Last updated: December 21, 2023
What Does
Forrest Yoga Mean?
Forrest Yoga is a style of yoga that was devised by American yogi and author Ana T. Forrest. One of its motto’s is “Go Deeper” and it is based on a combination of intense Asana Practice that's designed to help improve the yogi both physically and emotionally and ceremony of music and dance to connect to "spirit."
Forrest yoga emphasizes abdominal exercises, breathing and the relaxation of the neck to help strengthen and recover the areas most vulnerable to modern-day people, such as the low back and neck. It also includes long series' of standing postures and holding positions. The yoga studio in which it is practiced will typically be heated to 85° F (29° C) for this type of yoga.
The idea behind this yoga style is that the practitioner should connect with their feelings and evolve out of their own personal issues, whether they are of a physical or emotional nature
Yogapedia Explains Forrest Yoga
Ana T. Forrest created this yoga style around 45 years ago to help people deal with the traumas that they come across in life. This is a very personal type of yoga as it was inspired by Forrest’s own emotional traumas. Today, it is an evolving style, and is co-developed by Forrest’s husband Jose Calarco. Jose is a musical shaman, and founder of Australian Aborginal dance group Descendance. He brought elaborated ceremony, songs and dances into the practice. Forrest Yoga encourages the yogi to look deep within themselves, cope with emotional issues, and make more connections between different parts of the body. Forrest yoga classes are now popular in various parts of the world and its teachers are trained and certified by Ana Forrest & Jose Calarco, or one of their Guardian Teachers.
This style of yoga has four basic elements:
- Breath
- Integrity
- Strength
- Spirit
The postures used in Forrest yoga come from Sivananda yoga and Iyengar yoga, with the addition of personalized postures and some Native American elements. While it incorporates many traditional asanas, ceremonies and yoga practices, Forrest yoga also has modern elements and exercises, such as wrist stretches that are designed to ease carpal tunnel syndrome, and shoulder shrugs used to relieve tension.
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