Ana Forrest does not have a hit TV show. She is not into
the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. You won't find her a
topic of gossip on the nightly entertainment news
programs.
Ana is a down-to-earth, "real" person, just like any of us.
Yet she also happens to be one of the world's most-sought
yoga instructors. Her followers revere her, and even
casual Forrest Yoga dabblers hold her in high regard.
How did this regular, girl-next-door-type woman become
such a celebrity? Maybe it has something to do with the
fact that everything she teaches comes from her very
being.
the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. You won't find her a
topic of gossip on the nightly entertainment news
programs.
Ana is a down-to-earth, "real" person, just like any of us.
Yet she also happens to be one of the world's most-sought
yoga instructors. Her followers revere her, and even
casual Forrest Yoga dabblers hold her in high regard.
How did this regular, girl-next-door-type woman become
such a celebrity? Maybe it has something to do with the
fact that everything she teaches comes from her very
being.
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| Ana Forrest July 1, 2006 © 2006, Fitness Organica LLC |
Sometimes yoga masters are not born devout and virtuous. Sometimes they have obstacles to
overcome, whether emotional, environmental, or physical. Sometimes an exceptional person can
take seemingly insurmountable obstacles and not only overcome them, but realize the lessons in
them.
Ana Forrest, born in New York in 1956, grew up drinking and doing drugs. She laughs that her
favorite subject in high school was how to get out of school. She also enjoyed tamer activities like
driving tractors, riding horses, and learning about horses and the horse world. Horses became a
major part of Ana's life.
"I started riding horses at five or six years old. I started as a stable girl cleaning stalls, but
progressed into learning how to groom horses and show horses. I showed and eventually trained
hunters and jumpers. Horses became my passion and profession, not just a hobby."
overcome, whether emotional, environmental, or physical. Sometimes an exceptional person can
take seemingly insurmountable obstacles and not only overcome them, but realize the lessons in
them.
Ana Forrest, born in New York in 1956, grew up drinking and doing drugs. She laughs that her
favorite subject in high school was how to get out of school. She also enjoyed tamer activities like
driving tractors, riding horses, and learning about horses and the horse world. Horses became a
major part of Ana's life.
"I started riding horses at five or six years old. I started as a stable girl cleaning stalls, but
progressed into learning how to groom horses and show horses. I showed and eventually trained
hunters and jumpers. Horses became my passion and profession, not just a hobby."
The story of Ana and her horses is a harbinger of things to
follow in her life. "I was born with deformities on my left
side and couldn't walk properly. My mother was advised by
the doctor that I would need to have all my bones broken
on the left side of my body and reset in a body cast. Family
legend has it that an uncle, whom I've never met, was a
chiropractor and suggested that this not be done -- instead
that Mother do these certain exercises, movements. I do
believe she did them, because I have memories of her
hands doing something to me while I was in my crib. I was
a late walker and could not walk that well. It hurt.
I had these weird saddle shoes, some type of corrective
shoes, with metal plates in them which cut up my feet. I
hated them and threw them into the fireplace. That was
the end of that. My legs were very weak and clumsy, I tried
to stay off of them as much as possible. When I got tired
my left leg would drag a bit."
"When I got on my first horse, I fell off. I didn't have the leg
strength to hold onto the horse. I loved riding horses -- I
had such weak legs, but when I was on a horse riding, I
had four strong, powerful, fast legs under me. It was
exhilarating. At first, I didn't have money to ride or own
horses, so I worked in the stables. I learned about how to
care for a horse and work with a horse. I earned the right
to ride the horses from the hard work. Cleaning stables is
hard work for a young 14-year-old who was also crippled."
follow in her life. "I was born with deformities on my left
side and couldn't walk properly. My mother was advised by
the doctor that I would need to have all my bones broken
on the left side of my body and reset in a body cast. Family
legend has it that an uncle, whom I've never met, was a
chiropractor and suggested that this not be done -- instead
that Mother do these certain exercises, movements. I do
believe she did them, because I have memories of her
hands doing something to me while I was in my crib. I was
a late walker and could not walk that well. It hurt.
