Two of my favorite things were combined to create an event: beer and yoga. Just Add Yoga originally started in Seattle, but has been making its way to other areas, like Bellingham. Just Add Yoga started a little over a year ago, one of the co-owners of the company, Dawn Hood said. The point of the event is to get anyone and everyone who is interested in yoga out to try it, plus you get a pint to enjoy afterwards. Just Add Yoga also does events like wine and yoga, whiskey and yoga...basically any kind of alcohol, plus yoga. The event will occur inside the bar if there is enough space, like at Aslan it was inside, whereas at Kulshan it was held at K2, their other location where the beer is actually brewed. Everyone gets to enjoy an hour long yoga session, which is then followed by enjoying a pint of beer with those who attended the event and Hood. “We would always talk about how we want to grow our business at happy hour, and with drinking, so it just kind of came together,” Hood said. I thought it was a great way to get people in the community not only trying yoga, and new beer, but also meeting new people. What influenced Hood and her partner to start this company was having a challenging time in the yoga studios, and feeling like they didn’t get to teach much, Hood said. With Just Add Yoga combining yoga with beer and wine, they could use tasting rooms, so they would be able to have studios all over, Hood said. “Like a mobile studio.” After having started in Seattle last January, the company had made it’s way to the eastside of Seattle, and has just started making their way north. Their first event in Bellingham was at Aslan, April 29, followed by their most recent event in Bellingham at Kulshan, May 20. “I love the vibe of this town. Everyone loves beer and everyone loves yoga,” Hood said. I think that combining alcohol and yoga is a great way to get people moving, because they get a little reward at the end. To me, yoga is a very important part of life. Not only are you moving, but you are listening to your body and what it needs. It’s also one of the many ways I get away from everything around me and clear my head. Being able to have a little fun, drink a beer, and meet new people makes it easier to let go of whatever is on your mind that day.
