When you’re the most innovative, leading software platform for health and wellness programs, it can be challenging to find ways to stay cutting edge and ahead of the pack. We receive great feedback from our customers, but sometimes you need to think outside of the box to get a leg up on the competition and be continually seen as a trend setter in the industry. It was with this objective in mind, that I decided to do some investigative journalism and find the next “big thing” in health and wellness.
COREHEALTH WILL TRY ANYTHING TO STAY ON TOP OF THE LATEST WELLNESS TRENDS
I considered spying on Google or Fitbit, but those seemed too obvious. I needed to find something that spoke to my strengths and skillsets. Something I could relate to intimately. Something that would clearly be my mark on the company and uniquely me. I chose a barn.
Having grown up in a tiny farming community of less than two thousand people, I’m pretty familiar with that environment. Not to brag, but I once won the corn shucking contest for my age group at the time. Additionally, farmers would compete for my hay bailing prowess as I was known for being able to carry up to four bails at the same time. Clearly this farming familiarity was a strength I needed to leverage.
It was this mindset that lead me to goat yoga, or ‘goga’ as it’s affectionately known to insiders. I’ll admit, I was skeptical going in. But when it comes to keeping CoreHealth Technologies as the innovative leader in Health and Wellness, I’ll leave no stone unturned.
AN OPEN MIND AND A HANDFUL OF OATS
I strolled into the goga barn at Hoof Prints Barnyard in Kelowna, BC right on time. Immediately I sensed a pleasant demeanor amongst the staff and participants. We all rolled out our matts and sat down, awaiting instruction from what I’m assuming is a certified goga instructor. Handfuls of rolled oats were placed in small piles near our matts. And suddenly, the stars of the show appeared. Goats in little outfits (and a single sheep in a tutu) came running into the barn, looking for the piles of rolled oats to eat. It was at this moment I realized the oats weren’t for me and stopped eating them. A collective ‘awwww’ went through the crowd and the energy changed from positive to enamored.
GAGA FOR GOGA!
I think I was starting to understand the phenomenon. The goats were pretty cute and surely this would add an element of fun to yoga. Goats nibbled food while we all tried various poses. During downward dog pose, baby goats would scurry beneath what I’m assuming the goats thought of as human tunnels made just for them. While in tabletop pose, staff would pick up a goat and put it on your back. Showing off their impressive jumping skills, the goats would leap from one back to another. I’m still uncertain if it was the goats having the most fun, or the people.
At the end of the hour long session, we all lined up with our backs bent over at a 90 degree angle. A single goat leapt from one back to another, until it had crossed the collective bridge of human backs. They didn’t have a name for this stunt, so I called it Goat Back Mountain.
After the goga session, I pondered this experience while feeding a baby goat with a
bottle. What was it about goga that was so instinctively pleasant? My theory is that we live in such a digital age of health and wellness, that it’s nice to get back to simpler times. A time when man did yoga and goats intervened. A connection to nature that’s lost with smartphones and wearable trackers. Or perhaps it was something much less abstract; goats are just really darn cute.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Interested in learning more about Goga? Contact John Dyck. When he's not playing with goats he's an Account Manager at CoreHealth where he is an expert on CoreHealth's corporate wellness platform.
ABOUT COREHEALTH TECHNOLOGIES
CoreHealth Technologies Inc. is the leading corporate wellness platform trusted by more than 1000 organizations, ranging from medium-sized businesses to Fortune 500 enterprises. At CoreHealth, we believe that developing the best employee wellness programs is all about giving wellness companies the right code, design and access to the latest innovations. With the most customization, integrations and reliability of any software in its class, CoreHealth’s powerful platform lets users focus on growing great companies. For more information, explore the CoreHealth website.