I had these weird saddle shoes, some type of corrective
shoes, with metal plates in them which cut up my feet. I
hated them and threw them into the fireplace. That was
the end of that. My legs were very weak and clumsy, I tried
to stay off of them as much as possible. When I got tired
my left leg would drag a bit."
"When I got on my first horse, I fell off. I didn't have the leg
strength to hold onto the horse. I loved riding horses -- I
had such weak legs, but when I was on a horse riding, I
had four strong, powerful, fast legs under me. It was
exhilarating. At first, I didn't have money to ride or own
horses, so I worked in the stables. I learned about how to
care for a horse and work with a horse. I earned the right
to ride the horses from the hard work. Cleaning stables is
hard work for a young 14-year-old who was also crippled."
"Through caring for horses, I started associating the healing of the horses with the possibility of my
own healing -– both physically and spiritually. I worked with horses whose spirit had been
destroyed and I would bring them around. I also worked with their physical ailments and worked
for their healing. I segued into the thought that maybe I could be healed. That became my
question, 'Can I do this for myself?' The answer was yes, and Forrest Yoga was born from asking
this question."
"When I was around 14, a girl at school, just some girl in the hallway, challenged me. She said 'I
have something you cannot do.' I looked at her. She was short, a little overweight, and soft. I
said, 'That's impossible.' Back then, someone throwing down the gauntlet like that compelled me
to take them up on it. She told me about this yoga class and I went. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't
even touch my knees (I grabbed behind my knees). There I was in this class with all these 'old'
people who could do it; they were much more flexible than I was. At 14, of course, 'old' meant 30
and older!"
"The truth is, this was the point of one of those magical interventions -- that girl introducing me to
the class -- where magic came in, called me off my suicide road, and slowly pushed me in the
direction I needed to go. Why did I keep going back to the yoga class? Challenge, curiosity, maybe
-- I didn't really know. I do know that it was something tasty, something intangible . That is why I
say it was a magical intervention."
This young girl (or angel, perhaps?) that challenged Ana on that day changed Ana's life forever.
"Yoga got me off of drugs, alcohol, cigarettes. It compelled me to study diet and nutrition. While I
was doing yoga, I started alleviating my physical pain. It was getting me to do something for myself
which felt good and was healing. This act of doing something kind for myself would have never
occurred me to even try before."
own healing -– both physically and spiritually. I worked with horses whose spirit had been
destroyed and I would bring them around. I also worked with their physical ailments and worked
for their healing. I segued into the thought that maybe I could be healed. That became my
question, 'Can I do this for myself?' The answer was yes, and Forrest Yoga was born from asking
this question."
"When I was around 14, a girl at school, just some girl in the hallway, challenged me. She said 'I
have something you cannot do.' I looked at her. She was short, a little overweight, and soft. I
said, 'That's impossible.' Back then, someone throwing down the gauntlet like that compelled me
to take them up on it. She told me about this yoga class and I went. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't
even touch my knees (I grabbed behind my knees). There I was in this class with all these 'old'
people who could do it; they were much more flexible than I was. At 14, of course, 'old' meant 30
and older!"
"The truth is, this was the point of one of those magical interventions -- that girl introducing me to
the class -- where magic came in, called me off my suicide road, and slowly pushed me in the
direction I needed to go. Why did I keep going back to the yoga class? Challenge, curiosity, maybe
-- I didn't really know. I do know that it was something tasty, something intangible . That is why I
say it was a magical intervention."
This young girl (or angel, perhaps?) that challenged Ana on that day changed Ana's life forever.
"Yoga got me off of drugs, alcohol, cigarettes. It compelled me to study diet and nutrition. While I
was doing yoga, I started alleviating my physical pain. It was getting me to do something for myself
which felt good and was healing. This act of doing something kind for myself would have never
occurred me to even try before."
