Cognac: in the Brard-Blanchard vineyards, after lifting and before the harvest, we do yoga!

Here, there is no risk of polluting the breathing exercises to come with unsavory products for health: this year, Brard-Blanchard celebrates 50 years of organic viticulture. The house has distilled several weekends of entertainment at regular intervals for several months. This Saturday, August 6, the public comes to see how the family estate works: visits by tractor, discovery of the evolution of the grape for those who were already there in June, tasting of producer products, paella, etc.

“Release well”

For us, it will therefore be yoga in the fresh air. The carpets are placed in front of Micheline Brard-Blanchard, our teacher of the day. “Who has ever done yoga? asks the one who is none other than the aunt of Sophie Brard-Blanchard, the manager of the family estate. Micheline Brard-Blanchard taught yoga for a long time in the village before settling in Angoulême. For her too, yoga in the vineyards is a first. “We had to go under the oak tree but it was too windy, we are fine here,” she says in the shade of a tree…

Among his flock of the day, some friends – the students are mostly women – and acquaintances who follow or have followed his lessons regularly. But also holidaymakers who came out of curiosity to discover the wine house. Many are neophytes. Some like Dany have their knees and ankles in compote so Micheline Brard-Blanchard begins her session quietly. Warming up of the knees which must be awakened by slow circular movements. A man, straight out of bed with his spike of hair on the back of his head, already reveals his legendary flexibility. “You feel rooted,” questions Micheline Brard-Blanchard.

The exercises are linked slowly but surely. Breathing work by raising your arms: inhale deeply while raising your arms and exhale while descending. The women in the front rows concentrate, some close their eyes. “When you close your eyes, you feel better what is going on in the body”, specifies Micheline Brard-Blanchard.

Basically, the boys, and in particular this Haut-Savoyard on leave, a tad rigid, who seems to be wondering how he got there for his vacation, are more dissipated. We swing the arms on each side by rotating the pelvis. “Relax your arms well,” insists Micheline Brard-Blanchard. All soft, our neighbor on the right remains in his dreams, yawning ostentatiously. He makes the rest of the class laugh.

Present time

Place seriously and work on the lower back. Sitting on your knees and toes, you have to lean forward, your head between your shoulders and your forehead glued to your carpet so as not to have to deal with the butt of the one in front… A few deep breaths against your knees, that’s our well stretched back. “Don’t force it, there is no competition. Do what you can do,” chants Micheline Brard-Blanchard.

Return to sitting position. Hands on the knees, you must inhale through your mouth by forming a U with your tongue before exhaling quietly through your nose. This is to relieve our “energy centers” (bladder, stomach, plexus). “Think about the present moment” to annihilate all forms of anxiety. Feel good in your body and, as a result, with others. Take life by the right end.

It’s time to lie on your back. With your head towards an immaculate blue sky, you rub your hands to warm them up before placing the apples in front of your eyes for a few moments then descending along your body while exhaling deeply. Moment of grace and plenitude: only a gentle breeze caressing the trees and the leaves of the vines disturbs an almost absolute silence.