Sometimes I think I’m just not cool anymore. I guess it’s cyclical…a generation get’s older and the music is unrelatable, the politics are more radical, forms of communication change with advances in technology and the belief that human behavior is becoming more shocking is an every day conversation.

I thought it was hard to shock me until I recently saw a Buzz feed post about Beiryoga or as it’s become known (in only a few locations) in the U.S., Beer yoga. Seriously? Beer Yoga? Bieryoga is a yoga class that started in in Berlin, Germany, and as its name so implies, combines yoga and beer in one class (this is where I realize I can be shocked). You are not suppose to drink during the class but rather practice your poses while balancing a beer in various positions….like up to your mouth and in a saluting pose, focusing your mind on the bottle. And since these classes are being offered at festivals, various bars, breweries and parties it just confirms that I live under a rock and maybe my cool factor is diminishing.

I don’t practice yoga every day but I have been practicing yoga since I was 16. I am now 55 years old. I go thru long periods where I don’t even look at my mat but the belief that my practice (when I actually practice) is sacred, still holds true for me. I do not drink any more and have been sober for 23 years but I still go out to concerts, dinner parties where people are drinking and restaurants that serve alcohol. Many of my friends who still enjoy a beverage that I drank with are still in my life. I am pretty sure that my shock has nothing to do with my decision to embrace sobriety. I don’t think drinking alcohol while your mediating, doing yoga, jogging or practicing any other exercise is a great idea. Yes, research has shown that alcohol in moderation can cause blood vessel dilation which actually improves circulation and that one drink of red wine or some other alcohol slightly benefits the heart and blood vessels, but those positive effects on the measurable indicators disappear with two drinks and add over exertion in the mix and you’ve got problems. Alcohol and over exertion can affect how your heart works. If your heart isn’t pumping blood throughout your body successfully, your other organs could suffer from lack of oxygen or nutrients or worse… be unable to rid itself of waste. If the person, who’s drinking and doing say, Bieryoga, has clogged blood vessels, the heart has to work even harder. Seems like a recipe for disaster if you ask me.

So, why even go there? Why create an industry of new fangled exercise classes that get more bizarre every year? Maybe people are so bored with a classic workout that this is the only way to get them to be active. OK, I can buy that I guess because I am one of those people who really doesn’t like going to the gym. I prefer to be outside hiking or paddle boarding or taking a good Pilates class or just walking. But I draw the line at Bieryoga.

When I started looking for other interesting yoga classes, I came across yet another pretty unusual yoga practice. Goat Yoga. That’s right, I said Goat Yoga. While you’re finding your calm on your mat, little goats are running around at your feet and it get’s better. When you get down on your hands and knees before you go into child pose, a baby goat jumps on your back. I have not tried Goat Yoga so all I have to go on are the students’ experiences. One of the students from a Goat Yoga studio in Nottingham, New Hampshire said it was a great workout. When she got home her face hurt from smiling so much. I mean, who doesn’t love the face of a baby goat but have you smelled a goat? I have…they are pretty pungent. I am pretty sure that I would not be able to find myself with that distraction but I wouldn’t be taking that class to find myself. I guess these classes are helping you to not take yourself so serious.

Maybe that’s my problem. I started yoga in the late 70’s. It was serious and I was desperately searching for some meaning to my life and the life around me. Practicing yoga helped me lower my stress levels, allowed more clarity to my thoughts and just made my life better. It was a sacred space I held on my mat back then and for the years that followed, it remained sacred. But, I am teachable, I am open-minded, and I am still cool. My 11-year-old daughter might actually disagree with my self-evaluation however.

As a Health Coach, I not only educate my clients about clean eating, but we really dig deep into the importance of healthy relationships, our own spirituality and our sacred spaces, our exercise choices and our careers. If those are all in balance then the chances are that we will make better food choices and living a good life takes on new meaning. So, if Goat Yoga or Bieryoga is what jerks your chain and you are actually getting something out of it without getting sick, then it’s a good thing. I heard there are these Scottish men who practice yoga in the wilds of Scotland. It’s called Kilted Yoga. They take to the Perthsire’s Enchanted Forest in Scotland and practice yoga by a raging river, on the rocks and in the bottomland standing on beds of moss. It is simply beautiful to watch and can I just say… that it is very true that men don’t wear anything under their kilts.

Everything I ever wanted for my body has been out of my comfort zone but I am committed to being fit so, though I won’t be trying Bieryoga, I am open to change. For anyone who’s tired of his or her workout or looking for something new, now’s the time to open your mind. Why put off feeling good?