Ana T. Forrest

I have no direct experience with the school of yoga led by Ana Forrest : I just bought this book on a whim. How what is written here is practiced and taught by that school's proponents, I have no idea. But I found the book itself to be worthwhile and inspiring.

It's very much the personal vision of Ms. Forrest. It is largely an autobiographical work, describing many practices in the context of the life challenges that drove the author to learn and develop them. Generally she starts from some traditional practices and then adapts them as she sees fit. Of course this is dangerous, but then rigid adherence to traditional forms is dangerous too. That's something this book does, it forces the reader to confront that tension. Ms. Forrest comes across rather as a wild woman; for example, she tells us that she cannot adhere to non-violence. Given that non-violence is fundamental to the yoga tradition, that really is a wild confession. I would say that Ms. Forrest is brutally honest in this book.

An aspect of this book that I really appreciate is that it treats the classical yoga practices of asana and pranayama - posture and breath control - as components in a broader system, where one observes one's emotional responses to daily life, and where one further digs up emotions that have become buried. That asana and pranayama can be used as tools to investigate one's emotional responses and to manage them, this is vital to a genuine life of yoga. Ms. Forrest's personal stories show this genuineness in action.

The story Ms. Forrest tells is of a hard life. This might confuse some readers. Perhaps the kind of deep confrontation with one's emotions is only applicable to such a hard life, or perhaps that confrontation pushes one into such a life. This is a tricky question. Maybe the truth is that we all live hard lives, if we allow ourselves to open to our actual lives. This is a hard world we live in, and our lives are truly inseparable from that hard world.

The real tragedy is when tools like asana and pranayama are used to create a comfortable shell for our lives, as vehicles to escape from the hardness that surrounds us, that runs through us if we dare look.

This is a daring book. There are some specific practices here that one can surely use to cultivate a deeper perception of life, but the most valuable aspect of this book seems just to be that inspiration to dare to live.… (mais)

Ana Forrest is one of a kind. I have had the privilege of studying with her during past workshops and was thrilled to read more about her background and personal life in this book. And has overcome so many challenges including sexual abuse, alcohol and drug addictions, an eating disorder, physical challenges during youth and a neglectful family. I think it's remarkable what she has accomplished in life in spite of those challenges. As a student and teacher of yoga, I will definitely incorporate some of her wisdom into my practice and classes. The book is probably best suited to yoga practitioners but her life story is powerful enough to engage almost anyone. I would definitely recommend this book to others.… (mais)