Some Pawsitively Adorable Yoga Classes: Puppy Yoga in London!

Stoke Newington, London

City of London

Pawside Yoga (click for website)

Yoga Paws (click for website)

My favourite workout experience of all time has to be puppy yoga. It is exactly as wonderful as it sounds. A combination of young puppies (already owned unfortunately) and (some) yoga. I have been dabbling in yoga since November now, after swearing I would never do it again after a much failed attempt at a class in college. I have really fallen in love with it. I massively lacked the maturity and ability to sit still for a long period of time in my early 20’s, probably why I wasn’t the biggest fan of yoga then. Or maybe I enjoy it more now because I do 98% of my practice in the comfort of my home, without people making weird noises next to me, well besides when Sam joins in and does classes with me occasionally. I started with a free month trial to Yogaia, an app that allows you to take a live yoga class with an instructor that can see you and perfect your form. You can also do recorded classes at any time. I love that they offer all different types of yoga styles, as well as HIIT workouts, core classes, meditation, and yoga for runners. If you're looking to try some yoga I highly recommend this app. Click the name for a MONTH FREE trial: Yogaia (you're welcome). And now back to the real story of this post....

I have now completed two classes of puppy yoga, with two different companies. The first company I found was by chance on Instagram. I can confirm that the overwhelming experience of pure joy is the same in both companies. The company Yoga Paws (also great to follow them if you just want adorable puppy content) quickly had me falling in love with every dog on their page, so I decided I wanted to give the classes a go. These tickets literally sell out in minutes and to be honest are a bit pricey for an hour experience, but I guess not too far off  what you would pay for any single workout class. It was about £30/$35, I know it sounds like a lot but I had such a good time at each of the classes I really think that it is worth it to go at least once. I also never usually buy single class passes because I am very anti gym, but this was on a whole different level to any other class I had done before. I like my own space and hate having people look at me when I am working out, mostly because I suck at it. But when it comes to this kind of class bring on all the strangers! Also the fact that no one is looking at you because they are massively distracted by the adorable little creatures running around the room. 

The first time I went to a puppy yoga class was in February, with the company Yoga Paws. I decided to treat myself by going to a pre Valentines day class. I like the fact that this company was secretive with where the location was until the week before (I bought my tickets 2 weeks in advance because they do sell out that quickly once they go on sale). The only thing that you know before is the time of the class and the breed of puppies that will be in attendance. I chose the Labrador puppy class obviously. The locations are based all over free spaces in London so it changes often. I was ok with this since I get free travel with my TfL job and I love roaming around new neighbourhoods in London. After struggling to find the actual building in Stoke Newington (North East London about an hour and a bit from my house by train since it was during rush hour) I was ready to get my puppy cuddles. It was a small studio and as soon as I walked in I was greeted by one of the members of staff who told me where to leave all of my things. I’m surprised I even heard anything he said because as soon as I walked in I could hear the sweet angelic sounds of puppy barks. The hour session literally flew by. The 6-8 puppies are out the entire time and its just a massive free for all. Whatever puppy walked by you, you could scoop up and play with. All this was happening while the poor yoga instructor was trying to teach the class. I can confirm I did a whole 6 minutes of yoga in the hour class BUT after checking my heart rate on my apple watch I had ended up burning more calories than expected because of the fluctuation in my heart rate (basically I was so excited by the puppies and rolling around with them that was the real workout). There was about 15-20 yoga mats set up around the room and the instructor was in the middle. The room was pretty tiny so there was going to be ample time to play with the floofsters. The staff was also great about spreading the pooch love, because if they noticed you hadn’t had a dog yet they would move them around the room so everyone had their fair share. But to be honest since I was probably the only person on my own I got PLENTY of pup time (also good luck to the person who tries to take a puppy away from me without my willingness).

  

I want to say the actual yoga went on for about 35-40 minutes and then people were able to hold other pups in the room and take pictures for the gram of course. To be honest I wish I paid attention a little bit more to the yoga because the instructor was phenomenal. At the end of the session she rubbed essential oils on everyones temples and it was magical. During the free play time I got to talking to one of the staff members. I clearly was all about trying to bring a dog home, so I was asking who owned them, and general questions about the program. He told me that the puppies are from a breeder and they were all promised to homes already. The reason why the breeders use the puppies in the class is to help them socialise more with people before they go off to their forever homes (brilliant idea I thought). The pups were about 2 to 3 months old so they were only a couple of weeks off from going to their new homes. In environments like this it was so easy to just talk to people around me. Everyone was on cloud 9 and so nice to one another (if only everyone in the world could take a puppy yoga class WORLD PEACE!). When I left the studio to go back home I was beyond relaxed and just felt incredible for getting to play with some pups. 

