The soaring loft studio of Revolution Community Yoga and Fitness in West Acton was the site of yoga with kittens on Sunday, July 28. Three curious kittens scampered among the yoga mats, enchanting yogis and yoginis, whose class fees will support the work of the Lowell Humane Society (LHS).
Revolution Community Yoga teacher Karen O’Neil led a specially-scheduled gentle yoga class. Kittens poked their noses into every nook and cranny of the yoga studio, climbing among the props and treating the dangling strings of the bolsters as cat toys.
Participants found their attention split between the kittens and their yoga practice. Some, like Scott Doe of Lowell, pictured below, managed to snuggle a kitten and continue to stretch at the same time. Scott said afterwards that he usually does yoga at home, and never before with kittens. “The kittens put a nice cherry on top of the yoga practice. They bring a smile to your face.”
The kittens were brought to Acton by LHS volunteer Amy Steele, who grew up in Acton and graduated with Acton-Boxborough Regional High School Class of ’87. She explained that Houdini, Patches, and Radar are siblings, about ten weeks old. They are orphans who are now living with a foster family until they are old enough to go to forever homes. Amy stressed that the Humane Society is always looking for volunteers like herself to help with cleaning and socializing the animals, and for foster homes to provide temporary sanctuary for sick, injured, or orphaned pets.
When asked by the Acton Exchange for the backstory of how this unusual event came about, studio owner Kyra Marino wrote: “One of Revolution Community Yoga’s longtime volunteers, Amy Steele, has been volunteering for a long while at the Lowell Humane Society. She practices yoga, is an animal lover, vegan, and all around really good human. She came to me in 2023 about offering yoga classes where the proceeds would go directly to LHS. I am also an animal lover and vegan, so I was excited about the opportunity to help support this terrific organization.”
Kim Kastens is a volunteer writer and editor for the Acton Exchange. She has been practicing yoga at Revolution Community Yoga for about ten years.