Would you like to improve your physical health? How about healing yourself emotionally as well in the process? There is one yoga form that can give you amazing physical and emotional benefits. It gives you inner peace and helps you let go of your negativity.

It is Forrest Yoga we are talking about. Would you like to know more about it? Please continue reading!

What Is Forrest Yoga?

Forrest Yoga is named after Ana Forrest, its founder. She went through several physical and psychological problems in her life, and to overcome these, she devised this form of yoga. She developed a series of poses and rigorous exercises that helped her overcome issues like bulimia, alcoholism, and epilepsy. This is an intense form of yoga, and it is aimed at individuals who want to become and remain healthy (1).

Nuances Of Forrest Yoga:

Forrest Yoga has been influenced by hatha yoga and acrobatics. It is also derived from Vinyasa Yoga. This variant of yoga is more than just physical exercises. The practitioners of this yoga form are encouraged to develop their inner self along with stretching their physical abilities. Interestingly, Forrest Yoga also incorporates some Native American healing techniques. Therefore, this yoga offers you multiple benefits. You need not have a very robust body to try this yoga. In fact, the yoga session can be tailor made to suit needs of people with injury or mental trauma.

One reason behind the popularity of this yoga form is its focus on the emotional side. It is more effective than those mindless workout procedures. When you are able to connect to your inner self, you can understand the functioning of your body better (2). Sticking to your schedule and maintaining regularity are prerequisites for the followers of this yoga. However, that does not make this yoga form particularly tedious to adhere to. When you are emotionally prepared for stretching the physical limit, the intensity kicks in. The followers are aided in adopting the basics and learning the advanced stages gradually.

The Movements Involved In Forrest Yoga:

Forrest yoga incorporates simple and gentle poses along with breathing techniques. Practicing the moves also heats up your body, which aids in eliminating toxins through sweat. The basic moves involved in this yoga form are:

• Active hands and feet
• Deep breathing
• Relaxing the neck
• Wrapping the shoulders
• Tucking the tailbone
• Expanding the ribs
• Telescope Ribs

These moves are aimed at core strengthening and breathing. You need to wear comfortable clothes, use yoga mats, straps, and blanket. The yoga should be practiced in a warm room.

Major Poses In Forrest Yoga:

1. Seated Side Bend:

1. You will need to sit in a cross-legged position.
2. Now, place your left hand on your lap.
3. Extend your right arm over the head and breathe in.
4. Breathe out as you wrap the right shoulder blade into the armpit.
5. Keep your neck relaxed and lower the left shoulder blade.
6. Take 5 breaths and do it on the other side.

2. Lunge:

1. From the downward dog posture, put your right leg forward.
2. Keep the back knee down and lift your arms upward.
3. Breathe in and put stress on the ribs on the left side.
4. As you exhale, lower the tailbone.
5. Do 5 breaths for each side.

3. Elbow To Knee:

1. You need to clasp both hands behind your head.
2. Raise your feet and align your knees over the hips.
3. Perform the feet active move and then press your lower back on the mat.
4. As you inhale, lift the shoulders and head up.
5. Perform Curl tailbone move and hold your breath.
6. As you exhale, ensure the elbows reach your right knee and the left leg is straightened.
7. Pull your belly down.
8. Again inhale and keep both the knees bent.
9. Once more, do the Curl tailbone move and hold your breath.
10. Breathe out and ensure your elbows touch the left knee, and the right leg is straightened.
11. Do these moves 5 times.

4. Bridge Yoga:

1. For this move, you need to lie down with your knees elevated.
2. Now, slide your shoulder blades from the ears and relax both arms.
3. As you breathe out, tuck the tailbone upwards.
4. Then inhale and lift your ribs from the pelvis.
5. Again exhale and tuck the tailbone up.
6. Lengthen both thighs from your hips.
7. Come back to original position.
8. Repeat for 10 breaths.

5. Camel Yoga:

1. Begin by kneeling down on the floor, with your legs on the ground parallel to each other.
2. Slowly bend backward, and try touching your heels with your arms.
3. Bend your head totally backward, till you are able to see behind you.
4. Stay in the position for a minute or so, and then return to the normal position.

6. Dolphin Yoga:

1. You need to keep the knees and forearms on the floor.
2. Now hold the biceps of both arms. While keeping your forearms forward and parallel to each other, relax your neck.
3. As you breathe out, wrap your shoulder blades and straighten the legs.
4. Now breathe in, and lift your ribs from the shoulders.
5. Repeat for 5 breaths.

Benefits Of Forrest Yoga:

Following are the benefits of Forrest Yoga:

1. Stress Busting:

The deep breathing techniques involved in this yoga and its focus on your emotional core help you battle the stress and negativity in mind.

2. Muscular Tension Relief:

Like other yoga forms, this variant helps loosen the stiff muscles in the body. The neck, back and shoulder regions get the benefits.

3. Emotional Healing:

Along with shaping your muscles and body, this yoga helps in overcoming depression and negativity. This is possible since the yoga aims at exploring your inner self.

4. Boosting Core Muscles:

This yoga helps strengthen your core muscles (3). These workouts also help in reducing body fat and increasing the flexibility of joints.

5. Discarding Toxins:

The heated environment amidst which Forrest Yoga is practiced makes you sweat profusely. This helps in eliminating the toxins in the body.

Tell us how this post has helped you. Do comment in the space below!

The post Forrest Yoga- What Is It And What Are Its Benefits? appeared first on STYLECRAZE.

by Maanasi Radhakrishnan via STYLECRAZE