Forrest Yoga
Aug. 31st, 2011 01:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
libitina posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
sun_salutationSo I tried yoga a few times and always walked away until this delightful yoga studio opened up near me, and I walked in only a couple months after they opened - and still practice yoga there three years later.
While there are many styles of yoga taught there, the core of the place and the style practiced by the founders is Forrest Yoga. This is totally a case of a Westerner "making up shit, slapping a brand name on it, and calling it a new type of yoga." And even though I've only met her a couple times, and only professionally, that the founder of the style - Ana Forrest -is batshit insane seems batshit insane to me. That said, I love this yoga.
It's a lot like Hatha yoga and is strongly informed by Iyengar yoga. While there is an A series and a B series, most of the order and selection on poses is individual to each class - there might be one more emphasizing hip openers or a day emphasizing shoulders. Poses are held, but not usually for more than a minute or two. Props are often used, but for about 20% of the class.
The main differences between Forrest Yoga and most other yoga styles are:
Other than that, it's just yoga. But let me also take a moment to talk about how delightful my yoga studio is.
Right on the list of classes, it says: "We believe everyone should have access to yoga, and have priced it accordingly." Base price is $10, there are some community classes at $5, and there are two classes a week with just a basket and an optional donation. There are mats, water, blocks, straps, and blankets available to anyone free of charge (including some pilates mats).
It's also a community space, with a cushy seating area that has music, vegan brunch, new mothers groups, meditation, free tea (including ceramic mugs), and general space just open to for people to hang out. It's amazing how much networking happens through the yoga studio - it's very much a hub of west philly.
There are small rooms for wellness providers so that therapists (reiki, massage, psychological, etc) can have private practices in a safe space.
And did I mention that one of the founders of the studio is a sculptor? There's also a strong relationship with the art and social justice communities, and the yoga studio is also an art studio. The current exhibit is Living Positively: "a photography project created to raise awareness about HIV and to dispel misconceptions surrounding individuals living with HIV in Philadelphia." (though I think it's supposed to change any day now)
While there are many styles of yoga taught there, the core of the place and the style practiced by the founders is Forrest Yoga. This is totally a case of a Westerner "making up shit, slapping a brand name on it, and calling it a new type of yoga." And even though I've only met her a couple times, and only professionally, that the founder of the style - Ana Forrest -
It's a lot like Hatha yoga and is strongly informed by Iyengar yoga. While there is an A series and a B series, most of the order and selection on poses is individual to each class - there might be one more emphasizing hip openers or a day emphasizing shoulders. Poses are held, but not usually for more than a minute or two. Props are often used, but for about 20% of the class.
The main differences between Forrest Yoga and most other yoga styles are:
- Ujjayi breath - aside from specific pranayamas (breathing exercises), the entire class is spent with ujjayi breath. This is awesome because you are constantly focusing on breathing and where you are, what you are doing. Also because your neighbor is breathing audibly, and that reminds you to slow down, center, and breathe. And because the entire class is breathing audibly, and you can feel like you are all united and supporting each other. I find it gives me warm fuzzies toward the other people. On the downside, I find that I have to pay a lot more attention to not clenching my jaw if I'm tightening the throat a lot.
- active hands and feet - Always, in every pose, you have jazz hands and are lifting your toes. Jazz hands! I'm not as sure about the benefit to the jazz hands, but I especially remember the flex my feet when I'm feeling knee tweaky because there's something about lifting the arches that seems to help there. I don't know, but it's also something that came up in physical therapy when I'd torn knee cartilage, and I haven't re-hurt my knees on yoga, so I'm pleased by it. And in balance stances, it makes you focus more on skeletal alignment because you don't get away with gripping at your mat with your toes.
- relaxed neck - always, in every pose, you keep your neck relaxed. That means that in twists, your chin stays over the sternum and doesn't crank around to help the twisting - you instead focus on using breath and core muscles to twist. Triangle is a little odd with your arm up and your head relaxed instead of looking up. And half moon is a little more challenging to balance in with the head relaxed. But also just when getting up from the floor, you push up with the arms and then use a hand to lift your head.
- wrapped shoulders - Your back muscles are almost always involved in your arm movements. Consciously and mentioned. Arms up for warrior 1? Well then your shoulder blades are down and together and you have the oppositional force from your pectorals pulling the shoulders down and forward. It becomes especially relevant in downward dog and dolphin, but always kept in mind.
- ETA:warm yoga - I knew I was forgetting something. Optimum temperature for these classes is 80F-ish, so in winter the studios are heated and in the summer the windows are open
Other than that, it's just yoga. But let me also take a moment to talk about how delightful my yoga studio is.
Right on the list of classes, it says: "We believe everyone should have access to yoga, and have priced it accordingly." Base price is $10, there are some community classes at $5, and there are two classes a week with just a basket and an optional donation. There are mats, water, blocks, straps, and blankets available to anyone free of charge (including some pilates mats).
It's also a community space, with a cushy seating area that has music, vegan brunch, new mothers groups, meditation, free tea (including ceramic mugs), and general space just open to for people to hang out. It's amazing how much networking happens through the yoga studio - it's very much a hub of west philly.
There are small rooms for wellness providers so that therapists (reiki, massage, psychological, etc) can have private practices in a safe space.
