Freedom with Forrest Yoga.
The practice of yoga is an individual experience, whether you practice alone, with YogaDownload.com, or in public classes. Always remember there is not one path––there are many. It’s key to find the style and teacher that resonates with you. We’re all different and that’s the beauty of yoga: there is a style that is perfect for everyone.
This week, we are thrilled to highlight and share Forrest Yoga with you. We’re offering nearly ten hours of yoga in four two-hour live workshops so you can immerse yourself into this powerful, vigorous healing practice. The program description will explain the four pillars of Forrest Yoga, but we’d like to share more about the creation and evolution of this system.
More than forty years ago, Ana Forrest recognized the need for a deeply healing and spiritual form of yoga practice to move away from the disconnection to the land beneath us and the spirit within us. Forrest teaches that in order to truly heal through yoga, we must dig deeper and be willing to release that which no longer serves us emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
The four pillars of Forrest yoga may not sound different than other forms of yoga to which you are accustomed: Breath, Integrity, Strength, and Spirit. You’ve probably heard about all of these in yoga class before, but Ms. Forrest weaves in elements of Native American medicine, ritual, and an intensity level with the practice designed to help you break through your own personal barriers and transform to your highest self. In Forrest Yoga, you are consistently reminded that you are working on healing.
Forrest Yoga places great emphasis on slowing down and holding the asanas longer than you may be accustomed to in Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and other flowing forms of yoga. Holding the poses longer aids not just in building physical strength, but also forces you to feel the emotions that arise when you remain in an uncomfortable position longer than you’d like. Another focus of each and every class is intense core work, not simply to build better posture, a six-pack or be able to hold arm balances, although you’ll receive these benefits. The focus on the core hones into your Subtle Body and Navel Chakra, the center of ego and self-confidence.
An essential component of the Forrest Yoga system is Ana Forrest’s Spirit Pledge to Mend the Hoop of the People. This pledge refers to the cry of the Lakota Medicine Man Black Elk, who lived through the shattering of the spine of his people. Describing the grieving & desperation he saw around him, he said, “The Rainbow Hoop of the People has been broken.” The Rainbow Hoop refers to people living harmoniously just as the colors of the rainbow lie side by side. The people he speaks of are all the inhabitants of Earth; animals, plants, mountains, and humans. Then as they heal and mature, they discover what they can do to help heal our planet. Veganism is another lifestyle Ana chooses to support her work and transformation.
Ana believes her system of yoga is for everybody and can be adapted and individualized to fit any person’s needs.
Her system fluctuates, as we and the world around us changes. If you’re ready to dive deep and experience a transformative practice, join us with this challenge!