Ana Forrest has been changing people’s lives for nearly 40 years.

With thousands of licensed practitioners around the world, Forrest Yoga is an intensely physical, internally focused practice that emphasizes how to carry a transformative experience off the mat and into daily life. Ana challenges her students to access their whole being and to use Forrest Yoga as a path to finding, and then clearing the emotional and mental blocks that dictate and limit their lives. With her meticulous guidance, students cultivate an acute awareness of their own practice and life process, creating a unique and powerful opportunity for them to make practical life decisions based on their own experiences.

This innovative yoga master is coming to Denver to teach a Forrest Yoga Workshop series, June 3-5, hosted by Root Yoga Center. Recently, Lauren Turnage, co-owner of Root Yoga Center, had an opportunity to ask Ana how she came to develop Forrest Yoga and about its emphasis on healing. Ana responded:

“Yoga was the first tool I used to make a difference in myself. I developed Forrest Yoga as I was working through my own healing. I invented poses to help heal myself.

The practice addresses today’s lifestyle ailments, for example, lower and upper back pain, neck and shoulder issues, carpal tunnel syndrome and intestinal disorders. We also crave and need challenge, adventure and a daily diet of delight. In my own quest, I recognized my loss of Spirit. Something I now see in others—this modern day sense of bereft Spirit. Through Forrest Yoga you get your physical health and strength and also a place in which to welcome your Spirit back home. And by this I do not mean a spiritual practice, but being your authentic self.

Earlier this month, HarperOne published my new book. It is titled, Fierce Medicine: Breakthrough Practices to Heal the Body and Ignite the Spirit.

For years, people have asked me to write my life story because I use parts of my life story to teach. I made the decision to write the book when I realized it was internally correct to do it now. One of the treasures in the writing process was recapitulating my life to distill where the gems were, where the turning points occurred.

So sorting through my life experience was a real learning and enriching experience for me. What was most interesting about it was that it brought back some of the nightmares and the traumas and bad experiences—the toxic things. And I got to dance with those again but this time with more wisdom.

I think this is a very important point for those choosing to evolve and live a life of transformation. To put aside an attitude of “Oh, I am finished with that now.” I found that when I am putting myself out there in a whole new way—like writing the book, or being in love—then I get to re-dance in hopefully a more advanced and more resourceful way than from where I might have experienced things before—and that is a sign of evolution.

I want people to learn that life is precious and worthwhile. And I want them to learn the tools I offer so they can create the life they most deeply desire. Treat your life with the amount of worth that it deserves. Learn these life-transforming tools. Learn to build, develop and evolve in these daily practices. This is the way you connect to your Spirit and then learn to the live the life that your Spirit dictates. With Fierce Medicine, I can reach that many more people with this message, and with the lessons and tools of Forrest Yoga.”

To register for Ana Forrest’s Denver workshops, visit rootyogacenter.com. To learn more about Forrest Yoga and Fierce Medicine, visit forrestyoga.com.

About Ana Forrest.

Ana took her first yoga class at age 14 on a dare and became a certified instructor at age 18.  Her extensive study and clinical application of healing modalities, including homeopathic and naturopathic remedies, anatomy, reflexology, pressure point therapy, craniosacral therapies, Shiatsu, chiropractic, polarity and hands on healing, always informs her work.  In her life-long pursuit of becoming a better teacher and healer, Ana has undertaken intimate studies in Sweat Lodge, Pipe Ceremony, Vision Quest and Sundance with various Native American and African healers.

Ana is an ordained practitioner of Native American Medicine, a Reiki Master, a Certified Regression Therapist, and a graduate of Anthony Robbins Master University. She is a Faculty Member at The University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic and sits on the Boards of F.A.R.E. Play (Foundation for Athletic Research and Education) and Earth & Sky Circle (organization for Native American Ceremony). She is the recipient of a Los Angeles Mayoral Commendation recognizing her outstanding teaching and healing work in the community—the first time a major U.S. city bestowed such an honor on a yogi or yogini. Ana is a regular contributor to Yoga Journal and a consultant to the USAF 48th Fighter Wing (RAF Lakenheath, UK), Exalted Warrior Foundation (Tampa, FL) and hiwecanhelp.org (Newcastle, UK). Her book, Fierce Medicine: Breakthrough Practices to Heal the Body and Ignite the Spirit, (HarperOne) was released May 2011.

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Lauren Turnage is co-owner of Root Yoga Center in Downtown Denver. She has been studying with Ana Forrest for several years and has been teaching Forrest Yoga in Denver for the past three years. Her love for Forrest Yoga comes from a desire to connect to her spirit and she guides her students to connect with their spirits as well. Forrest Yoga has also been an amazing tool to healing and has released the pain in her hips due to a chronic condition she was born with.

Lauren teaches at Root Yoga Center, where one of the main goals is to stimulate change, growth and balance through health and yoga. The goal at Root Yoga Center is to live long healthy and happy lives, and to have fun along the way.