Some people take the class to overcome their fear of snakes -- and many leave wanting a pet snake of their own
Imagine you're in yoga class -- and you feel something slither across your back.
It sounds like something out of a Halloween movie, but at Costa Mesa, Calif., yoga studio LXRYOGA, having a snake shimmy across your back is something that's not only offered, but it's in-demand.
Snake Yoga class can "help individuals overcome the fear of snakes through breath," Tess Cao tells PEOPLE via email. She and her husband Huy Cao own and operate the yoga studio with a twist -- and a slither.
Snake Yoga is a structured activity, Tess tells PEOPLE, where the couple's pet ball pythons are "mindfully incorporated into this gentle yoga class." Each session lasts 45 minutes and has a maximum of four participants per class.
Their snakes are named after crystals, and before class each participant randomly draws a crystal to determine which snake will be their partner.
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A pre-class orientation helps participants learn what to do -- and not to do -- when handling a snake. "Although they are very social and friendly pets, we want to avoid causing them any anxiety," Tess tells PEOPLE.
So far, it's working. As she tells PEOPLE, "No one has ever been bitten! Our oldest snake is four years old and we have never been bitten either."
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The idea for Snake Yoga came from their love for their own pet snakes, which were acquired during the Covid pandemic.
"We opened our yoga studio LXRYOGA five years ago, a few months before the pandemic; talk about great timing," Tess tells PEOPLE. "We had to shut down completely for the pandemic. During that period, we had extra time on our hands so we decided to get a pet."
Their first ball python came in 2020; a second followed a year later -- and now the Caos having eight snakes total.
"We find them fascinating creatures and our goal is to help people unlearn everything about these misunderstood creatures," she tells PEOPLE.
In Snake Yoga, participants wear normal yoga clothing -- and the class includes not just handling the snakes, but a chance to have the snakes slither on your body.
"Savasana, where students lie down on their backs with eyes closed, while snakes are placed on their bodies feels like a Fear Factor episode, but most say it's actually grounding and relaxing," Tess tells PEOPLE.
"Some might say our offering is a 'gimmick like other animal-incorporated yoga,' " she tells PEOPLE, "but we truly believe in what we offer."
"Some may take our class for fun, some are curious about snakes, and some really want to overcome their fear of snakes," she says. "But what matters most is we've seen everyone leave feeling empowered, along with a new perspective and appreciation for snakes -- not to mention, many want their very own snake after their experience."