Fooling Around: Drunk Yoga for Couples

Fooling Around: Drunk Yoga for Couples

by Annie Ellertsen

“I’m going to yoga class...would you like to come to one with me sometime?”

It’s a question I often ask a guy when we start dating. It’s practically become a

rite of passage: could you enjoy, or at least appreciate and respect this thing that has

been an important staple in keeping me healthy, happy, not to mention, employed? In

two cases, one guy I dated already loved the practice, and we had some of our best

times together in class, right up until he moved away. Another guy flat-out refused to go,

would make fun, would call it a novelty, and just stretching. After I dumped him, he was

suddenly dying to go. Let’s face it, we like it when our date/significant other takes

interest in what makes us happy. It can be scary. It can be worrisome that you are

putting a few bucks down for an experience you may not be into. Or, it could be totally

awesome, and even if it isn’t completely your jam, you went for it, and your partner is

going to LOVE that.

So what am I getting at? If you are willing to drop inhibitions, nix the feeling of

needing to be impress or be perfect, and yes, put a touch of novelty in the class

(alcohol!), Drunk Yoga can be an awesome date for you and your boo. Wether it’s your

first date, or you’ve been together for a while, here are some benefits.

1) It is almost always held in a bar or on a rooftop.

Let’s face it — at some pointy you were probably going to get a drink anyway, so

why not add a little built-in party? Lots of drunk yogis have said that they came into

class with a bunch of strangers, and by the end, left with a new friend, or at least, a few

follows on Instagram. I’m not saying completely abandon your date to mingle, but a

great perk is, you are encouraged to socialize (it’s built into class), so pour your starter

glass (we encourage a half glass as we #namasteresponsibly!), and catch up with your

date before the main event. If you happen to find others joining you, maybe even

your teacher, that’s just a bonus.

2) So. Much. Laughing.

Let’s face it, especially when you first start dating someone, there can be some

walls up. Usually it’s about silly stuff like “I like to watch Full House re-runs with nachos,

and I sing along with the theme song every time.” Or, “I sexy dance in front of my mirror

to Third Eye Blind, but only when my roommates aren’t home.” Let me tell you-we don’t

just call it Drunk Yoga because there is wine involved-we call it that because you can

seriously get drunk on JOY. Spoiler alert: We pretty much play throwback pop and hip-

hop music in class, and once we have begun class with a moment of peaceful quiet and

intention setting...and then you all of a sudden hit over the head with the BOOM-BOOM-

CLAP beat of Tipsy by J-Kwon, everyone cracks a grin, and tends to drop their wall an

inch or two. We look each other in the eye when we spontaneously toast to our

awesomeness. We throw compliments to our friends when we loose our balance and

spill on their mats — I’ll bet you are planning to spill on your date’s mat now just to

announce to the class how cute their workout shorts are...and maybe later, lean over to

let them know their butt is cute, too? In between poses and vino-yasa, shaking our ass-

anas have become full-out dance parties, so get ready to bust out some of your Third

Eye Blind moves you kept to yourself all these years. If you’re looking to make an

impression, it might not take fancy dinner, it might just take dropping how you are

expected to be everywhere else, and showing who you love to be.

3) You may discover your next Netflix and Chill wine.

At Drunk Yoga, we always have a few selections of pours, so why not each pour

a different kind, and then let your date sample yours? You don’t even need to know the

notes, undertones, if it’s dry, fruity, whatever. share some sips, take pictures of the

labels, and when the class is done, it wouldn’t hurt asking the front of house bartender

where to get it.

4) After party?

You drank, you laughed, you posed, you boogied, you broke a sweat…

Now what? Ending a date can be wicked awkward, especially when it’s with someone new.

Are we saying saying bye, planning the next date, I’ll text you, seriously, what happens

now? Good news! If you aren’t ready to put a cap on the date, stay a while. Another

Drunk Yoga perk, is most bars we host at offer sweet discounts in the front of the house.

Sit, eat some carbs, and continue your conversation from earlier. Discuss class. Tell

them the flirty things that were running through your mind when you caught them in a

cute moment. You’ve already let your guard down in class, therefore, your heart is a

little more open. You aren’t required to get deep, but maybe the combo of endorphins

and a bit of liquid courage are all you need to fuel some conversation that’s you, and not

who you think you need to be.

You don’t have to be a yogi. You don’t have to be a sommelier. You don’t have to

feel like you need to impress, because Drunk Yoga has a way of bringing out your most

genuine self. And if that doesn’t make your date admire you that much more,

self love is more important anyway. But that’s a whole other blog...