CRESTVIEW — Emerald Coast Zoo and Gracie Simmons, owner of Grateful Hearts Yoga, are now offering yoga classes in the zoo with one unique addition — goats.

Goat yoga became a national hit a few years ago. Simmons said she loved the trend and wanted to bring goats into her studio in North Crestview.

Simmons said a zookeeper asked her to do a weekly class at the zoo.

“Whenever she invited me, I was like ‘No, we have to do goat yoga’,” Simmons said.

Her dream became a reality after speaking with Rick and Sara de Ritters, owners of Emerald Coast Zoo.

They found a shaded spot surrounded by beautiful, tall bamboo that Simmons said creates a “natural canopy.”

Simmons enjoys practicing yoga in a natural setting.

“Nature and grounding is a big part of yoga,” Simmons said.

Having lived on a farm, Simmons said animals are useful in therapeutic healing.

“That’s a big part of what we do yoga for is to feel better,” Simmons said. “Doing yoga with animals is a bonus to me.”

Simmons said some opt to practice their balance by having the goat stand on their back while others enjoy simply feeding or petting them.

Although it may be difficult to concentrate at times, Simmons said you always feel happiness when you leave.

“You can’t be unhappy when a goat runs around jumping on you,” she said.

Goat yoga takes place every third Saturday of the month at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The class costs $30 or $20 for Grateful Heart Yoga members. Spots are limited for the class so call Emerald Coast Zoo at 850-682-3949 to secure a mat.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: You goat to try this yoga

CRESTVIEW — A local veterans motorcycle organization dedicated a bike night to raising donations for the homeless in Crestview.

The Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association (CVMA) chapter FL 20-11 , also called "Snake Eyes," hosted "Operation Cold Front" at Johnny O'Quigley's on Nov. 29.

Robynn Johnson, a member of the organization, became inspired to help the homeless community after reading a Northwest Florida Daily News article about the passing of a man who was homeless.

"Sprite" Mike Mario Wilson, 55, died in December of 2017. According to the article, Wilson froze to death during one of the coldest nights of the year.

Johnson said she was formerly a nurse at the Okaloosa County Jail, and had come to know Wilson fairly well. She referred to him as a "frequent flier."

"I just felt like, especially in our county, people should not be dying on the streets cold," Johnson said. "…To me, that's just ridiculous."

After reading the article, Johnson said she went to her boyfriend Craig Baker, who was the CVMA chapter's commander at the time.

Baker created "Operation Cold Front," an event where the chapter accepts cold weather donations that are given to the local homeless shelter.

The first event was held in Milton. They had about 40 people show up to fill the van.

"When we got to the shelter, we kind of overwhelmed them because there was so much," Johnson said.

Johnson said many of the veterans brought their government-issued sleeping bags and other cold weather gear from their time in service.

"Anything you could think of that could keep someone warm was donated," Johnson said.

The donations from this year's event were taken to the Crestview Area Shelter for the Homeless.

Johnson said the chapter hopes to continue this event in the coming years.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'People should not be dying on the streets cold'

CRESTVIEW — With the recent rains in the area, people may be having mosquito problems. However, northwest Florida has options to keep those tiny bloodsuckers at bay.

Scott Bitterman of Okaloosa County Mosquito Control said while there has been an increase in mosquitos since October, it's par for the course.

The county is doing "no more spraying than usual," Bitterman said.

"We always respond to calls and we spray outside as we normally would. One thing we really anticipate — with the cooler temperatures, we think that's really going to slow down the mosquito activity."

Sara Bess, a technician at Mosquito Joe in Niceville, said there are some small things people can do to deter mosquito breeding on their property.

1. Once a storm clears, go outside and dump everything that can hold as much as a bottle cap full of water. "They will breed in four to five days in just a small amount of water," Bess said.

2. Check things such as flower pots, tires, portable basketball goals, and kids' toys. "Kids' toys  are really overlooked for that — maybe the toy kitchen that's outside or the wagon — because water can get inside the actual structure of it. And if you shake it and you hear water, you should drill a hole and dump it out because the mosquito doesn't need a large space to squeeze in and start breeding," she said.

