Imagine doing yoga, while being surrounded by warm paws and wagging tails. Sounds even better, right? Chennai-based organisation, Pawga, introduced the concept of yoga with pets in 2020, and after taking it across seven cities in India, finally brought it to Kolkata on June 17 and 18.
The four sessions saw a total of 82 participants, who turned up at Caffeine & Carburetors to work up a sweat in a beginner-friendly yoga session with 13 friendly puppers.
The idea of Pawga was born in Chennai when three college friends, Subhashree Madhavan, Sinduja Krishnakumar and Swathi Renugopal studied the pain points of shelters and found that the city saw at least 40 cases of abandonment every day. They decided to band together and create a space which would help people appreciate indies over exotic breeds, whilst bolstering a culture of adoption.
Pawga is a brainchild of (L-R) Subhashree Madhavan, Sinduja Krishnakumar and (not in pic) Swathi Renugopal
“We felt a lot of anxiety during the pandemic. We realised that doing yoga was very therapeutic, and in the same way, having puppies around was therapeutic too. So we decided, why not combine these two,” said Madhavan. Despite people discouraging them, their model instantly took off.
Once the model of pet yoga proved to be successful in Chennai, they took it to other cities. “Kolkata was a city we always wanted to bring Pawga to, because it has very poor adoption rates, but at the same time, we received a lot of interest from people of the city online,” said Madhavan.
Sanjeev Sharma (right) was the yoga instructor for the sessions, and curated a mix of meditation and asanas to ensure that it was compatible with Pawga’s structure. ‘My idea was to space out the sessions so that people had time to spend with the dogs in between yoga, and break the ice. It is really nice to see this format come to Kolkata, and we should make it happen more often’
Pawga tied up with city-based animal shelter, Ashari, and all the animals were up for adoption, free of cost, with the proceeds from the sessions going towards their welfare. People can also sign up for passive adoption of animals at the shelter for just Rs 1,000 per month. Two puppies even found homes at the end of the sessions, with many more adoption inquiries in line.
“This is the first time we've associated with something like this. It's a very unique and contemporary concept that connects with people. It also allows rescues with ailments to socialise with humans, because shelters can be lonely. Pawga is also helping sensitise people towards indies and showing that they are as friendly as other breeds,” said Moupiya Banerjee, associate manager at Ashari.
The sessions were a wholesome space for people like (left) Caroline Turner Servaia to help her three indies bond with dog lovers like (right) Porichita Roy. ‘It was a magical experience to see the shelter dogs getting so much love and affection. A small gesture to care for indies can go a long way, and they really do need us,’ Roy said
Author Caroline Turner Servaia, who cares for 15 stray dogs in her Ballygunge locality, brought three furry friends for the session, and was overjoyed to see them receive attention. “It was a truly interactive session, and I was glad to meet new people who also love dogs and are willing to help them. This atmosphere of love and support can truly make a difference,” she said.
‘As soon as you walk in, there is a peaceful aura you sense. It has added this character to our space that I can’t explain in words,’ smiled Raghav Khullar, chef and proprietor at Caffeine & Carburetors
“So many people told us that we wouldn’t succeed, but we never took no for an answer. Today, we have sessions almost every other weekend in Chennai, and have helped close to 70 puppies find homes across the country,” Madhavan signed off.
