Woman combines her love of horses and yoga to achieve neigh-maste
Who needs a yoga mat when you've got a horse, right? Angela Nuñez -- aka "horse yoga girl" -- sure doesn't.
A lover of both yoga and horses, Nuñez combined the two hobbies, resulting in the impressively athletic and beautiful practice of horse yoga.
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Mashable spoke with Nuñez, who works as a yoga teacher and the barn manager at Wheatland Farm in Purcellville, Virginia, via email to learn more about her innovative yoga skills.
Nuñez shared that when she was a toddler, her mother worked with horses and they would often go riding together. Then nine years ago, Nuñez started college and began practicing yoga as an outlet to relieve stress. She loved it so much that she began her training and set out to teach others.
"Yoga and horses are my two passions, so I was curious about combining the two," she said. "Yoga is a journey inward, and horses are mirrors for our inner selves, so the two are very complementary."
Nuñez first got the idea to pose on the back of her pony, Sugar Maple, about four years ago when her yoga studio had a photo contest.
Though Sugar unfortunately passed away in March 2014, Nuñez continues practicing on his grandson, Snowy -- an extroverted, 10-year-old Appaloosa.
Not only has the yoga helped Nuñez, but she also feels it has strengthened her relationship with her horse. "The goal of yoga is to quiet the mind, and the more you quiet the mind, the better you can hear what the horse has to say," she explained.
"The more I practiced yoga with Snowy, the more I realized how much it was affecting our relationship...Practicing yoga with him increased the trust we already had."
"It's similar to a massage or chiropractic session for Snowy (both of which he gets). I never do any poses that cause him harm or discomfort. His wellbeing is my first priority," said Nuñez. "I (or any observer) can tell he's enjoying it...he often licks, chews, and yawns, which are all signals of calm and relaxation in a horse."
Nuñez expressed that being able to practice yoga and horsemanship together has been an amazing spiritual journey for her, and one she is excited to continue.
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Topics Animals
Nicole is a Senior Editor at Mashable. She primarily covers entertainment and digital culture trends, and in her free time she can be found watching TV, sending voice notes, or going viral on Twitter for admiring knitwear. You can follow her on Twitter @nicolemichele5.
