In a bid to make their workouts more exciting, German fitness enthusiasts in Berlin have come up with ‘Beer Yoga’ or ‘boga’ – a new form of yoga that integrates beer bottles into standard poses. Participants are welcome to use the bottles in any way they like, including holding it in their hands, balancing it on their heads, or even taking a sip in between poses!

Some of the students who have indulged in beer drinking during yoga class say that it’s fun at first, but becomes quite difficult after the second or third bottle. That isn’t stopping people from attending these classes, which are often described as highly amusing and interesting. Sure, yoga and beer don’t exactly go hand in hand, but yoga instructor Jhula, the inventor of boga, says she knew a lot of people who loved both yoga and drinking beer, so combining the two did make some sense. 

Jhula, who conducts her beer yoga classes in a Berlin pub, admits that many of the participants are not regulars, but curious pub crawlers who are more concerned with drinking the beer than practicing yoga. But she’s ok with that, since the classes are more about having fun than mastering the Indian art. Pregnant women are also welcome to take part in Jhula’s ‘boga’ sessions, but they are advised to indulge in non-alcoholic beer.

Beer yoga may be gaining among Berlin’s youth, but health experts aren’t crazy about it, arguing that the mix of alcohol and exercise is a very bad idea. “Alcohol clouds perception, hinders muscle control, impairs balance and restricts endurance,” said Dr. Ingo Froboese, from the German Sporting School in Cologne. He also added that the alcohol could restrict people’s recovery phase, and that they should stick to drinking water for several hours after an exercise session. Where’s the fun in that?

Photos: Bieryoga/Facebook

via T-Online