For one weekend only, New Yorkers will get the chance to practice with Ana Forrest, the renowned yoga instructor and healer, in a series of special workshops offered at Pure Yoga.

Forrest became a yoga instructor when she was 18 after suffering through physical abuse, drug addiction, epilepsy, and bulimia. She recognized yoga as a way to heal herself from trauma and has spent 30 years developing Forrest Yoga to address modern stresses and challenges.

The pillars of Forrest Yoga are breath, strength, integrity, and spirit. And the style uses deep breathing and intensely invigorating sequences.

“Forrest Yoga is pioneering in its approach to breath, and physical and emotional healing,” says Erica Mather, a New York City yoga instructor who studied with Forrest. “But if you choose to join Ana this weekend, don’t expect that her healing style means you’ll be lying around: Forrest Yoga is deep, intense, sweaty, and offers up a spectrum of experiences for novices and the advanced practitioner.”

Mather recommends the Friday night session if you’re new to Forrest Yoga and the Sunday afternoon class on Inversions and Arm Balances if you’re more advanced. “We might even do some gravity surfing,” Mather says. “It’s one of Ana’s favorite pastimes.”

Click here to visit Pure Yoga’s page or click the individual links below for more information and to register:

Basics of Forest Yoga
Friday, August 20
6:00pm – 8:30pm

Open Your Heart
Saturday, August 21
9:00am – 11:30am

Journey to the Core
Saturday, August 21
4:30pm – 7:00pm

Heal Your Back
Sunday, August 22
9:00am – 11:30am

Inversions and Arm Balances
Sunday, August 22
4:30pm – 7:00pm