Sehnde. The headline was not a good one: “Mass brawl at beer festival” was the headline at the end of May – not a good result of the traditional event on the Whitsun weekend, at which the Sehnde brewery “Das Freie” also had a stand. There was an argument between a group led by organizer Michael Solms and the team of Matthias Digwa, one of the three brothers who run the brewery, the “Gutshof Rethmar” in Sehnde and the “Schmiede” restaurant in Hanover. The conflict was said to have been triggered by music that was too loud. “This is being dealt with legally,” says Christoph Digwa (34). But even then it was clear to him: “We want to set a positive counterpoint.”
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For this reason, the Digwas are inviting people to the beer yoga festival on Sunday, September 15th, at the “Gutshof Rethmar” in Sehnde. The motto: “Freedom and Peace”. Instead of the sun salutation, the beer salutation is performed, and exercises such as “The Warrior” become “The Drinker”. Three drinks from the brewery are part of the program, which is led by yoga teacher Lisa Edelmann (36). “When it comes to beer, the focus is often on aggression. But it’s about socializing. Beer is a peaceful drink,” emphasizes Christoph Digwa, who founded the brewery ten years ago with his brother Stephan.
Beer yoga with “Das Freie”
In the beer business: The brothers Stephan (left) and Christoph Digwa have been brewing “Das Freie” for ten years.
Source: Tim Schaarschmidt
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The 34-year-old is an industrial engineer and has also trained as a beer sommelier. He has little experience with yoga so far. “I posed cross-legged on the beer barrels for our Instagram post for the festival,” he says with a grin, but becomes serious when he explains the parallels between beer and yoga. “Craft beer is not about alcohol or large quantities. It’s about recognizing details and finesse.” As a beer sommelier, he has learned to smell intensively, perceive aromas, and study the carbon dioxide bubbles.
“Beer is a peaceful drink.”
Christoph Digwa,
Co-founder of the Sehnder brewery “Das Freie”
Lisa Edelmann calls herself “Yoga Cloud”
This approach is probably very much in keeping with the spirit of Lisa Edelmann, who has traveled through Canada for the past 15 months – and has given beer yoga courses from the west to the east coast. “But always in breweries or distilleries; drinking in public is prohibited in Canada,” she says. During the video call with the editors, the woman, who teaches under the name “Yogawolke”, is sitting in her Dodge Grand Caravan. Is she on the road? “This is my home,” she says and turns the camera. You can see a neatly made camp, and the view through the rear window falls on the rough sea near Victoria on the west coast.
Loves traveling: Lisa Edelmann from Hanover recently spent 15 months traveling in Canada.
Source: private
She converted the car herself. It includes an Ikea mattress, a small stovetop and a freezer. “The simple version of a camper van.” Since Canada consists largely of so-called Crown Land from the times of the English Commonwealth, long-term parking is permitted everywhere.
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The 36-year-old is familiar with this type of travel. She studied scenography and costume design at the university in Hanover, worked at the Neues Theater, and took jobs as a make-up artist. Until she suffered a burnout in her late 20s. A tumor that required surgery, a chronic illness, back pain, and jaw grinding were all added to the mix. Edelmann changed course and organized a visa for New Zealand – her first six months of driving.
On the road in Crown Land: Lisa Edelmann always had everything with her in Canada in her converted Dodge. She also traveled in New Zealand in this way.
Source: private
On the other side of the world, she discovered not only a love of craft beer, but also yoga. “I immediately felt less pressure on my jaw,” she said after the exercises. “Yoga has incredible power.” Edelmann returned to Germany, but soon left again – she spent a good year in Japan. “Corona surprised me back then,” she says of the time in a country without tourists, where she worked for room and board, hitchhiked 10,000 kilometers and slept in a tent for five months.
The trip to Canada, from which she returned just in time for beer yoga in Sehnde, was supposed to be her last long trip. “Being free often means being alone. I long for stability now,” she says about returning to her apartment in the southern part of the city. The future is Yin Yoga, which she wants to teach in various studios. But her focus is also on asana yoga in combination with beer, wine and gin – she works with the Rossgoschen distillery, for example. “Smell, taste, feel” is important to her.
“Yoga has incredible power.”
Lisa Edelmann,
Yoga teacher
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Yoga is also possible with gin: Lisa Edelmann offers seminars together with the Rossgoschen distillery.
Those: Tratner, Andrea
She sets up the program “like a little comedy show,” sprinkling in beer facts and anecdotes. “It’s a low-threshold entry into the yoga universe,” she says, knowing that not everyone in the sometimes esoteric scene approves of it. But three bottles of beer at the foot of the mat lightened the mood. “Dancing is easier with a beer in your hand.”
“Freedom and Peace” is the name of the Sehnder Brewery’s beer yoga festival on September 15th. From 1 p.m., beer fans and yogis will meet at “Gutshof Rethmar” (Gutsstraße 16). For an entrance fee of 12.50 euros, you can breathe, do gymnastics and drink mindfully with Lisa Edelmann. Three drinks (from pale ale to apple juice) are included in the price. There will be music by Juju Schmid, as well as a barbecue with meat and vegetarian alternatives. Mats must be brought along. The proceeds will be donated to a peace organization.
In fact, things will come full circle on September 15 in Sehnde, as Edelmann had introduced her beer yoga a few years ago on a stage at the beer festival in front of the market church. “300 people spontaneously joined in,” she remembers. And ideally, they learned mindfulness while drinking.
HAZ
2024-09-14 08:11:37