The following month, I had a visit from my friend Agnes from New York. She was doing a solo trip to London and asked me to show her around. I quickly thought what a great opportunity to do another puppy yoga class and also show her the sights in central London. This is when I found the second company Pawside Yoga. Same exact idea the puppies were just a bit younger (less than 2 months old) and the dog parents of the pups would be there in the class as well. Since Agnes loves yoga too she quickly agreed and we got tickets for the mid afternoon session with shitzu fluffers. The venue was at Savage Garden in central London (very close to Tower bridge) so the scenery was breathtaking from the rooftop room the class was in. Funnily enough this was the same place that I rang in my 29th birthday, so I knew my way around the building which is located at the very top of a hotel. The views include perfect shots of the Gerkin, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and of course Tower Bridge. The room itself was gorgeously decorated to make you feel like you were in a log cabin in the alps. 

This company does it a little differently and I preferred it. The yoga instructor puts on a flow class for 30 minutes and the other 30 minutes are spent playing with the little fluff balls and taking pictures. I was shocked at how tiny the puppies were (they were literally feeding on their mom when we all came into the room). I obviously fell in love with a little pupster as soon as they came in. One little guy walked right over to me and Agnes and we barely let him go the entire time. I liked that the breeder was there with the dogs too, to keep a watchful eye out because I feel like I would be doing the exact same thing if my dogs were involved with something like that. They were all SO TINY they could fit in the palm of my hand. The instructor was also phenomenal at this class! And go figure she was American! I felt like we really got our moneys worth here with an actual yoga class, plenty of puppy time, and also the staff were great and took plenty of pictures for everyone. They even had a station for drinks and small snacks, but to be honest I didn’t even see them until we were walking out the door (I was clearly very distracted). Again everyone that was in the small class were all so friendly and chatting away with the people next to them. Every person walked out with huge smiles on their faces. 

Overall both classes were an incredible experience. I have been graciously offered VIP status with Pawside yoga and they have given me a discount code to use the next time I book with them. I love their company, how friendly the staff is, and the unreal venues of their classes. Once quarantine is over I will 100% be booking another class with them so I can get my puppy fix until Sam finally agrees to get one of ourselves (but don’t feel too sorry for me, we have something in the works that I will reveal when everything is sorted :)!!!). For April Pawside Yoga were also offering bunny yoga! Unfortunately this had to be postponed, but it might just be another class I will have to try with them. So if you want the feeling of pure happiness and some puppy cuddles, I highly recommend booking a puppy yoga class. I promise you it will not disappoint, and to be honest who won’t need something like this after all this isolation is over. 

Stay healthy, stay happy, and as always thank for reading! 

Life in London: an update on being a Londoner

All over London

Since the last time I wrote a post a lot has gone on (as it should since it has been months!). I have been asked by a good number of people what exactly I am up to now and why I haven’t been writing. There is a lot of explanation for that. For starters I have this really annoying habit of putting doubt in my mind about what people actually want to hear about in my posts, and how relevant I am in anyone else’s life. But after a lot of thinking and conversations with others I’ve decided ultimately my writing is for me. It is a passion I’ve had since I was young and I need to be more confident in the fact that people enjoy what I am writing about. If that number of people is ten or a hundred I am writing for that number of the masses, and as a release for myself. The fact that I have even helped people with my writing is also what is motivating me now. Finding the time to do it is another story. 

August feels like it was so long ago and since then I have really settled into my life in London. Sam and I had made the decision to hold off on traveling back to New York after Thanksgiving since we were back and forth so much over the year. When we went back in November for my dad’s birthday, thanksgiving, and my best friend’s wedding. We were busy every single day, but this was the perfect send off before fully diving in to life as a Londoner. 

In September I was finally able to start working after months and months of getting references and fingerprints done. Oh and also sending fingerprints to the FBI, then having said fingerprints lost by the FBI for 2 months. I’m not exaggerating either when I say I had to send my fingerprints off to the FBI. I basically had to prove I am who I say I am for the UK government EVEN THOUGH I had just been through 6 MONTHS of hell with the immigration system, proving I was in a legitimate marriage. 

As a teacher coming over to the UK there isn’t any type of test you have to take to transfer certificates over to be able to teach. I had to fill out what is called a qualified teachers form, which consists of sending in my New York State teaching certificates, birth certificate, marriage certificate, and approved fingerprints from the FBI. 

When I was able to finally start looking for jobs I had decided on being a substitute again. This way I could figure out what school I wanted to work at without making a full commitment to and potentially be miserable at (aka repeat of my life as a first year teacher in the DOE). When I was searching the online websites I had applied to a school in Greenwich (very rich area so figured the kids would be slightly better behaved) but not necessarily close to where I lived. I also wanted to teach in central London so that I could be fully submerged in learning my way around my new city. When I applied to that school I quickly received a call from the company Smart Teachers. They are a large company of agents that help you search for jobs specifically in London. 

