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Beer yoga tiptoes into Bengaluru

Last Updated 02 September 2017, 20:22 IST

Beer yoga, which involves balancing a bottle and sipping on the brew between postures, is catching on discreetly in the city.

Fitness enthusiasts have heard of Iyengar yoga and power yoga; beer yoga now offers a casual variant of the ancient Indian wellness discipline that a group of practitioners describe as fun but no joke.

In Germany, where beer yoga originated, it is called 'bieryoga' and promoted for 'everybody who is curious and over 16'.

In Bengaluru, organisers of a beer yoga event in June reportedly cancelled it, anticipating opposition, but not everyone is discouraged.

Beer is popular in Bengaluru, and the city is often referred to as the pub capital of India. In recent years, it boasts of a host of microbreweries.

"Many people love beer and they love yoga too," said Mehgish Ali, instructor coordinating an aerobics and beer yoga session in the second week of September in Bengaluru. "It is a fun activity."

Similarly, a German website for Emily and Jhula, who describe themselves as certified yoga instructors and passionate beer drinkers, says, "BeerYoga is the marriage of two great loves – beer and yoga. Both are centuries-old therapies for the body, mind and soul."

In their view, "The joy of drinking beer and the mindfulness of yoga compliment each other, and make for an energising experience."

'Cheers. Stay sober'
Beer yoga encourages practitioners to balance a beer bottle on the head and the knee while settling into postures. They are allowed to take sips between asanas.

The prescribed intake is not more than two pints during a session that could go on for two hours.

Proponents say beer yoga helps reduce stress, relaxes the body and induces sleep.

Do they mix well?
Traditional practitioners are sceptical, and say beer does not mix well with yoga as it hampers concentration.

"I don't know how if it helps as I haven't done it. But it goes against the tenets of yoga," said Dr Shivakumar, a yoga instructor for 10 years.

The intention of yoga is concentration, but beer dulls the senses, he said.

A doctor offered a different perspective. "Beer and other drinks may act as muscle relaxants, but drinking too much may lead to depression," said a neurosurgeon practising in Bengaluru.

He concedes drinks help people overcome inhibition and join activities they wouldn't attempt when sober.

 
 

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(Published 02 September 2017, 20:22 IST)

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