Beer yoga finds its way onto ooZoo rooftop, sells out

Shock Top will sponsor a beer and yoga event through local studio Flow Space on the ooZoo rooftop Saturday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Participants will learn a series of yoga poses that can be done while holding a beer bottle.

“I hope everyone is going to be laughing a lot, that’s my goal,” said Maggie Rucker, a yoga instructor and co-owner of Flow Space.

This class is a prototype for future classes, Rucker said.

“This is sort of like a trial class,” Rucker said. “It blew up on Facebook. Over 500 people were interested in a couple of days, but only 30 spots on the (ooZoo) rooftop.”

Rucker is already planning to host similar classes in the future and is hoping to make it a biweekly event.

“This class is definitely friendly to even the people who have never done yoga before,” Rucker said. “That’s the beauty of something like this.”

The alcohol allows people to lower their walls and lets them feel looser in their body and their mind, Rucker said.

“You can do some really fun things with the beer,” Rucker said. “You can balance it on your hand or your head, and you can also takes sips during poses or challenging transitions.”

An hour of yoga and a beer will cost $5.

This Saturday’s event is already full, and it has been since two days after the Facebook event was posted.

“We might have to change it to Sunday if it rains,” Rucker said. “There might be a turnover because some people can’t make it on Sunday. If we do change it, it will be around noon on Sunday.”

Even though this week’s class is already full, future classes are already being planned.

“It got so popular we do want to do it again,” Rucker said. “Hopefully every other week or every month even.”

To guarantee your spot in the next class that’s offered, you should reserve and pay for your place online, Rucker said.

If waiting a few more Saturdays to get the “brewga” fix isn’t an option, yoga instructor Kelsey Anhalt is hosting Tipple’s Tipsy Beer Yoga on Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and spots are still available.

This event, which takes place at Tipple’s Brews, is $20 for hundreds of beers and an hourlong class, Anhalt said.

With Gainesville’s heavy concentration of breweries and millennials, it seems like brewga was a trend just waiting to happen.

“Alternative forms of fitness are so popular right now,” Rucker said. “Starting slow is a really good idea, learning the basic things, so that when you go and take a class you feel comfortable and confident.”

The event is for those 21 and over with a valid ID, and participants are encouraged to bring their own mats.