Yoga is a pretty diverse practice. There are several different lineages of yoga philosophy and asana and recently many spinoffs of yoga classes involving some unexpected twists. Examples include Rage Yoga, Goat Yoga, and Acro Yoga.

My new spin-off, I guess you could call it that, is a Beer Yoga class at a local brewery.

Now, for some people, yoga at a brewery while drinking beer might seem a bit counterproductive, or even offensive. I understand. Beer is, by most standards of health, not really that good for you. But I was initially drawn to the green space at GrassLands Brewing Co. as a place to hold a yoga class because I love practicing yoga outside. I live in Florida, though, and I hate practicing yoga in red ant piles. So the turf at GrasLlands was a perfect solution to my problem!

I have also found that my personal yoga practice doesn’t really include cutting out drinking altogether but more practicing it in moderation. I drink as a treat, once in a while. Sort of like a cupcake. You wouldn’t deny yourself ALL cupcakes, because what would life be? But eating four cupcakes a day every day is not good for you either.

In my personal journey, wellness is about balance, and about integrating wellness into all aspects of my life, including the social.

Have you ever been at a bar or a winery with a great lawn and thought “Wow, this is great! This would be a great place to do handstands or warrior 2 or just do some cartwheels?” Well, I have. But there aren’t a lot of places where it is socially acceptable, as a 30-year old woman, to tuck in your shirt, kick off your shoes, and flip upside down.

But at my beer yoga class, we all can!

I’ve also found that, when students are new in a yoga class, they often get really in their heads about whether or not they are doing it “right”. Students may be stressed that they can’t touch their toes, can’t bend their backs, or can’t balance on their arms. Over time, many students can release that stress and expectation through their yoga practice alone, but a few sips of a great local brew can help to drop some of those insecurities as well, and open students up to having a good time.

Overall, I don’t think that our world should have to be divided into “wellness life” and “social life” and “work life”. I know that there is a happy triangle in the middle of that Venn diagram where we can live happily and healthily and can integrate all the things we enjoy in a fun, safe way.

I’m still on the fence about Goat Yoga, though. I’ve met some strong, angry goats.

If you’re interested in joining in at one of my classes at GrassLands, check out more info here.