How can yoga and ceremony help us release from emotional trauma?

“Our emotions have a chemical component, so part of what we teach is how to have some responsibility for the chemistry running through our bloodstream.”

Emotional trauma sits in all of us, but we can shift it. In this episode, we talk to Ana Forrest and Jose Calarco to get some insight into the power of ritual and ceremony for enhancing our yoga practice, which can then act as a release for emotional trauma from the body.

Ana Forrest founded Forrest Yoga, which combines the precision of Iyengar and the flow of vinyasa, but it also focuses on emotional and physical release. It’s an antidote to modern life! Ana has a pioneer spirit, so she talks about what it’s like going against the prevailing truth, how we can find our own way in the world and explore our life’s path. 

With Jose Calarco, we delve into the importance of ‘vision quest’ and how music and ceremony are integral in helping us to heal.

In this episode you will find out about...

Yoga and Emotions (8:30)

* The impact of holding emotions in* How to take responsibility of the chemistry we run through our bloodstream * The importance of changing emotional patterns for relationships * What is ceremonial vision quest? * How we can access and light up our whole brain through yoga and music * The role of music in healing * What can we learn from indigenous communities?

The individual and the community (17:00)

* The importance of discovering what feeds your spirit * Why we should interact with our community * Why the responsibility of self-development is a personal journey, but we should never go it full alone. 

Rituals and ceremony (21:00)

* Ana and Jose’s daily rituals * The importance of taking pleasure in and connecting with nature * How to navigate misinformation * Why taking care of the planet is crucial to our survival * Using challenging times as your own personal ceremony to elevate your life 

Trauma (35:30)

* How do we carry trauma and emotions in our body? * Why bringing in new patterns is essential * The spirituality of a physical practice

Breaking the ‘rules’ (42:20)

* Why we should question authority and explore new possibilities * The importance of being brave and pioneering * Using creativity and inspiration to make something your own * The importance of learning and honouring your practice  * Growing discipline to create paths to happiness 

“You need to experiment, because you’re never going to grow with anything unless you experiment with it.”

Do you want to explore all our classes, including some from Ana? Check out all our classes for FREE for 14 days here: https://movementformodernlife.com/chooseplan

Discover more of Ana's classes on Movement for Modern Life here: https://movementformodernlife.com/yoga-teacher/anaforrest

Find out more about Ana & Jose here.