Hold on to your yoga mats, Richmond — rabbits are comin’ to class.

Bandaids for Bunnies, a non-profit rabbit rescue group in Richmond, B.C., came up with the idea of “Bunny Yoga” after someone cracked a joke about it earlier this month.

“One of our founder’s sisters actually brought it up, and the team just jumped on it,” board member Janet Keating told The Huffington Post B.C. Monday.

Keating said the first two classes, held at Sunberry Fitness, were a great success. The rabbits roam the studio and hang out on yogis’ mats during the hour-long classes, with volunteers close by to ensure no one trips up.

“It’s very soothing and very calming — a really nice, relaxed, flowing yoga … People still end up enjoying a yoga class and getting a workout, while getting the cuteness of hanging out with a bunny.”

(Photo: Sunberry Fitness)

The rabbits in the classes are rescues, picked up by Bandaids for Bunnies volunteers. The animals are spayed and neutered, nursed back to health, and then the search for foster homes begins.

Keating says the city has an issue with unwanted rabbits being dumped in various places.

“You can take a walk in Minoru Park and just see hundreds of [abandoned rabbits],” she explained. “People think it’s a good starter pet, and a rabbit just isn’t. They have pretty unique needs — and they’re a prey animal at the bottom of the food chain, so earning trust isn’t easy.”

Proceeds from the classes benefit the rescue group, and Keating said a third class is being planned for the spring.

Last year, the Small Animal Rescue Society of B.C. held a rabbit yoga class as a fundraiser, and the event quickly sold out.

Proceeds helped rescue and find new homes for bunnies, as well as and other small animals.

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Source: Huffingtonpost