3. If there is a mosquito issue coming from high up, one source may be the house gutters. 

4. "And If you've done all of (the above) and it's not making a difference, it might be a neighboring property," Bess said. Neighbors may work together to help fix the issue.

"And then of course, we can help as well. And for really large areas, the county will help," Bess said.

She said Okaloosa County Mosquito Control can provide gambusia, a species of fish referred to as a "mosquito fish," to help cut down on mosquitos over large affected areas.

You may also visit http://www.co.okaloosa.fl.us/pw/environmental/mosquito-control/home-check-up for more tips.

A previous version of this article spelled Sara Bess's name incorrectly.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Deter mosquitos with these steps

Caregivers are getting crunched. Those who must balance the needs of others with their own, plus manage family and work commitments often lead stressed, overwhelmed lives. They can suffer from compassion fatigue.

To meet the needs of caregivers dealing with stress, a program has been developed that provides self-care education, yoga and mindfulness meditation to help family and professional caregivers.

What is caregiving?

About 43.5 million caregivers have provided unpaid care to an adult or child in the past 12 months, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP.

The “sandwich generation” of caregivers is more prevalent than people realize, said project manager Margaret Swarbrick, director of practice innovation and wellness at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care. These caregivers are doubly affected because they have to take care of an elderly or disabled relative while also taking care of a child.

“When you’re caring for someone you’re giving a lot of compassion. You’re doing it compassionately, but when offered constantly, it feels relentless. It can lead to burnout,” Swarbrick said.

Family members who care for others are at risk for increased stress, which can affect not only their health but the health of the person in their charge, Swarbrick said.

Caregiving requires emotional and physical strength, she said. “People often neglect their own health, focusing exclusively on the needs of those whom they support, which can lead to self-destructive patterns and social isolation.”

Practical advice

Swarbrick developed the Caregiver Wellness program, created through a collaboration between Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care and Rutgers School of Health Professions, that takes a practical, not theoretical, approach. Caregivers learn hands-on how even a few minutes of simple yoga, meditation and breathing exercises during the day can reduce stress.

“People often feel that they can’t take a few minutes to themselves to unplug, to reset,” said Swarbrick, who likes to use the analogy of an airline passenger putting on an oxygen mask. “You put the oxygen mask on yourself first before helping others,” she said.

The program is offered near Rutgers in New Jersey, but the advice can be put into practice anywhere. Swarbrick’s biggest tip for caregivers: “Focus on your own needs.” Be aware of what you need to do to keep yourself healthy, inclduing nourishing yourself, moving your body and paying attention to your sleep habits.

Along with self-care techniques, practice mindfulness with yoga or meditation: Focus on your breathing when stressed. Yoga and meditation can help teach someone how to pause and roll with situations rather than react to them, which leads to more effective caregiving, Swarbrick said.

Even small things like closing your eyes for a few minutes can help calm nerves and reduce stress, Swarbrick said.

Instead of carrying the whole load on your own, share the responsibilities.

“Make sure you take time for yourself even if it’s just five to 10 minutes a day. Avoid trying to do it all yourself,” Swarbrick said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: How to cope with compassion fatigue

CRESTVIEW — Take Off Pounds Sensibly Chapter No. 0325 in Crestview recently held a food drive for donations to the church where they meet, the First United Baptist Church of Garden Grove three miles north of Airport Road.

The group also recognized members who reached their weight loss goals and cumulatively shed a total of 145 pounds. They are Betty Costner, Betty Romo, Mary Bayer, and Agnes Parker. 

TOPS, an international organization, has helped millions of people achieve their weight loss goals for 70 years. It's nonprofit and noncommercial, which keeps its costs low. For more information, go to TOPS.org or call Mary Cole of the 0325 Crestview chapter at 683-1899.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Take Off Pounds Sensibly group hosts food drive