I tried puppy yoga at a new Edinburgh venue and it was even more adorable than my first time

It was held at the Eric Liddell Centre in Edinburgh, and organised by Puppy Yoga Scotland.

After the experience, my face hurt from smiling. It was the best day of my life. Thus, when I discovered that there was a class running on my actual birthday, I had to book. And, no, I was not turning 12.

This time, this Puppy Yoga Scotland session took place at a new destination - Marpole Retreats on Edinburgh’s Leith Walk. This double-level warren of a space offers all sorts of classes, from yoga to reformer Pilates, ballet fit and paint and sip sessions, as well as book clubs and co-working spaces.

The puppy yoga takes place on the ground floor, in a light and bright space.

Today, we will be meeting ten-week-old dachshunds and Cavalier King Charles spaniels. It is chaos before the humans, who are mainly twentysomethings, even get to their mats.

The puppies are in a scrappy mood. Especially the dachshunds, who are looking especially adorable, with their little tubby bellies and double chins. The room is filled with the pitter patter of 32 tiny paws.

We are shown how to lift this breed correctly, so as to protect their backs. However, the general consensus is for humans to sit down, and wait until they come to us.

The first 15 minutes is taken up with the meet and greet.

My first visitor is a sweet little sausage dog, who poops in the corner, before coming and flopping onto my lap and chewing the seam of my leggings. Then he’s off, to batter some new pals. The King Charles spaniels are slightly better behaved, and are gorgeous, with their coppery curls.

My other half falls in love with them, even if they keep trying to pull off his cap and rip the sleeves off his jumper. Are these puppies or piranhas?

Some of the participants fare better than others, when it comes to canine attention. Sadly, they don’t seem that interested in me. In contrast, one girl at the front of the class has three bangers piled up in her lap. Another guy is dog-nip to the spaniels.

Oh, and yes, there is yoga. It’s gentle and easy, with the prerequisite downward dog and gentle stretches.

In the final section of the session, the colourful toys are brought out - squeaky balls, rubber bones, and a stuffed octopus, and the puppies have a final burst of excited energy before most of them flop into a big fluffy stack.

We tip-toe out of the class.

I’m looking forward to trying some of Marpole Retreat’s other classes, but I bet they won’t make me smile quite as much as that one did.

The next Pause & Relax: Puppy Yoga classes, £36 for an hour, at Marpole Retreats are on September 19 at 11:45am, 1pm and 2:15pm, see www.marpoleretreats.com