Beer Yoga Is Beckoning Yogis with Stretches and Stouts (Video)

Well + Good

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People often turn to yoga as a method of relaxation and escape from the stressors of their everyday lives. Now, people can also turn to yoga for a good brew. That’s right, yoga’s newest partner on the mat is a good ol’ draft beer. Beer yoga is a new style of yoga that brings beer on the mat and into your flow.

Beer yoga has been around for a few years. Beth Cosi’s Bendy Brewski yoga classes have taken place at several different breweries in Charleston, SC since 2011, and the popular BierYoga in Berlin has taken off since its start in 2015.

Jhula, the yogi who started BierYoga, explained that she likes both beer and yoga. After reading about the phenomenon at a festival, she decided to try it herself:

“Basically, I played around with it in my room with a Radler [half beer, half lemonade or soda],”

Jhula told Vice. “I took standard vinyasa sequences, which most people have done a bunch of times, and tried to figure out everywhere I could work beer in there.”

What is Beer Yoga?

So, what does a beer yoga class look like? Well, in Jhula’s case, a participant in one of her classes should expect to go through an hour of regular yoga while also going through about two bottles of beer. Yes, beer yoga entails drinking beer on your mat and during your yoga flow.

While this may seem like it pokes fun at the art of yoga, it is in fact a serious matter. BierYoga states on their website that even though it may seem like a lot of fun, they work to incorporate the “philosophies of yoga” to help each participant reach their highest level of consciousness.

“The overall feedback has always been positive. People love it and appreciate the fun atmosphere,” Jhula said.

The funniest memory she has so far from her classes? A police officer who had never done yoga before.

“He regularly came to my classes and told me how much he loved them,” Jhula said. “He does classical yoga now.” BierYoga was his entry point to yoga; it intrigued him enough to try it, then he moved onto a more traditional practice.

Beer yoga is slowly becoming more popular in the United States, from Bendy Brewski classes in Charleston to Yoga+Beer, which has five locations throughout Oregon. Variations on beer and yoga are also springing up: the ART Hotel in Denver hosted a yoga class with bottomless mimosas.

The popular yoga outfitter Lululemon even made a yoga-inspired beer called “Curiosity Lager” in 2015. The limited-edition brew is a citrus-based lager made with chinook and lemondrop hops, a great blend to pair with your yoga practice.

Where to Practice Beer Yoga

If you are looking to get involved in this new twist on yoga, a simple Google search of classes could help to lead the way. If a studio in your area does not offer this new class variation, suggest BrewAsanas to your local studio or favorite teacher.

BrewAsanas used to hold classes in breweries but is now devoted to helping yoga teachers host and promote their own events. They offer a Beer and Yoga How-To Guide, which touches on everything from how to reach out to breweries to social media tactics.

Even if you are not a beer drinker, and not everyone is, many classes give the option of either paying for the yoga class by itself or the yoga class plus beer.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to mixing a little stout and a little Om.

Photo Credit: Well + Good

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