Berlin

Spiritual boozing

Drink up, do the downward dog. BierYoga does exactly what it says: combines alcohol consumption and yoga in one-hour long session. We tried it out.

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Suffering from a mild existential crisis after a few Cuba Libres? Want to approach an ancient cultural practice the same way you do a night out on the tiles? Well, of course you do.

Combining the current “mindfulness” craze with everyone’s favourite hoppy beverage, Bier Yoga comes to Berlin courtesy of Jhula, a professional yoga instructor who first saw the concept at Burning Man. At the club Loftus Hall on Maybachufer, the sweet sounds of chilled house, the smell of dropped pints and meditation guided by disco lights accompany your journey into a deeper consciousness.

The hour-long session costs €5; another €6 will get you two beers or Radlers (shandies), which Jhula creatively incorporates into classic yoga moves. Turns out Natarajasana (or, as it’s known to Western yogis, the “Lord Of The Dance Pose”) is easily adapted to include bending a cold bottle of beer into your mouth.

True yoga practitioners may find it all rather blasphemous, but consider that the exercise is still about control: if Buddha once pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth to stem his hunger, then surely this is the same thing. Full of laughs and jokes about inner peace and the joys of beer, the class is taught in German at a beginner-friendly pace and features paired moves, too. If this sounds like your kind of Friday night pre-game, hop online to bieryoga.de for listed dates.

BierYoga, Loftus Hall, Maybachufer 48, S-Bhf Schönleinstr., check website for times as well as additional locations