I was sceptic at first since the little information that I knew about agencies is that you have to pay an arm and a leg to be a part of and they could take money off your daily rate of work. After spending over an hour on the phone with a guy named Dan (who is the nicest human), I quickly learned that this company was very different from the rest, and actually care about teachers. Dan and I spent time talking about what I was looking for in a school and where I saw my career going. Before I even had a day in a school as a sub, he offered me an interview with TfL (Transport for London). For those who still are not sure what this is, it is the equivalent of working for the MTA  in New York. The job with TfL was with their Safety and Citizenship department. When I nervously went into my interview I had doubt in my mind (why am I always doing this to myself!). I thought, why would this company want to hire a New Yorker freshly landed in the UK, that had ZERO clue of how to get around without following that small blue dot on google maps. In my interview I met my manager Francis, who I very quickly got along with and ended up telling my life story to. He offered me the gig on the spot and I am currently still working for them hoping to go full time very soon (fingers crossed). 

Basically what my roll is at my job is to travel all over London to different primary (elementary) schools and give hour long safety presentations to students. I teach them where to get their special student travel cards, how the underground (subway) system works, and how to get around on busses. If this sounds boring just think of a room full of 30-150 ten and eleven year olds listening to me talk about all of this stuff. It is practically my stand up comedy routine at this point. There is a good chance that this could become a permanent role for me. Sometimes I struggle with giving up teaching, because I really did adore it, even though this is still somewhat education.  What I don’t miss was the horribly behaved students, the ridiculous amount of irrelevant paperwork and the politics of it. And to be honest this job has been fun every single day, and I get to explore London and travel around for FREE. So really taking the opportunity to make this my new career is very much possible. It is also important that I go full time since I am not entitled to public funding through the UK government, i.e sick pay or maternity leave (when the time comes).  It is a great gig and I feel very lucky. Not to mention that when I do have to go into the office my team is a great group of people. I’m also a few blocks away from Buckingham Palace, so always the possibility of tea with the Queen! And just recently it gave me the opportunity to attend a Royal visit from Prince Charles and Camilla at the Transport museum. If that wasn’t cool enough I was even able to meet them because of Sam’s uncle Ronnie!

I have also started to teach English to students in China via FaceTime with a company called VIP Kid. This is my side gig that I now do every weekend and on school holiday time. I have the option to make my own schedule so it is very flexible to what I need. The wonderful thing is even though I do not get paid during school holidays with TfL because I am only temping there, I can work online and still make a good amount. It is also the reason why I don’t really miss teaching because I haven’t given it up. The other reason why I have picked up this job is to pay off my student loans. When I was back in New York last year and wasn’t working, I had to put all of my loans on hold because I wasn’t able to work. To be honest I have no idea how it works since I now live in another country but I assume it still has to be paid (if you know anything about it please let me know). When I get my monthly payment from that job it is put into my American bank account and the money is automatically withdrawn monthly to my loans. I still have to pay taxes and file them yearly since I am still an American citizen. 

Sam and I are finally feeling as though we are back to normal. And if the thought has crossed your mind, no I still don’t have a dog, and yes I’m still working on it! Since Sam and I are finally acting like a married couple again we have been taking advantage of going on trips together. We started the year off strong and wanted to visit a new place every month, but with the obvious current events that has been put on hold. We are also holding off on getting a puppy because we will be moving by the end of the year (no clue where yet but TBD). We want to move further out of London so it is less expensive but still close enough to get into the city easily since we both work there. 

I think with my new career choice it has made me even more outgoing than I was before (I know what you’re thinking “how on earth is that possible?!”) I will talk to anyone without a care and this is also my attempt at making friends here. Honestly I didn’t realise how good I had it as a kid, you could literally walk up to other kids and ask if they want to be friends and BOOM new bestie. Now as an adult trying to make friends I feel creepy asking another adult if they want to hang out after work. Luckily, I have had a good amount of friends visiting and reconnecting with people who I haven’t spoken to in years when they come to London for the first time. I will also add that I LOVE doing this. So if you’re reading this and are thinking of coming to London, you now have a free tour guide. I am still enjoying doing things on my own (when Sam is at work on the weekends), and I have even been on a couple of auditions for game shows! Also puppy yoga is my new obsession and it may be my new favourite thing ever. I have even started volunteering as a dog walker. Basically all my extracurricular activities include dogs. I just feel like the opportunities are endless here and it has been fun “starting over”. 

So there it is the very quick version to what life has been like since starting working in London. I do still absolutely love living here and exploring my new home town. It is fun to be the American of the group and notice people listening to me more often just because they love listening to my accent. I’m still learning so much about how things work in this country on a day to day basis (don’t even get me started on getting my National Insurance number). Unfortunately there is no manual about what to do when moving countries (unless I make one of course!). Once travel plans can be picked up again I’m sure I will have loads more to write about in the next few months. 

I would also be very interested to hear from anyone who is reading this. I get a lot of questions about what life is like moving to another country, what some of my biggest struggles have been, credit cards, and even the names of objects. So since this blog is just as much for me as it is for you I would be happy to answer any questions that you may have. I look forward to writing more and hearing back from people following along with my journey. Lots of love always people, and lets not forget to COUGH INTO YOUR ELBOWS! :)