Today Ana teaches the yoga that has
become irrevocably woven into her own
life. Her classes are packed wall-to-
wall, and she travels worldwide to
reach eager students. When Ana looks
back at her childhood, she sees that
teaching yoga was inevitable for her. "I
began teaching at a very early age. I
taught horseback riding at eight years
old. I was born a teacher. As soon as
I had something worthwhile –- when I
was a kid that 'worthwhile' would be
how to steal or how to pick a lock -– I
grabbed someone and made them
learn it. As soon as I learned yoga
poses, even remotely, I was forcing
people around me to try them. I was
very awkward and without grace in my
teaching. But I was teaching. I've
always been a teacher. If I have
something of value I have to pass it
on. I'm compelled to."
become irrevocably woven into her own
life. Her classes are packed wall-to-
wall, and she travels worldwide to
reach eager students. When Ana looks
back at her childhood, she sees that
teaching yoga was inevitable for her. "I
began teaching at a very early age. I
taught horseback riding at eight years
old. I was born a teacher. As soon as
I had something worthwhile –- when I
was a kid that 'worthwhile' would be
how to steal or how to pick a lock -– I
grabbed someone and made them
learn it. As soon as I learned yoga
poses, even remotely, I was forcing
people around me to try them. I was
very awkward and without grace in my
teaching. But I was teaching. I've
always been a teacher. If I have
something of value I have to pass it
on. I'm compelled to."
"I started teaching yoga almost immediately after I started doing yoga. I started teaching before I
was certified as a yoga instructor in 1975. I started by substitute teaching for other teachers, or
teaching people I was hanging out with. Truth is, at this point I was still in my drinking stage (I was
still in my teens). So I'd be out with friends and others, and drinking with them. And while we were
out, I would get them to do yoga poses."
"Also, I would go to other yoga classes. When the teacher found out I could teach, they would ask
me to substitute for them. I did a lot of that, and also would take over their classes if they needed
that. After I did my teacher training course, I started teaching anything and everything that was
available for yoga in 1975. At first, students came to my classes because it was a class time they
could attend, but eventually they started to come to class to work with me, specifically. I started
teaching at a yoga center which was easier than having to rent space by myself."
In 1993, Ana met with a serious setback. It was another of those challenges in life -- much like the
little girl who challenged Ana so many years ago -- only this time it was not a little girl, it was a
horrific accident.
"I had an accident May 1993, Mother’s Day, at restaurant called A Votre Sante. The chair I was on
went through a rotting floor board. It caused my legs to be paralyzed. Actually, what happened is I
herniated the L3 and L4 discs in my back and ripped my muscles in my back, across the sacrum
and my neck. There was a lot of internal swelling which put pressure on the nerves and spine
which caused the paralysis. The paralysis would go on and off for quite awhile. I still have troubles
with my legs, especially if I been riding in a plane for awhile. It is something I am constantly having
to be aware of and to treat daily in my yoga practice.
"It was a pretty difficult time for the first year. My emotional reaction? I was pretty horrified. I was
completely freaked out and at that point I couldn't imagine anything worse. Because it was just the
most frightening thing that 'Oh my god, I’m crippled again!' I had thought I'd rather die than be
crippled again."
As Ana had met the challenge from the little girl at school, she faced this challenge head-on as
well. "I created yoga poses to help my healing process, because I had to design poses that
specifically addressed my needs. That's where Forrest Yoga cobra pushups, abdominals series,
and shoulder shrugs came from. That's when I came up with so many different aspects of Forrest
Yoga, like perfecting how to breathe into a pain place and create healing there, and how to connect
to your spirit. I had great chiropractic and acupuncture treatments to help me through, but I had
no traditional medical intervention. I refused to do any surgery or back fusing or any of those
options."
Ana's teachings and travels keep her extremely busy, but she does have time for a personal life,
too. She is married to her business partner and fellow teacher, Jonathan Bowra. "I met him in at a
'Dance Home.' He absolutely loves to dance. He is also a zen meditation teacher. He is my co-
teacher for my teacher trainings and workshops, my road manager, and my business partner."
"We have no children, no plans for children. I have students. That is my dharma. Protecting
children and educating and nourishing the mothers is part of my life work and dharma."
Ana's hobbies include riding her motorcycle. "It is a Yamaha 1200 VMax –- fast and big. I also
enjoy wandering and becoming part of the wilderness as often as possible." As for animals, Ana
says "I love animals and love to hang out with the wild ones."
I asked Ana what some of her favorites are in different categories.
