Warning: This article contains very stronglanguage that may offend some readers.

After a frustrating day at the office, manyof us need to blow off a little steam. Some of us head to the gym to sweat outour anger. Others, out to a bar to vent to a friend over a drink. But what ifthe best way to release tension is by combining the two?

In a pub in Calgary, Canada, yogaenthusiasts are encouraged to do just that with a new twist on an ancient art:Rage Yoga. This new concept takes the quiet, zen-like environment of a yogaclass and flips it on its head — those who attend the classes are encouraged toswear and shout between poses, and stick around afterwards for a beer.

Creator Lindsay Istace, 24, who teachesflexibility and wellness, stumbled upon the idea of releasing her anger withher asanas (yoga poses, postures and positions) after a bad breakup. “I was ina really rough spot,” Istace explained. “I was very hurt and angry andconfused.” She found she was inadvertently incorporating expletives into herdaily yoga practice.Yes, it’s real and expletives are very welcome. “Foullanguage, laughter and shenanigans,” are what you can expect during a class,according to the company’s website, which combines stretching, positional exercises and badhumour, with the goal of attaining good health. The one hour class costs CAD$12($9.20) and includes two tickets for discounted beer.

The benefits of yoga and meditation arewell documented — the activities help many people manage stress and improvefocus and overall health. Indeed, many workplaces now encourage such practices.But swearing? There are surprising upsides. Studies have shown that saltylanguage can increase pain tolerance, make us appear more persuasive at workand in certain group settings, create a sense of solidarity. So, could meldinghumour, serenity and swearing offer a new pathway to personal peace andmindfulness and help us cope with the stress of work and day-to-day life?

Safe place

Istace said swearing helped release hernegative emotions in a safe environment. “I went from screaming and swearingand crying to laughing at myself. When you actually create yourself that spaceto really let loose, suddenly it’s hard to take yourself and your problems soseriously.”

After laughing about the idea of Rage Yogawith friends, she decided to create a workshop for festivals. It was a hit. Soshe designed a class catering to the after-work crowd. Istace said the idea hastaken off. “It just seemed like this really cool concept that people wereactually connecting with. So it started off as a joke, but you know after doingit a couple of times, we realised there was something there.”

Classes start with a calm, peaceful momentwhere Istace asks attendees “let go of the shit-storm of their day”. Theswearing is also incorporated throughout the class. "And at the end of the class, too,instead of saying ‘namaste’ we actually say ‘fuck yeah’,”Istacesaid.

She isn’t the only one to cotton on to theidea that serenity, silliness and swearing might make for a heady combinationwhen it comes to mindfulness. Jason Headley, a writer and director who lives inSan Francisco, created F*ck That: An Honest Meditation, a YouTube video whichhas attracted more than 6.5 million views, after joking with his wife about thesoothing voice on a guided meditation recording.

“I keyed in on the voice of the guy,” said Headley in an emailinterview. “And I started doing that voice around the house just to make uslaugh. One day my wife was upset about something and I said, in the calm,soothing voice, ‘Just acknowledge that all that shit is fucking bullshit.’And welaughed a lot. And then we said, ‘Maybe that’s something.’”

So Headley wrote, refined and recorded ascript. “I wanted it to be just the right amount of soothing and swearing.Once I had it right, I put it up on YouTube in July 2015 and it just took off.”