Forrest Yoga

[libitina]

So 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:

• 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)

Comments

[rhi]

That sounds like a great school to practice in!

[libitina]

They make me very happy.