Wild workout at Big Cat Habitat in Sarasota

If tigers and lions could take yoga class, Erika Cain believes they would be very good at it.

Cain, who teaches at Pineapple Yoga in Sarasota, said they certainly have the right mindset.

"Yoga is about fluctuations of the mind," Cain said. "The big cats ... their minds are calm. We could learn from them.

"Humans forget to just be."

From 9-10:30 a.m., Saturday, May 25 (and then on the fourth Saturday of each month), both humans and big cats will have the opportunity to follow Cain's lead. She will be teaching a special yoga class at Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary in Sarasota.

Humans will need to buy tickets — $40 that will include the 90-minute class and will include a single-day pass to Big Cat Habitat during normal business hours.

The big cats ... well ... they live there.

Each session will be held on a deck that is surrounded by the big cats' habitat enclosures. Big Cat Habitat Vice President Clayton Rosaire said the tigers and lions are naturally inquisitive and their curiosity will bring them close for a look.

"It's entertainment for the animals," Rosaire said. "They get to look at all the funny people. It will be the weirdest people they ever have seen."

All kidding aside, Rosaire said the stimulation is, indeed, healthy for the animals, as well as the people.

"Yoga is a great thing for people," he said. "It motivates you to improve your health in other ways."

Clayton and Kay Rosaire, the Big Cat Habitat founder and executive director, decided a yoga program would be a good addition for the facilty, but they needed to have the right instructor. Big Cat's Renee Ferreira was tasked with finding that person, and after scouring the internet, she found Cain, who has a circus background.

"My mom, Yvonne Joanides, was the first lady of the unicycle," said Cain, who is 27. "My dad, Vince Carmen, was a magician. I started performing when I was 2. I just ended in 2017"

She went her dad's direction, performing in his magic show.

Along with his magic act, her dad had tigers. Cain has a tattoo of a Bengal tiger on her forearm.

Although she loves big cats, she hasn't done yoga in front of them before. It will be a new experience for everyone.

"It's like when you go to Selby Gardens, and you are reintroduced to the beauty of nature. It's the same idea here," she said. "You will look at the tigers. Oh my God!

"And yoga teaches compassion for all living things."

Clayton Rosaire said Big Cat Habitat will benefit in other ways from the class.

"The more people see the big cats, the more people will think about them," he said. "We always are looking for support in any way we can get it. The more interaction people have with the big cats, the more they will fall in love."

He was asked if he will participate in the yoga class. He laughed and said, "Round doesn't bend."

Cain, whose other job is as the architectural director of the Sarasota Architectural Foundation, laughed and said he wouldn't have any problem taking the class.

"This class is for all levels, from beginners to advanced yogis," she said. "People can follow along, or they can just sit and meditate, and stare at the tigers."