Charleston Wine + Food is a physical challenge: Prepare and recover with these yoga poses

If you haven’t looked at the Charleston Wine + Food Festival program for a few years, what’s most striking about the agenda for this year's event is how closely it resembles the group fitness schedule hanging up at your gym. On its website, the festival sorts its 2020 offerings into five categories: Fine Dining, Grand Tasting, Beer & Spirits, Wine, and Wellness.

With the food world increasingly fixated on self-care, undoing (or at least counterbalancing) the harms caused by overeating and overdrinking with sweating and stretching is a legitimate trend. At press time, a Thursday 8 a.m. barre class at Bourbon N’ Bubbles was the only one of Wine + Food’s six wellness experiences that wasn’t sold out or down to its final tickets.

But if you got shut out, either because you were late to make festival plans or didn’t have an expendable $75 for day-glo yoga and plant-based snacks, The Post and Courier Food section’s making sure you won't miss the faddish fun. Today, we present two short yoga sequences to enhance your Wine + Food, or whatever else your weekend might hold.

The first series of poses is designed to open your mind and ready your gut for a culinary spectacle. These poses emphasize mindfulness and metabolism. By contrast, the second series of poses is meant for the morning after all of those edible thrills: It’s a recovery sequence for yogis and yoginis coping with headaches, upset stomachs and not enough sleep.

And if you don’t already consider yourself a yoga practitioner, our instructor Katie Heatley says you can change that situation right now.

“I started doing yoga out of my house,” says Heatley, who completed her teach training at West Ashley’s Holy Cow Yoga Center in 2015.

In addition to teaching in studios around the Charleston area, Heatley offers classes at the Dorchester Senior Center and volunteers with Empowered Minds, a local nonprofit that introduces children to yoga and calming techniques.

“Know there’s a way for everyone,” she says. (Sometimes, though, that way is found in consultation with a medical professional: If you have health concerns or aren’t currently active, it’s best to talk to a doctor before embarking on a yoga regime.)

To that end, while Heatley demonstrated these poses on a dock, it’s also possible to perform them while seated in a chair. Heatley’s suggestions for modifications are included in short videos of these sequences, which present the poses in an uninterrupted flow. To view both videos, visit postandcourier.com.

Finally, no matter where your festival leads, namaste.

THE WINE + FOOD TRIBUTE SEQUENCES

Heatley recommends a gentle warm up before doing yoga. While moving through these poses, breathe slowly in and out through your nose. Aim to match breath to movement, and if anything doesn’t feel right, stop.

The Amuse Bouche Series

The Parivrtta Utkatasana, also known as the chair twist, performed by Katie Heatley near the Nowell Creek on Daniel Island. Hold the pose for at least a few breaths and then return to center. Straighten your legs and raise your arms overhead. Repeat on the opposite side. Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff

By Andrew Whitaker awhitaker@postandcourier.com

I. Parivrtta Utkatasana (Chair twist)

WHY: In yoga practice, putting pressure on the internal organs is believed to have a detoxifying effect. This posture is also said to contribute to good posture and confidence, both of which could come in handy while out on the town.

WHAT: To achieve the pose, stand with your feet together, toes touching. If you find it challenging to balance, separate your feet or practice close to a wall.

Raise your arms overhead. Bend your knees and lower your thighs, as if you were sitting down in an invisible chair. Keeping your weight in your heels, bring your palms to touch at chest level. With hands together, twist your torso slowly to the right, hooking your left elbow on the outside of your right thigh. If it doesn’t bother your neck, gaze upward. Try to keep your knees aligned as you press back through your hips.

Hold the pose for at least a few breaths, and then return to center. Straighten your legs and raise your arms overhead. Repeat on the opposite side.

The Parivrtta Anjaneyasana, or crescent lunge twist, performed by Katie Heatley near the Nowell Creek on Daniel Island. Hold the pose for at least a few breaths, and return to center. Repeat on the opposite side. Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff

By Andrew Whitaker awhitaker@postandcourier.com

2. Parivrtta Anjaneyasana (Crescent lunge twist)

WHY: Another detoxifying pose to enhance digestion, crescent lunge twist is also supposed to be energizing.

WHAT: If you’re comfortable with downward facing dog, start there. Step your right foot between your hands. Alternately, begin by standing at the front of your mat with your hands on your hips. Step your left foot toward the back of the mat.

Bend your right knee to a 90-degree angle, keeping your knee in line with your ankle. Straighten your back leg. Sweep your arms overhead.

Bring your palms to touch; lower your hands to chest level. With hands together, twist your torso slowly to the right, hooking your left elbow on the outside of your right thigh. If it doesn’t bother your neck, gaze upward. Keep your back leg straight and strong as you extend through the crown of your head.

Hold the pose for at least a few breaths, and return to center. Repeat on the opposite side.

The Sukhasana, or easy pose, performed by Katie Heatley near the Nowell Creek on Daniel Island. Cross your legs. Slip each foot under the opposite knee. Feel free to sit on the edge of a blanket if you like a supported seat. Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff

By Andrew Whitaker awhitaker@postandcourier.com

3. Sukhasana (Easy pose)

WHY: While in a comfortable seated position, you’re free to focus on breathing and meditate on the night ahead. Studies show mindful meditation reduces stress; increases body satisfaction and helps with concentration.

WHAT: Cross your legs. Slip each foot under the opposite knee. Feel free to sit on the edge of a blanket if you like a supported seat.

The Palate Cleanser Series

The Vajrasana, or thunderbolt, performed by Katie Heatley near the Nowell Creek on Daniel Island. Hold the pose for a few breaths. Extend your right leg. Draw both knees toward your chest and repeat on the opposite side. Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff

By Andrew Whitaker awhitaker@postandcourier.com

1. Vajrasana (Thunderbolt)

WHY: As soon as you assume Thunderbolt, you’ll notice it’s a potentially intense stretch for your thighs and feet. But it’s also credited with improving digestion.

WHAT: Kneel on the floor with your thighs perpendicular to the ground, legs and feet together. Press the tops of your feet into the floor. Lower your buttocks onto your heels, keeping your feet and thighs together. If it’s more comfortable for you, place a blanket behind your knees.

Place your hands on your thighs. Breathe.

2. Supta Matsyendrasana (Reclined spinal twist)

The Supta Matsyendrasana, or reclined spinal twist, performed by Katie Heatley near the Nowell Creek on Daniel Island. Hold the pose for a few breaths. Extend your right leg. Draw both knees toward your chest and repeat on the opposite side. Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff

By Andrew Whitaker awhitaker@postandcourier.com

WHY: Once again, pressure on the abdomen is said to aid digestion. This gentle pose is also considered a stress reliever, hailed for its cleansing and refreshing effects.

WHAT: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Draw both knees toward your chest.

Continue to hold you right knee as you extend your left leg long. Release and reach your right arm out to the right, palm down. Drop your bent right knee across your body to the left; rest your left hand on the outside of your right knee. Turn your head to the right.

Hold the pose for a few breaths. Extend your right leg. Draw both knees toward your chest and repeat on the opposite side.

3. Viparita Karani (Legs up the wall)

Viparita Karani, or legs up the wall, performed by Katie Heatley near the Nowell Creek on Daniel Island. Sit alongside a wall. Gently turn toward the left, bringing your legs up the wall and your back to the floor. Close your eyes. Breathe. Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff

By Andrew Whitaker awhitaker@postandcourier.com

WHY: According to Yoga Journal, “Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose may have the power to cure whatever ails you.”

WHAT: Sit alongside a wall. Gently turn toward the left, bringing your legs up the wall and your back to the floor. Close your eyes. Breathe.