Three Dogs Energize Packed Student Union Ballroom at Miracle Cup Dog Yoga

Dozens of students rolled out yoga mats and towels across the Student Union Ballroom floor for Miracle Cup Dog Yoga, a campus event hosted by HuskyThon and Canine Companions that turned a routine stretch session into a high-energy, canine-friendly class.

Three dogs walked among participants as the session moved through traditional poses and dog-themed variations. Participants stayed on their mats and towels while performing table pose, rabbit pose and cobra pose, and also practiced downward dog and a playful 3-dog pose as the animals weaved between limbs and laps. Students greeted the dogs, stroked their fur and let the animals wander close enough to offer brief, friendly interruptions to the flow of the class.

Reilly Hazard, sixth-semester Actuarial Science student and vice president of Canine Companions, said the dogs benefited from the interaction. “They have a great time getting to meet a whole bunch of different people and spend time with the UConn community,” Hazard said, calling the session a “‘doga’ experience.”

Student reactions captured the mood of the room. Abby Harding, an eighth-semester Honors student at UConn, called the event a mood lifter: “It was a lot of fun. It makes yoga more fun when there’s dogs around.” Brianna Ashton, an eighth-semester student studying speech, language and hearing sciences, said, “I thought it was really fun. I think it’s a great way to get people to come to stuff.” Laura Solomon, a sixth-semester Elementary Education student, noted the social buzz created by the turnout: she liked “that there were so many people who came,” and added that “it made it more fun with a big group of people because you’re having fun with the dogs but also just with everyone.”

Organizers tied the session into Miracle Cup’s broader activities: a campus promotional post read, “Day 1 of Miracle Cup = DOGA! ‍♀️ Come join us in the Student Union Ballroom next Monday, February 2nd. Come earn points for your color team to” and linked participation to color-team points as part of the competition-style programming.

The format offered practical value for students looking for low-barrier stress relief and social connection. With mats already on hand and doors open to anyone on the ballroom floor, the session required little prior experience in yoga while creating an easy entry point for campus involvement. The presence of three dogs made movements lighthearted and encouraged participants to stay engaged and relaxed.

Dog yoga in campus unions is not unique to UConn; other schools stage similar events alongside student activities calendars. For example, a student activities listing at Morehead State promoted Dog Yoga in the ADUC Ballroom as a free chance to “stretch, smile, and enjoy some canine companionship” and included contact details for Student Activities at 217 ADUC, Morehead, KY 40351, email studentactivities@moreheadstate.edu and phone 606-783-2071.

Miracle Cup’s DOGA left the ballroom buzzing and demonstrated how a simple, portable activity can stitch together student groups, campus traditions and animal interaction. For students who missed this round, watch HuskyThon and Canine Companions event listings for future DOGA sessions and other Miracle Cup activities that may offer more chances to earn color-team points while spending time with pups.