Fierce medicine : breakthrough practices to heal the body and ignite the spirit

As the creator of Forrest Yoga, Ana T. Forrest has been transforming people's lives throughout the world for more than 35 years. Her unique blend of physical practice, Eastern wisdom, and profound Native American ceremony takes her teachings literally off the mat and into daily life - to heal everything from addictive behaviors and eating disorders to chronic pain and injury. In Fierce Medicine, Forrest tells her own story of healing from the scars of abuse and physical handicaps, and reveals the proven practices that enabled her to move beyond her past into a life committed to helping others reconnect with their bodies, cultivate balance, and start living in harmony with their Spirits. In her unique, powerful, and inviting voice, Ana Forrest reveals how to: Learn to stalk fear and break free from it instead of running from it. Be attentive to your body, discovering its own inherent healing properties. Speak and act from a place of honesty and compassion. Cultivate an open heart that is feeling, responsive, and reflexive and able to embrace change. Harness your intuition and the courage to live in alignment with your Spirit. Whether you've never done yoga or are a seasoned practitioner, Ana Forrest's practices, stories, and exercises will help you uncover your own warrior's heart. With this wise woman as your trusted guide, you, too, can become centered, strong, and more alive than ever before. "Born crippled, Ana Forrest's life trauma and experiences--including physical abuse, drug addiction, epilepsy, and bulimia--led her to create Forrest Yoga, her unique fusion of Eastern yoga and Native American medicine. Now recognized as a pioneer in Yoga and emotional healing who travels the world giving workshops, retreats, and teacher-trainings, Ana shares her inspiring story of how Yoga saved her life, and shows how it can do the same for the reader. For those who've never tried yoga to those who've been practicing for years, with more than thirty-five years experience learning and teaching yoga, Forrest presents tools for life transformation tested on the hundreds of thousands of students she has taught. This book lays out a system of practices that specifically address the challenges and stresses -- physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual -- that all people face. Forrest's method starts by listening to one's body--often the aches, pains, stiffness or anxieties. She helps readers recognize the messages their bodies are trying to send, and then guides them through spiritual and physical exercises to address what is causing pain or stress. A true warrior that has taken some of life's most difficult trials and turn them into a life of healing, Ana Forrest shows us how to stop hiding from ourselves and live fully in our lives and bodies"-- Provided by publisher Contents Cover Title Page Dedication Ana’s Prayer Introduction Chapter 1 - Stalking Fear: From Prey to Predator Chapter 2 - Walking Free of Pain: Suffering Is Optional Chapter 3 - Truth Speaking: Building the Warrior’s Heart Chapter 4 - The Fiercest Medicine: A Brief Pause While You Die Chapter 5 - Choosing Life: Setting Your Intent Chapter 6 - Hunger Pains: Learning to Listen Within Chapter 7 - Walking the Good Red Road: Becoming a Healer Chapter 8 - Embodying Spirit: Romancing the Soul Chapter 9 - Turning Shit Into Fertilizer: Coping with Setbacks Chapter 10 - The Power of Ceremony: Creating Balance and Celebrating Chapter 11 - Evolve or Die: Embracing Change Afterword: The Braid of Three Truths Index of Poses Acknowledgments Praise for Fierce Medicine Copyright About the Publisher In Fierce Medicine, Ana Forrest, charismatic teacher and founder of Forrest Yoga, combines physical practice, eastern wisdom, and profound Native American ceremony to help heal everything from addictive behaviors and eating disorders to chronic pain and injury. Fierce Medicine is also part memoir, detailing Ana Forrest's journey to move beyond her past as she helps others to do the same. Filled with helpful yoga exercises, Fierce Medicine teaches us to reconnect with our bodies, cultivate balance, and start living in harmony with our Spirits.