Goat yoga helps veterans

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - An Upstate Army veteran is giving back with some help from her four-legged friends.

Greenville non-profit, Collective Balance, held goat yoga classes for veterans and their families. While this was a Memorial Day event, the non-profit focuses on helping veterans year-round.

“I spent 14 years in the Army and I think veterans really struggle particularly on Memorial Day,” Nacole Hause, founder of Collective Balance said.

Nacole Hause started Collective Balance after she returned to civilian life. The organization provides therapy through art, animals, and yoga. She travels around the Upstate and teaches classes.

“This is really important to me because I did go through some of those nightmares and what I realized is yoga is a very therapeutic way to heal.”

Her experience with PTSD led her to help other veterans and their families.

“So many times people go off to war and the families struggle because if the veteran is isolated they’re not talking about what happened,” Hause said, “It does start to affect generationally, from a grandfather to a father, so if there’s not a lot spoken about it or they don’t translate their feelings a lot of the kids are picking up on those feelings, and as a result they do have anxiety,” Hause said.

Hause said goat yoga can help veterans and their kids disconnect from stress and relax.

“With these military children that participated in goat yoga, they were able to really just slow down, breathe, and have a moment to reflect,” Hause said, “The goats will come up next to the children and just brush up against their leg and you can just be mindful if they’re there and they’re doing a service. They’re really sensing if someone needed something and it just put a smile on the kids’ faces.”

It’s a reminder of why she gives back to veterans.

“I think it’s really important, especially on Memorial Day weekend to spend time with veterans and people that were in the service. They’re really struggling over the weekend because some people are suppressing their feelings and even if you’re not actively taking about it, sometimes by doing yoga it’s just a release,” Hause said.

Find out more about Collective Balance.

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