Beer yoga does more harm than good, warn yoga experts

In the past few years, yoga has become popular not just in Asia but also across the world. One form of yoga that has grabbed attention, is beer yoga. True to its name, this form literally involves sipping beer while performing asanas. Besides this, the trainees are also expected to balance the bottle in the palm of their hand or on the head.

However, traditional yoga experts call it a marketing gimmick and a diluted version of traditional yoga, which may prove fatal and hamper concentration. Delhi-based yoga and personal fitness trainer Aashita Chopra warns that drinking beer while doing yoga may lead to sudden health complications.

“Yoga is a serious practice and since alcohol is a toxic substance, it should not be combined with yoga. While we are doing yoga, there are ample things that take place in our body. Several juices and acids form during this process. That is one of the reasons why people are advised to practise it either on empty stomach or after two to three hours post a meal. Besides this, if beer is consumed on empty stomach, the impact multiplies, causing direct reactions,” she says.

Misbah Patanwala, an independent yoga instructor from Mumbai, calls beer yoga a diluted version of the traditional form, which cannot bring any positive changes. “Beer yoga has got absolutely nothing to do with the teachings of yoga. Yoga has become so diluted that it has lost its charm completely,” she says.

Calling it a marketing strategy, Misbah says that beer yoga is only a way to attract the masses to practise yoga, and adds it, instead, brings health issues that one may not have otherwise.

“Traditional yoga is about discovering yourself. It's not just about the body but also mind and soul. It's a holistic approach. There is a complete science behind it. Beer yoga is exactly opposite to traditional yoga. It does not help you find inner peace or lead you to the happiness that you aim to derive out of it. Beer does not have any physical benefits nor does this yoga,” she says.

Traditional yoga is known for connecting mind, body and soul. Beer yoga, instead, kills the cells, says Mohit Udadhyay, certified yoga instructor, JMK Vedic Institute.

“Practising traditional forms of yoga helps in combating diseases. Beer yoga, on the other hand, would completely do the opposite. Yoga helps in adding years to your life, but adding beer to it takes away those years. Beer yoga kills the cells which eventually leads to cancer. I think, it is just a way to promote drinking, having little understanding that it can cause infertility and early ageing among people.”

Beer yoga started in Germany and soon spread to Australia, Thailand and even Southeast Asia. In India, the trend has slowly started catching up and Delhi organised one such event recently.