Is Beer Yoga a Thing?

Have you recently observed a growing trend towards the strange association of alcohol consumption with Yoga practice? Winoga, Yin-gin, Yoga & wine, beer-yoga, and the like, have become popular terms, It seems relevant and urgent to start a discussion on the topic. Does it make sense to combine the two activities?

We will start from a point that goes beyond all discussion of cultural appropriation and pointing a finger at a certain part of the world, simply because there is enough and more being spoken on that already.

There are two lines of thoughts:

1. Stemming from a clear understanding of not only the roots of Yoga but also the physiological, mental, emotional, spiritual reasons and effects of practicing yoga.

2. From a muddled perspective of fun, stress-relief, camaraderie while practicing yoga leading only to long-term damage and to needless advertising for the already well-promoted liquor industry.

In a Yoga session- Asana, Dhyana, Pranayama being the most commonly utilized elements of the eight limbs as set forth by Sage Patanjali, we will assume that understanding in the reader. The rest of the limbs step into a practitioner’s life either consciously or of their own accord when the aforementioned limbs are practiced lovingly and joyfully.

What do we want out of Yoga? This could be a question we want to pose to ourselves. Whatever be our answer, for sure it is something around the lines of being calmer, more centered, stronger, more flexible, and generally more at ease within ourselves and with the world around us.

In a nutshell, the results of Yoga practices are-

1.       Awareness - of ourselves in a keen manner which gets more and more fine-tuned.

2.       Alignment – anatomically while in an asana session and of our own deepest truths

3.       Healing – activation of self-healing processes via various limbs of yoga

4.       Balance – physical, mental, emotional, and all-round balance so much so that we become aware of what our roots are and get strongly connected to them.

5.       All round health – from experience yoga and a common-sensical lifestyle are cornerstones of a healthful life.

6.       Joyful existence – we begin to touch and unfurl our natural way of being and start to experience more and more of the joy which has touched us at some points of life to be sure.

Now, why would we muddy and spoil the above benefits and many more by ingesting alcohol or anything mind-altering before, after, or while practicing Yoga.

Drink driving is prohibited since one can cause injury to oneself and others and the same can be applied to Yoga practices too.  The few benefits of a sound Yoga practice that we have listed out can be best availed of with us being just us- as we are at that time, with a yoga mat, a drink of water if need be, and present in the moment.

Free thinking has gone to an extreme today, so much so that it has come to resemble confusion, leading to no sane or safe place.

Yoga practice and alcohol consumption are two completely different needs and should not be associated together, for whatsoever reason. This is quite clear and there are no two ways about this.

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Author-Sunila Vig