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Ana

TEACHER OF THE MONTH

Ana Forrest has been changing peoples lives for nearly 40 years. Shes a Medicine Woman, author, creator of Forrest Yoga and a rock star yogini.

Ana took her first yoga class at age 14 on a dare and became a certified instructor at age 18. Now an internationally respected pioneer in yoga and emotional healing, Ana developed Forrest Yoga while working through her own lifes trauma and experience. Shes created a system of yoga specifically for the 21st century and the needs of people today. Forrest Yoga is renowned as a powerful physical practice that is internally focused, hot, therapeutic and exciting! Ana teaches yoga from an intuitive and highly developed understanding of the human body and psyche. With her meticulous guidance, students cultivate an acute awareness of their own practice and learn how to carry a transformative experience off the mat and into daily life. Doing her part in Healing the Hoop of the People, is Anas Spirit pledge. She inspires people to clear through stuff that hardens them and sickens their bodies so they can walk freely and lightly - in beauty. Anas extensive study and clinical application of healing modalities, including homeopathic/naturopathic remedies, anatomy, reflexology, pressure point therapy, craniosacral therapies, Shiatsu, chiropractics, polarity and hands-on healing, always inform her work. Ana is an ordained practitioner of Native American Medicine, a Reiki Master, Certified Regression Therapist, and graduate of the Anthony Robbins Master

University. Shes also the recipient of a Los Angeles Mayoral Commendation recognising her outstanding teaching and healing work in the community. Ana teaches workshops, headlines yoga festivals and runs Forrest Yoga Teacher Trainings across the globe. Her book, Fierce Medicine, is available in English, German, Russian, Turkish, and as an audio book, read by Ana. For more information on Anas UK 2014 training and workshops, visit forrestyoga.com/events

Photography:Sophia Van Der Dys:

Profile pictureSamantha Vira and Nils Vidstrand: Yoga poses

Forrest

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Extended Warrior Variation

BEGINNERS POSE

Note:Breathing Inhale: Expanding ribs sideways. Fill lungs past your usual stopping point until you are completely full. Enjoy that sensation!Exhale: Pull belly in, emptying lungs completely.

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Extended Warrior Variation Extended Warrior Variation Is Great For: Opening across heart, collarbone and pectoral areas. Relaxing neck - easing out tension from neck and brain.Strengthening legs and buttocks.Connecting to the earth through active feet (see note below).

How To Perform Separate legs 3 1/2 to 4 feet apart. Align heel of left foot with arch of back foot, bend left knee to a right angle. Activate your feet! (see side note)

Inhale: Set right forearm on right thigh, arch chest forward.Exhale: Bring left arm behind back, holding inner right thigh, or waistband.Inhale: Press down on right forearm, making space in the shoulder joint. Exhale: Draw right shoulder away from left ear, relax right ear towards right shoulder.Inhale: Lengthen entire ribcage away from hips. Keep right knee directly over right heel.Exhale: Tuck buttock and tailbone toward back heel. Shift weight to outer edge of back foot, lift inner ankle.Switch sides: Do 5 breaths each side. Feel for getting grounded through the feet and spacious through the core. Be alert for your weight wanting to shift more onto one side of your front foot. Keep weight evenly distributed between heal and ball of foot. To come out of the pose, bring both feet to parallel. Heel-toe feet together.

Note: Active feet strengthens/rebuilds the arches of the feet, and supports the knees hips and back. Active feet teaches you to feel the Earth as you walk. Its one of the steps of Walking in Beauty.Spread and lift toes, press the balls of feet and heels evenly into the Earth. Use active feet active throughout your practice.

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INTERMEDIATE POSE

Flash Prep With One Leg Up

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I created this pose for one of my Forrest Yoga teachers after she had a double mastectomy from breast cancer. Flash Prep opens the back of the heart where many of us experience numbness. For my Forrest Yoga teacher, we began her rehab by doing this pose standing up with the forearms on the wall, torso at a right angle.

Flash Prep Is Great For:Unclogging shoulders and emotions at back of heart.Building strong and intelligent muscles in upper back, shoulders, arms, chest muscles, serratus anterior, core and legs.Switching on/rehabilitating chest muscles, armpit muscles and nerves.Stretching/lengthening hamstrings, calves and achilles tendons.Decompressing the neck.Connecting core to legs.

How To Perform Start on hands and knees. Bring elbows to the floor. Clasp upper arms/biceps this is your elbow measurement. Keep elbows this distance and bring right forearm to the floor. Slide left hand back, left palm on floor. Aligning left wrist under left elbow. Relax neck.Inhale: Spread upper back. Push forearm and palm into the floor.Exhale: Wrap shoulder blades toward armpits, straighten legs, press heels down. Relax neck.Inhale: Lift ribs away from shoulders. Broaden upper back and feel for spaciousness. Squeeze elbows toward each other; turn on chest, serratus anterior and upper back. Exhale: Move left shoulder away from ear, wrap both shoulder blades, send left elbow toward leg.

