Yoga workouts in LA add wine and cannabis to the mix

Friday, March 8, 2019
Yoga workouts in LA add wine and cannabis to the mix
To help make yoga even more social, some studios are adding popular extras like wine tasting and cannabis social circles to help unwind their clients.

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- At the Bay Club in Pacific Palisades, Morgan Perry is educating her students about wine along with perfecting their yoga poses.

It's all part of her "Vino Vinyasa" workout.

"It makes yoga a little bit more social so you're actually hanging out after, meeting your friends," Perry said.

Perry, who is a certified yoga instructor, also studied winemaking. She came up with the concept two years ago, and now it's offered at health clubs, hotels and events.

"We probably have about 15 classes right now that are written. Red wine, white wine, rose, sparkling wine," Perry said.

Another yogi adding a relaxing element is Ashlee Langas, creator of "Stoned Yoga." Langas feels it helps students decompress after a stressful day.

This workout begins with a social circle engaging in cannabis and conversation.

"I started to notice people were coming with their friends, and it became this very community gathering situation," Langas said.

"It helps me to be less self-conscious and really get both the mind and the body aligned for the experience," said student Monique Jackson-Fitzgerald of Pasadena.

If you're not comfortable with cannabis, there's also CBD tea, which has no psychotropic effects. And is the case with both workouts, you must be at least 21 to participate.

"Slow is the way to go. You can always add more. You can't take it away once you already had it," reminded Jackson-Fitzgerald.

And if you're taking a class like these, it's best to get a ride or use ride-share. Langas offers the class at both Tree4ort and The Mystic Rebel.

Both yoga instructors make it clear that during a class is not the time to overindulge.

"I like to tell people who are just starting out: low and slow," Langas said. "Consult your physician if you are nervous about consuming."