Book/Author -- Charles de Lint , The Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula K. Le Guin, and Stephen Hawking,
the physicist
Movie -- Princess Mononoke and The Matrix
Color -- The rainbow spectrum all colors, especially mixed with each other
Food -- Buffalo, deer, elk, kabocha squash, grapes
And finally, what are Ana's future plans? Her new DVD (untitled right now) will be released in
2007. In addition, "I'm continuing to develop and expand the Forrest Yoga Educational Library.
This will be my work's legacy. It will include all my teachings of Forrest Yoga and will consist of
DVDs, teacher manuals, workshop materials, etc. This is an ongoing development process and will
be released through the rest of my lifetime."
was certified as a yoga instructor in 1975. I started by substitute teaching for other teachers, or
teaching people I was hanging out with. Truth is, at this point I was still in my drinking stage (I was
still in my teens). So I'd be out with friends and others, and drinking with them. And while we were
out, I would get them to do yoga poses."
"Also, I would go to other yoga classes. When the teacher found out I could teach, they would ask
me to substitute for them. I did a lot of that, and also would take over their classes if they needed
that. After I did my teacher training course, I started teaching anything and everything that was
available for yoga in 1975. At first, students came to my classes because it was a class time they
could attend, but eventually they started to come to class to work with me, specifically. I started
teaching at a yoga center which was easier than having to rent space by myself."
In 1993, Ana met with a serious setback. It was another of those challenges in life -- much like the
little girl who challenged Ana so many years ago -- only this time it was not a little girl, it was a
horrific accident.
"I had an accident May 1993, Mother’s Day, at restaurant called A Votre Sante. The chair I was on
went through a rotting floor board. It caused my legs to be paralyzed. Actually, what happened is I
herniated the L3 and L4 discs in my back and ripped my muscles in my back, across the sacrum
and my neck. There was a lot of internal swelling which put pressure on the nerves and spine
which caused the paralysis. The paralysis would go on and off for quite awhile. I still have troubles
with my legs, especially if I been riding in a plane for awhile. It is something I am constantly having
to be aware of and to treat daily in my yoga practice.
"It was a pretty difficult time for the first year. My emotional reaction? I was pretty horrified. I was
completely freaked out and at that point I couldn't imagine anything worse. Because it was just the
most frightening thing that 'Oh my god, I’m crippled again!' I had thought I'd rather die than be
crippled again."
As Ana had met the challenge from the little girl at school, she faced this challenge head-on as
well. "I created yoga poses to help my healing process, because I had to design poses that
specifically addressed my needs. That's where Forrest Yoga cobra pushups, abdominals series,
and shoulder shrugs came from. That's when I came up with so many different aspects of Forrest
Yoga, like perfecting how to breathe into a pain place and create healing there, and how to connect
to your spirit. I had great chiropractic and acupuncture treatments to help me through, but I had
no traditional medical intervention. I refused to do any surgery or back fusing or any of those
options."
Ana's teachings and travels keep her extremely busy, but she does have time for a personal life,
too. She is married to her business partner and fellow teacher, Jonathan Bowra. "I met him in at a
'Dance Home.' He absolutely loves to dance. He is also a zen meditation teacher. He is my co-
teacher for my teacher trainings and workshops, my road manager, and my business partner."
"We have no children, no plans for children. I have students. That is my dharma. Protecting
children and educating and nourishing the mothers is part of my life work and dharma."
Ana's hobbies include riding her motorcycle. "It is a Yamaha 1200 VMax –- fast and big. I also
enjoy wandering and becoming part of the wilderness as often as possible." As for animals, Ana
says "I love animals and love to hang out with the wild ones."
I asked Ana what some of her favorites are in different categories.
Book/Author -- Charles de Lint , The Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula K. Le Guin, and Stephen Hawking,
the physicist
Movie -- Princess Mononoke and The Matrix
Color -- The rainbow spectrum all colors, especially mixed with each other
Food -- Buffalo, deer, elk, kabocha squash, grapes
And finally, what are Ana's future plans? Her new DVD (untitled right now) will be released in
2007. In addition, "I'm continuing to develop and expand the Forrest Yoga Educational Library.
This will be my work's legacy. It will include all my teachings of Forrest Yoga and will consist of
DVDs, teacher manuals, workshop materials, etc. This is an ongoing development process and will
be released through the rest of my lifetime."
