Grab a beer, find your bliss: Beer yoga classes offered in Winnipeg
It's a drink pairing you might not expect: local craft beer and yoga.
But that's exactly what's on offer at a Winnipeg brewery, courtesy of a yoga instructor specializing in unique environments.
Aleah Nelson calls it "six-pack yoga": One hour of Vinyasa yoga at a brewery followed by a drink with the group and a tour of the facilities.
"It really mixes two things that aren't normally seen together, but it creates a really fun environment," Nelson said.
Nelson's beer yoga is the latest in several untraditional spins on yoga offered in Winnipeg, including dog yoga, paddleboard yoga, party yoga and, most recently, goat yoga.
Nelson says her version helps bring attention to local breweries and helps bring shy new yogis out of their shells.
"Some people are nervous trying yoga for the first time. There sometimes is a little bit of a prestige when it comes to that," she said.
"I believe that bringing it into these unique venues, it allows people who've maybe never tried it before or always wanted to try it before, or have a friend who does yoga but they've never done it, to kind of get them out and just have a little bit more fun with it."
But seasoned yogis shouldn't come expecting a class exactly like what they've experienced in the studio.
"It's a little bit more light-hearted," Nelson said. "Everybody kind of comes in knowing that they're going to be socializing with each other afterward, so it really opens up the opportunity for people to meet new people who are interested or have similar interests in yoga, and also craft beer."
The $25 tickets cover one hour of yoga, followed by your choice of a pint or flight of beer at the brewery and a tour.
After her first-ever beer yoga class earlier this month, Nelson's next session is scheduled for May 3 at Torque Brewing Co. in Winnipeg. That class is already sold out, but she's also got one scheduled for May 24 at the same brewery. Tickets are available online.
Nelson said she's looking at expanding to other breweries like Barn Hammer and is considering offering a pizza version in the future.
