Snake yoga is here to make you squirm and maybe conquer an overwhelming fear

At one exercise studio, goat and puppy yoga are a thing of the past.Now, people can relax while having a snake slither up their backs.LXRYOGA, a studio in Costa Mesa, California, offers the latest trend by way of snake yoga — and people who are scared of the slithery reptiles are the target audience.“Some might say our offering is a ‘gimmick like other animal-incorporated yoga,’ but we truly believe in what we offer,” Tess Cao, co-owner of the studio, told People.The purpose is to “help individuals overcome the fear of snakes through breath,” said Tess, who owns and operates the studio with her husband, Huy Cao.Tess and Huy bring their own pet ball pythons to the 45-minute , $160 classes, where they are “mindfully incorporated into this gentle yoga class.”The six snakes are named after crystals, and the four members of the session will randomly draw a crystal to find out which snake is their trusty partner.Tess said that the serpents are “very social and friendly pets,” but to “avoid causing them any anxiety,” they host an orientation prior to the class to teach participants what to do — and, of course, what not to do — with a snake.“No one has ever been bitten! Our oldest snake is 4 years old, and we have never been bitten either,” she told People.Of course, the prospect of an attack is terrifying to some.Tess recalled a man and his girlfriend who had opposing reactions to the squirm-inducing process.“She was screaming out of excitement,” Tess told SFGATE.com.

“He was screaming out of fear.”The reporter covering the yoga session also took part in the exercise, which led to Tess explaining that a snake’s movements can be misinterpreted.“If you feel any squeezing, it’s her just trying to not fall,” Tess told the writer.“She’s not trying to, like, attack or anything like that.”How comforting.Not only do the participants handle the snakes, but they allow the slithering creatures to roam their bodies while they�...