Brickies, builders and plumbers are dropping their tools and picking up yoga mats in Christchurch.

A weekly yoga class tailored for tradespeople has been running for two months out of Sumner's new community centre.

Redcliffs-based physio and yoga teacher Michele Laing told Chris Lynch about how the surprising combination came to be.

"One of my son's friends came over to lunch and asked me to start a yoga class for him and his friends, so we did!" 

The lessons have been a huge hit and has grown in size over the last year.

Liang said that the tradies really benefit from the sessions.

"It's a mixture of the physical and the mental side of yoga. Plus in the long term, the breathing exercise they learn will be really beneficial.

She said as a physio, she sees a lot of clients in need of the relaxation skills and flexibility yoga provides.

"A lot of people I see are men. A lot of them have been very hard workers, they've really pushed themselves until they collapse, really, mentally as often as physically," she told ZB earlier.

She said the tradies are improving their posture and movements, in a class where they feel comfortable.

"We all wear maybe our board shorts or casual clothing. Some of them have mats and some of them have borrowed them off their mums [...] or friends."

LISTEN TO MICHELLE LIANG TALK WITH CHRIS LYNCH ABOVE