How it started...
A few years ago, Rachel Bowden was a student of yoga and had just completed her first yoga teacher training course. She loved how the practice had improved her life and her health, and she desperately wanted to open a yoga studio to share it with her community. But in her small, rural north Florida town, which had never had a studio before, she worried that yoga may not be well received. She knew she needed a name and an image that would be super friendly and accessible, and radiate wholesome positivity.
One day, watching her leggy chocolate lab, Tucker, move through his adorable stretching and yawning routine as he awoke from his afternoon nap, Rachel made a few doodles of him on a post-it note, and Yoga Dog was born.
In that moment, she realized it’s a natural instinct for dogs to move and stretch in a way that feels good in their bodies. And it’s exactly the same for us humans. She felt that Tucker, and all of our dogs, were leading by example; showing us how movement can create more space and grace in our bodies and in our worlds.
It didn’t take long before Rachel realized that Yoga Dog could have a much larger impact than just being a studio mascot. She saw how people would light up when they saw the Yoga Dog logo, and how strangers became fast friends sharing their love for, and stories about their own silly, amazing, inspiring yoga dogs.
And so her mission became to create the Yoga Dog lifestyle brand as a beacon for people who want to talk about dogs, laugh about dogs, elevate dogs, and celebrate dogs! A hip, feel-good collection featuring the iconic yoga dog…designed for all the people who love all the dogs.
Although Tucker is no longer with us, his Yoga Dog spirit and inspiration live on in our ten-year old rescue dog, Rabbit. He reminds us everyday to move and stretch, to enjoy life’s small pleasures, and to give love unconditionally.
peace, love & yoga dog
Tatum, Brooks, Rachel and Rabbit