Beer yoga in Birmingham: it’s a thing

Yesterday afternoon before yoga at Kind Roots Yoga in the Forest Park neighborhood of Birmingham, I gathered all of the necessities—my mat, my water bottle… and my IPA.

Beer + yoga = Brewga

I haven’t been the most committed yogi over the years, but this class caught my attention. The thought of combining my love of exercise, need for relaxation—I have an eight-month-old—and desire for the occasional good beer was intriguing.

• Day: Wednesdays
• Time: 7:00 p.m.
• Cost: Donation

I arrived to class 20 minutes early and found a small crowd already gathered outside of the building. Clearly many others are just as into the thought of beer yoga as I am. In fact, Good People also has a happy hour yoga class, and Kind Roots is considering adding a second Brewga class to accommodate demand.

Downward facing drink

After starting with a few minutes of meditation, instructor Renny Ratliff turned up the music and began to lead an energetic vinyasa flow. This isn’t your standard yoga class, though–Renny cued us through moves including “downward facing drink,” in which you are supposed to take a sip of your beer while in down dog (something I discovered I am not coordinated enough to do). Pro tip: although I wouldn’t normally drink beer with a straw, it is very necessary for this pose.

Renny also instructed us to raise our brews to the sky while in tree pose, and to bring our “brew to heart” after a nice, long stretch. The class was full of positive affirmations and music you wouldn’t normally find in a yoga studio. I enjoyed hearing Talking Heads while going through the motions of my yoga flow. I think David Byrne kept me going, despite my feeling extremely out of yoga shape.

The power of positivity

The studio is filled with positive energy and–as its name suggests–kind people. There is also a sense of community at Kind Roots that is hard to find. In celebration of its one-year anniversary this weekend, the studio is offering free yoga classes and hosting a dinner party. I look forward to going back.