Hi PYC yogis! I hope you’re all well! I’m writing this blog to explain a little more about Forrest Yoga, a style of practice that has hugely influenced my life and my teaching. I’m really happy to deliver another Forrest Yoga workshop at PYC on 20th May and I would love to see you there.
Simply put, Forrest Yoga is a style of practice created by Ana Forrest, who, after studying with world-renowned yogis such as B.K.S. Iyengar and spending time with indigenous tribes in America, developed her own approach to deal with her traumatic life experiences. This, in turn, makes the practice brutally honest, and one that can be deeply healing both physically and emotionally – if you let it.
If you are interested in Ana’s incredible life and how she turned it around, I recommend her book Fierce Medicine. In her own words, “I developed Forrest Yoga as I was working through my own healing. I took poses and modified or created new ones to address today’s lifestyle physical ailments… Through Forrest Yoga you get your physical health and strength and also a place in which to welcome your Spirit back home. And by this, I do not mean a spiritual practice but rather being your authentic self.”
When I first joined the Forrest Yoga Teacher Training I didn’t know it would be such an emotionally intense experience. Having not gone through the traumatic life experiences Ana or other trainees had, I wondered if the practice would apply to me. Yet, I came to realise pretty quickly that I too had been feeling an urge to connect in a deeper way to life – but aren’t we all?!
So, for me, Forrest Yoga became a practice of relationship – first to myself, to my breath, to how I feel, to the earth/sky/sun…then to others. Every day. We all want to lead a life that is whole and connected, that is not dictated by fears or insecurities, and I believe Forrest Yoga is a transformative practice that gives us the tools needed to clear all the bullshit that hardens us so we can walk (as Ana says it) in a ‘Beauty way’ – to walk through life in a healing way.
What makes Forrest Yoga unique compared to other Vinyasa practices?
Unlike more traditional forms of yoga we do not maintain a ‘flow’ in a Forrest Yoga class. Instead, we practice in a slightly heated room where the teacher slows down the pace to encourage students to hold the poses for longer than the usual five breaths. As a result, students are not rushed through asanas (such a wonderful feeling!) and have plenty of time to go on a quest to connect and feel. Forrest Yoga is known for emphasising core strength – if you haven’t experienced the joys of Forrest Yoga abs, you’re in for a treat! We work with the core at the beginning of class to bring focus to the centre to stay connected and keep moving from that place throughout the class. The practice is intelligent and the poses are carefully sequenced with the aim of guiding students through a journey – whether physical, mental or both! Another signature move is to work with a relaxed neck, picture Trikonasana with a completely relaxed neck … It’s a pretty weird feeling at first, but I absolutely love it now.
If you’re interested in slowing down your Vinyasa, learning how to authentically connect and bring life to your practice – and get insane core strength along the way (ha!) – jump on board!
See you on the mat!
Christian x