Up-Levelling - One Leg UpInhale: Lift left leg skyward, press floor away. Activate feet; turn on inner legs.Exhale: Relax neck and jaw.Stay for 2 breaths, then switch legs Do 2-3 breaths per leg, come down, switch arms, do 2-3 breaths per leg. Work up to 10-12 breaths in total. Focus on wrapping shoulder blades toward armpits, flex chest muscles. Relax your neck. Breathe deeply.

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ADVANCED POSE

Star Chakra In Handstand

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Handstands are some of my favourite poses. They build strength, a sense of empowerment, theyre tons of fun and exhilarating. Handstands are great for chasing depression right out of your cell tissue. Warm up with abdominal exercises, Flash Prep and Sun Salutations before doing handstands. Do them daily. You deserve to be thrilled and exhilarated every day!

Star Chakra Handstand Is Great For: Balance.Core strength and upper body strength.Lengthens psoas, hip flexors and quadriceps.Refreshing and washing brain.

How To Perform Do this pose close enough to a wall that you can touch it with your foot in Handstand. The wall is your safety net. As you get farther away from the wall, place hands on floor, shin distance from wall, shoulder width apart. Activate hands, by spreading through palm and fingers. Align shoulders over wrists and wrap shoulder blades toward armpits. Push the ground away with the hands, activating forearm muscles and make space in the wrist joints. Exhale: Lightly kick up into Handstand Splits (foot on the wall if you need it). Turn on abdominal muscles, tuck tailbone and buttock muscles up. Activate feet and legs.

Inhale: Send breath into pelvis. Lift through genital/buttock muscles. Push through the balls of the feet.

Exhale: Bend knees. Continue tucking tailbone/buttocks up. Feel for connecting psoas, hip flexor and quads.

Switch sides: Either come out of the pose and float up with the opposite leg first or breathe deeply, steady your balance and focus. Inhale: Straighten legs.

Exhale: Move through centre to the other side.

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SEQUENCE

This sequence is great for revitalising. Breathe deeply; feel for the openings, releases and strengthening that each pose brings to you. Take the time to start your day with this sequence. You deserve to have this thrilling, exhilarating energy as part of your daily diet. Care enough to do this for yourself. You are worth it!

Elbow To KneeClasp hands behind head. Pick feet up, align knees over hips. Feet active. Press lower back onto mat throughout pose.

Inhale: Lift head and shoulders up.Hold breath: Curl tailbone up.Exhale: Reach both elbows to right knee, straighten left leg. Pull belly down.Inhale: Back to centre, both knees bent. Hold breath: Curl tailbone up.Exhale: Reach elbows to left knee, straighten right leg. Pull belly down.

Thats 1 round - do 5!

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Forrest Yoga Mini-Practice

Seated Side Bend2 ARM POSITIONS Sit cross-legged. Place left hand on floor, 18 inches from left hip.

1PTJUJPO &YUFOE SJHIU BSN PWFS IFBEInhale: Lift ribs. Exhale: Wrap right shoulder blade toward armpit, relax neck. Pull left shoulder blade down.

1PTJUJPO3FBDISJHIU UP SJHIUOHFSUJQT12 inches above ground. Exhale: Rinse tension from right side of neck and brain. Inhale: Uptake the sweetness of the neck release.

5 breaths each position. Switch sides.

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Dolphin 1 Leg UpPlace forearms and knees on floor. Grab biceps of each arm. Pivot forearms forward, parallel to each other. Beginners/shoulder tweaky, clasp hands instead. Relax neck.Exhale: Wrap shoulder blades, straighten legs.Inhale: Lift ribs away from shoulders. Lift right leg skyward.5 breaths each leg.

Lunge*If you have time, do Suns instead (see Fierce Medicine)

From Down Dog, step right leg forward. Back knee down. Reach arms up.

Inhale: Lift ribs.Exhale: Tuck tailbone down.

5 breaths each side.

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Abs With A RollPlace a rolled-up mat or towel, between thighs (roll thickness 20cm diameter), on pubic bone. Clasp hands behind head. Straighten legs skyward. For tweaky backs/tight hamstrings, bend knees.

Inhale: Press lower back into mat. Hold breath: Curl tailbone up, squeeze rollExhale: Curl head and shoulders up. Pull lower belly down!Inhale: Lay shoulders and head down.

Repeat 4 times.

Bridge With A Roll Keep rolled-up mat between thighs. Heels under knees. Slide shoulder blades away from ears, relax arms.

Exhale: Lift hips, tucking tailbone up.Inhale: Lift ribs away from pelvis.Exhale: Tuck tailbone up, lengthen thighs away from hips, squeeze roll.

Do 5-10 breaths.

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