Extract loves Yoga Brunch Club
Toga, Mindfulness. Coffee. Can you think of a better way to start the day?
Wake up and smell the coffee. The whirr of the grinder. The smell of the brew. It's not just the caffeine, the very process of making yourself a coffee awakens the senses.
Brewing up a coffee can be a quiet moment gifted to yourself in the middle of the day. We've teamed up with Yoga teacher Clem from Yoga Brunch Club to guide us through a mindfulness exercise for brewing coffee.
We're using the power of yoga and coffee to help us to take an extra moment to join us for a slower brew. We're using a cafetiere for this exercise, but mindfulness is about slowing down and being present in the moment, so you can try this with any brew method.
You'll need: Your brew equipment – we're using a cafetiere – a grinder (if using whole beans), a timer, your favourite cup and coffee of your choice.
- Switch the kettle on, weigh your coffee beans, notice their texture, weight and colour.
- Take a deep inhale and exhale (if it helps, place your hands on your belly for this and close your eyes)
- Smell the aromas of the coffee, breathing in the rich and intense flavours.
- As you pour the water, notice the water's clearness, the steam that rises and the textures and colours this makes as the two combine.
- While the coffee brews set a timer for 1 minute, and let it sit for a moment.
- Take another few deep inhales and exhales. Allow yourself to sit for a moment too.
- Slowly stir the coffee, and notice has the texture or colour changed here?
- Wait for another 2-3 minutes, allowing 4 minutes total brew time. Breathe deeply.
- Plunge the coffee and slowly pour into your chosen cup, is there a smooth velvet layer to on the surface of the coffee? Notice the colours as your pour.
- Close your eyes and breathe in the rich, intense favours.
- Now sip.
- Notice, does a more meditative approach to coffee-making change the flavour or make you feel any different?
We hope that you've been able to slow down and enjoy the brew with us.
Five minutes with Clem of Yoga Brunch Club
We caught up with Yoga Brunch Club founder, Clem, for a flat white and a chat about the power of coffee, yoga and community.
"I WANT TO MAKE YOGA FUN AND SOCIAL, PEOPLE COME TO PRACTICE THEN STAY TO EAT, CHAT AND SOCIALISE. "
EXTRACT: What's the story behind Yoga Brunch Club?
CLEM: 'I started Yoga Brunch Club over four years ago now. With a passion for food-related things, it was a chance to bring together my creative and foodie side and love for yoga.
The idea that you have to have a particular body type or be the most flexible person to start or do yoga is a myth I am trying to stop.
As a yoga teacher, my mission is to create a space where yoga feels accessible. I want to make yoga fun and social, where people come to practice, then stay to eat, chat and socialise.
For Yoga Brunch Club, I collaborate with the most incredible chefs, artists, designers and florists (and coffee roasters!) to create a memorable morning of yoga with a delicious brunch. These run monthly in London and Bristol, alongside festivals, yoga supper clubs and weekend retreats.'
"WHEN WE SHARE EXPERIENCES WE FEEL MORE CONNECTED TO THOSE AROUND US"
EXTRACT: One of the best things about coffee is its ability to bring people together. In coffee shops, round the breakfast table, in the office. Do you find the same thing in yoga?
CLEM: 'Definitely! When I started the Yoga Brunch Club, there was a gap in the yoga world. Runners and cyclists meet and socialise after a training session, but in yoga, you just roll up your mat, smile at the person next to you and head home.
There is something extraordinary about practising yoga in a large group and beautiful space. There's this incredible energy that is created in the room when everyone moves and breathes together. When we share experiences like this, we feel more connected to those around us.
This is exactly what is at the heart of my events. We spend so much time online these days and crave human connections. The Yoga Brunch Club's main purpose is to build a community of like-minded people who can connect face to face.
I often have people attend events on their own and then return each month, which is wonderful. Friendships have formed over the years, new connections made, and the community continues to grow through shared passions of yoga, food and great people.'
"YOGA TEACHES US TO SLOW DOWN, TO BE PRESENT AND MORE CONSCIOUS OF OUR ACTIONS... INCLUDING COFFEE"
EXTRACT: Let's talk caffeine. At the roastery, lots of us are into yoga; we're also unashamed coffee fanatics and no stranger to a caffeine hit or three. Having shared lots of coffees with you this year, I know that you're also no stranger to caffeine! Many people still expect a yoga event to be decaf-only though, tell us why there's space for coffee in yoga.
CLEM: 'I am a strong believer that everything is fine in moderation, and that includes caffeine.
If you have attended a Yoga Brunch Club or your looking to join one, you will realise quickly that the food and drinks are just as important as the yoga and there are no rules or restrictions on what you can and can't eat or drink.
Yoga teaches us how to listen to and build a connection with our bodies, so we can build a much deeper awareness of how we move and how what we put into our body affects how it will function.
Society today is fast-paced, there's never enough time, and we continuously seem to be rushing (I am guilty of this too!). Caffeine gets drawn into this never-ending cycle and can quickly become a habit that we feel guilty about.
Yoga is there to teach us to slow down, reminding us to be present and more conscious of each of our actions rather than going into autopilot.
We can apply this to other areas of our lives, including coffee.
If you love coffee and you choose to have one cup or more a day, rather than mindlessly knocking back cup after cup, make it delicious. Please make time to sit down and truly enjoy it and savour it.
For the collaboration with Extract, the coffees were carefully sourced and roasted, skilfully made by baristas, the time, effort and thought that goes into serving each cup hopefully encouraged individuals to take their time to drink and savour it too.'
"THE FOOD AND DRINKS ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE YOGA"
EXTRACT: Food at Yoga Brunch Club is always amazing. Talk us through your menus.
CLEM: 'The food is a key part of the experience, I collaborate with very talented chefs and cooks to provide a post-yoga feast, each event is unique and has varied from seasonal British chefs to Sri Lankan, Indian, Vietnamese, Persian, Japanese and middle eastern themed brunches.
When I first started teaching, I ran classes at a community space near my house. I would cook up different themed meals at home and serve them after class in the cafe next door. It was such a lovely way to spend an evening. Yoga: then sitting around a table chatting over delicious, wholesome food. This desire to bring new flavours to each event is one that I love and stuck around.
I want people to come away feeling like they have tried something new. That might be yoga or a new dish or cuisine. The food is served in large platters, family-style down long tables, it's the weekend, so no one has to rush off, people leave feeling relaxed and ready for the week.
About Yoga Brunch Club and Retreats
Yoga Brunch Club runs events and retreats in beautiful venues around the UK. They're an opportunity to wind down and stretch out your weekend with yoga and a well earned brunch in London or Bristol.
Taken on a long table with your fellow yogis, its a food experience from local producers that's just as much about the joy of food as it is yoga.
From time to time Clem also runs weekend-long yoga retreats in the UK, to help to eek that weekend feeling out even longer.
Online yoga classes
Clem also teaches online yoga classes, which we think are the perfect accompaniment to a freshly brewed cup of coffee in the morning. Both are great components to set you up for a brilliantly productive day.
All you need is, you, the internet, a laptop or phone and a yoga mat. Whether or not you practice with Clem regularly, everyone is welcome to join online for live-streamed classes via Zoom.
Clem runs Yoga Brunch Club events in Bristol, London and Oxford, as well as online retreats. Check out her website for newly announced dates
All that reading left you thirsty?
Head over to our online shop to browse our latest coffees online.