Ana Forrest Teacher Training Boston 2006

a I have just completed the Ana Forrest Foundation Teacher Training Course (http://www.forrestyoga.com/page.cfm?name=levels).  The course ran 24 days straight and was an amazing experience. 

Our typical schedule was to arrive by 6 AM sharp to a beautiful space in Boston that was rented especially for the training morning intensives (http://www.algonquinclub.com/index.htm).   There were huge windows and wood flooring – and lots of space. 

We did about one hour of chanting and mediation, had a quick break, and then did two hours of yoga with Ana and Jonathan teaching.  The yoga was very similar to the workshops but we experienced a lot more variations given that we did yoga for 22 days (we had 2 days off for a business class in the middle of the training). 

Jonathan led the chanting and mediation for the most part and talk us how to mediate.  Jonathan has studied Zen mediation for many years and is a monk.  He has done very long mediation retreats where he sits and meditates all day for 90 or 100 days.  I learned a lot about meditation and plan to start a daily practice (starting now!). 

Unmani (http://www.yoginiunmani.com/) was the assistant and she was amazing.  We trainees adored her.  I remember her from the 2nd Boston workshop I did with Ana.  She is very striking in looks but also from the inside.  She has huge blue-green eyes and moves like water through the class.  She gave me some adjustments that will stick with me through my yoga practice.  Her gentle style will be something I want to emulate in my class. 

After class we typically had a 2 ½ hour break and then had another 6 hours or so of teacher training.  This included teaching from 1 in various situations: to a large part of our group, one-one-one, one-to-four, and doing it in lots of different ways.  We also ran and taught two workshops over the weekend “Intro to Forrest Yoga” and they filled up with real beginners.  It was such a learning experience to see what effect the yoga had on the people we taught. 

We worked a lot on adjustments every day.  Forrest Yoga has a strong focus on hands on adjustments and we practice many hours every day.  We practiced on each other and we built up our skills. 

We also worked on ourselves and there were many exercises to develop what we wanted in life.  This was one of the more powerful aspects of the course.

The last week we worked a lot on sequencing and we did a lot of yoga all day long.  I thoroughly enjoyed my fellow trainees teaching and voice development (we also did a lot of work with Ana on developing our voices for teaching).

The manual we got reminds me of Light on Yoga because of the richness of information in it.  It has details on poses, adjustments, breathing, sequencing, and many other areas.  I’ll have it by my side forever as I teach.

I’m now a Forrest Associate and won’t be certified until I complete a lot of reading and writing, community service.  It will be a 500 hour certification when I’m done.  I plan to follow through. 

My fellow trainees were an amazing cast of characters ranging from 19 years old to 62 years old.  The majority was in their 20s and 30s but we had a few 40 year olds (my age range).  I loved every one of them – they were so instrumental in my learning process.  We have started a forum to stay in touch. 

Ana herself was of course, the yoga genius that she always is.  She (and Jonathan and Unmani) were at every single second of our training, fiercely focused on what we were doing and she expected the same from us.  She invented two new poses while we were there and we practiced them in the morning intensives.  I’ve noticed since the 5 Day CD set came out, that she has added a lot of new poses to Forrest Yoga. 

During the second half of the course, Ana opened up their own morning practice to us – from 3-5 AM at the studio.  I was able to practice four times and it was interesting to watch how they practiced on their own.  I created several classes for myself with poses that target certain areas I’m interested in (like hips for example).  One day, I followed along Ana for a great backbend class (needed the wall to do the inversions).  Unmani helped me do a walking backbend!  The other days, which were before the intensives, Ana worked on the class she was teaching, tweaking the class as needed. 

The big difference I see between Forrest and other styles is the emphasis on feeling and intuition.  I love this and it awakened my own intuitive skills which have been long hiding.

So, it was an intense but richly rewarding experience.  I’m off to teach my first Forrest Yoga class this Wednesday!  Wish me luck. 

Much thanks to the staff at Back Bay Yoga - if you are ever in Boston, you must go.  www.backbayyoga.com - they have so many great classes and workshops!

Comments

[Lynda K.]

greetings. I just discovered your fantastic blog and am inspired to restart my yoga classes. If you have a minute I'd love to have you submit your blog to our newish directory of stylish/smart blogs at www.delightfulblogs.com. I'm sure the gals (and guys) visiting the directory would enjoy it as much as I did.
best,
Lynda
delight.com
delightfulblogs.com

[Pat]

Congratulations Chris on this powerful and transforming phase of your life! I've been eagerly awaiting the blog on your Forrest training. It sounds like you have a lot more to do but it will all be so rewarding for you. Well done! Namaste, Pat from VF

[Debbie]

Congratulation Chris! I love your new website and it is very imspiring. I need to find time to work yoga back into my life. I truly miss it. Wishing you the very best. Debbie

[Eve]

That's so exciting! How did the class go?

I've been practicing for a few years and am thinking about getting certified. How did you decided on Ana Forrest's yoga over the hundreds of other certification programs?

[danelle lateur]

Hello Chris from a fellow trainee of Boston 06'. Thanks for taking the time to write about our experience. It was a time that I will always treasure. My life has been transformed for the better and the tools I learned from the training will be with me and all that I teach forever. I am teaching regularly and I am a walking advocate of Forrest Yoga. Anyone out there that is interested in attending a teacher training and having difficulty deciding what to do...this one is it...there is nothing more challenging rewarding than Ana's.

Namaste
Danelle Lateur

[chris]

Hi Danelle! I couldn't agree more with the transformation bit! E-mail me at info@tomariken.com so I can send you an invite to our teacher trainee forum - which has people from our Boston training checking in.