And did I mention that one of the founders of the studio is a sculptor? There's also a strong relationship with the art and social justice communities, and the yoga studio is also an art studio. The current exhibit is Living Positively: "a photography project created to raise awareness about HIV and to dispel misconceptions surrounding individuals living with HIV in Philadelphia." (though I think it's supposed to change any day now)
no subject
Date: 2011-08-31 07:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-31 07:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-31 07:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-31 07:35 pm (UTC)The first year I was too intimidated to attend (see also, thinking she was insane)
The second year, I sucked it up and took the classes. And - wow! No matter what her motivations are, she is a great teacher. She can take a room packed full of people of varying skill levels and still provide an intense and personal experience. She pays attention and doesn't believe in being false. Also, she had three other advanced teachers moving throughout the classroom to provide individual attention (which (the multiple teachers) was a feature of the classes at my studio when it was new, but now it's fairly rare that the teachers have the time to double up lie that)
The third year I did not go. Not because I was intimidated by her anymore (since it's a professional interaction, instead of having to ask her about her philosophies), but because the classes bring in people from several states away and end up crowded like New York City classes, and I decided that I didn't need that then.
Next time, I'll probably go again.
But it's also that we've had several people from the studio go through the teachers' training and come back not only knowing their shit, but also good teachers. There's a part of the training on avoiding the airline steward voice, and how to enunciate clearly. There're sections in the training on how to teach poses that aren't particularly comfortable for you. And she makes the people learning to be teachers really work on their own bullshit in ways that I don't have to. But they come back really having gotten full value for their time and expense, which I don't know is true of every teacher training program, and makes me believe that the quality of teachers for the style would be reliably high.
the internet is a small, small world
Date: 2011-08-31 07:26 pm (UTC)Also, I'm always on the look-out for more local friends, and we have at least a couple things in common: yoga, and awareness that Westerners will make up some shit and slap a brand name on it in order to make money off of someone else's ancient tradition* - and I guess a willingness to do something good for ourselves even if we're more directly involved in a process of appropriation. Anyway. I can't tell much about you based on your profile, though we do have a couple DW friends in common which can be a helpful indicator. How about we get to know each other a bit and possibly meet up at some point?
*OK, I'm sure non-Westerners do similar stuff too because people are people, but we're talking appropriation here, indicating a certain power disparity, in this case in the context of colonialism.
Re: the internet is a small, small world
Date: 2011-08-31 07:42 pm (UTC)I... erm... tend to avoid his classes because the surprise partner work makes me unhappy because I have issues significantly fat. Oddly, I have hardly any other issues with being fat, but oppressing (~g~) someone else with being my partner is apparently one of them.
But, yes, there are many fun ways to hang out with me in the near future, and I just wrote up a list of them, so I can just cut and paste:
Re: the internet is a small, small world
Date: 2011-08-31 08:23 pm (UTC)I'll definitely try to be there for the jewelry-making day!
I'd be interested in helping with your R.A.G.E. event, if you need any - I don't enjoy events with large numbers of strangers, as a social thing, but I have a lot of time on my hands.
Re: the internet is a small, small world
Date: 2011-08-31 08:27 pm (UTC)The other two are at my house, and if you email me at libitina2 at yahoo, I can send you more details
Re: the internet is a small, small world
Date: 2011-08-31 08:28 pm (UTC)Re: the internet is a small, small world
Date: 2011-08-31 08:53 pm (UTC)Re: the internet is a small, small world
Date: 2011-09-21 06:05 pm (UTC)Re: the internet is a small, small world
Date: 2011-09-21 06:10 pm (UTC)Re: the internet is a small, small world
Date: 2011-09-21 06:24 pm (UTC)Re: the internet is a small, small world
Date: 2011-09-01 08:34 pm (UTC)Re: the internet is a small, small world
Date: 2011-09-02 01:03 am (UTC)Re: the internet is a small, small world
Date: 2012-01-11 06:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-31 07:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-31 08:05 pm (UTC)One thing you can try it:
put one arm out in a goal post (right angle to the body, right angle at the elbow).
Pinch your pectoral attachment at the armpit and feel it tighten as you move the arm from your side to in front of you. So that muscle in engaged.
Then make sure you trapezius and latissumus dorsi are pulling your shoulders together and down. And keep those muscles engaged.
Then while keeping all those muscle groups engaged, push with your elbow in front of you - as if you were moving your whole arm forward, but without getting the shoulder blades out of place.
Then we do that on the other side, and then we hold a block between both elbows and press together and forward - all without losing the shoulder alignment.
Then for downward dog or dolphin, not only are you thinking about the tuck of your hips and lengthening the rib area and having a straight line from torso to arm and all that business, but also you think of the shoulder wrapping as the muscles you're familiar with being engaged and that resulting in a lifting of the thoracic vertebrae between the shoulder blades. Sometimes the correction will be the teacher placing a hand between your shoulder blades and having you push into it - without pushing shoulders up or away or out of place. So it requires constantly checking back in to make sure your good. But it protects the rotator cuff in those poses, which I think was something you mentioned as relevant to your practice.
And thank you for posting so many interesting articles to this group. I would not have written this post had you not inspired me to do so.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-20 05:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-20 06:14 pm (UTC)