2023

How did you "land" in Cook County?

Very softly and gradually over a 30 year period: I was a guide at Menogyn - then took classes and served on the board at North House and kept trying to find an excuse to move north. We had the opportunity to sell our yoga studio after of 20 happy years in business and my husband got a job at Memogyn so we moved our family of 4 north. At first, just Eric, then the rest of us when the kids (the human ones) finished their school year in 2021.

Goat yoga? What the heck and how fun at the same time! Tell us how you got started in this fun business venture.

When I first heard about it in 2016 I was completely enthralled, I am a complete animal lover. But unfortunately, the only classes were in Oregon and they had hundreds on the waitlist or I would’ve flown in to try it. I have always been intrigued. I love animals and I have taught yoga for many years. It is really hard to get people to do yoga, but especially hard when you teach only 90 minute hot yoga classes. It is super refreshing to teach it ostensibly “just for fun.”

My intrigue with goats began for ecological reasons in 1998 when we moved onto a property in Plymouth that was 1/2 buckthorn, an invasive species that is doing a fantastic job of destroying the forests, especially the oak savanna around the Twin cities. They never thought it would march up the 35W corridor as fast as it has but now it’s north of Duluth. We have cut it down to the ground at least 6 times and it always comes back because I won’t use Round Up. Goats are the only non-chemical way of controlling buckthorn and other invasive species.

Tell us about the therapeutic effects that these "bahhhhhdddd" boys and girls (goats) have on your clients.

It’s basically the same science as animal assisted therapy but with the added benefit of the curious and unique personalities of Nigerian dwarf goats. They are absolutely cute and captivating.

Do you have a favorite place in the County where you go to unwind and relax?

So many! But I would have to pick the red building at North House folk school. It must be the white pine shaving smell.

Is there any special training that you do with your goats to have them actively participate in yoga with your clients?

Yes. It’s sort of like training any other therapy animal and it’s a long story but it starts when they are tiny babies. They are bottle fed and snuggled constantly. They started their lives in in tubs of pine shavings on my concrete floor in my living room. Then they basically do a lot of yoga with people, I did my practice with them everyday. They make friends really easily. The group class starts with a little munch meditation where we basically listen to them ruminate. Then they just walk around and get silly while we do some stretches. And yes- they usually jump up on people but that's not really the point as most people think. It’s just super relaxing and fun.