Ana Forrest has been changing people’s lives for nearly 40 years. An internationally recognized pioneer in yoga and emotional healing, Ana created Forrest Yoga while working through her own healing from her life’s trauma and experience. With thousands of licensed practitioners around the world, Forrest Yoga is renowned as an intensely physical, internally focused practice that emphasizes how to carry a transformative experience off the mat and into daily life.
Sean Johnson – Founder of Wild Lotus Yoga, and Soul School: Wild Lotus’ Interdisciplinary Yoga and Spirituality Training Program
Sean is a proud native of New Orleans. He has been teaching yoga in New Orleans since 1999 and opened Wild Lotus in 2002. He shares an integrative teaching style that weaves the emotional power of bhakti yoga with the sensuality of hatha yoga to free the spirit and bring more love, creativity, and depth to our lives. His classes focus on opening the heart through creative vinyasa flows, chanting, storytelling, mythology, poetry, and enchanting music.
Sean’s unique yoga education began with intensive, experiential, interdisciplinary study of yoga and related spiritual traditions in college and in graduate school. He received a Master’s Degree in Creation Spirituality from The Naropa Institute where he apprenticed with South Indian teacher and yogi-musician Russill Paul. Sean is also gratefully inspired by his friendships and study with many heart-centered yoga teachers including his college mentor and first yoga teacher Doranne Crable; Dana Flynn and Jasmine Tarkeshi founders of Laughing Lotus Yoga; holistic yoga teacher Saul David Raye; kirtan singer Jai Uttal; and Soul School collaborator Mitchel Bleier.
Sean was named one of New Orleans’ outstanding achievers in Gambit Weekly’s 40 Under 40. He is the first Louisiana-based yoga teacher to teach at Yoga Journal’s Conferences and also teaches at other yoga conferences and festivals internationally.
Sean and The Wild Lotus Band are celebrated as one of the guiding voices in Western kirtan music, and tour internationally. To find out more about their music visit SeanJohnsonAndTheWildLotusBand.com. He is also the co-curator of Putumayo Yoga World Music’s yoga releases and a contributing writer to Yoga Journal.
“My intention is for Wild Lotus to be a warm and welcoming place where you can come and reconnect with the authenticity, wisdom and creativity of your own soul.”
The practice of Ashtanga Yoga is an ancient and powerful discipline for cultivating physical, mental and spiritual health. Progressive techniques of breath, posture and movement, cleanse, stretch and strengthen the body as well as focus and calm the mind. A deeper experience of the self becomes possible through consistent practice.
Tim Miller has been studying and teaching Ashtanga Yoga for over thirty years and was the first American certified to teach by Pattabhi Jois at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore, India. Tim has a thorough knowledge of this ancient system, which he imparts in a dynamic, yet compassionate and playful manner. “My goal as a teacher is to inspire a passion for practice. The practice itself, done consistently and accurately, is the real teacher.” Tim teaches workshops and retreats throughout the United States and abroad.
David’s introduction to Ashtanga came in 1973 when he met David Williams and Nancy Gilgoff in Encinitas, California. In 1975 David and Nancy brought K. Pattabhi Jois to the U.S. for the first time and Swenson was fortunate enough to be there. He then initiated studies directly with the master. Swenson made his first trip to Mysore in 1977 and learned the full Ashtanga system as it was originally taught by K. Pattabhi Jois.
Shiva Rea, M.A. is a yogini firekeeper, sacred activist, global adventurer and leading innovator in the evolution of prana flow yoga, transformational vinyasa flow integrating the tantric bhakti roots of yoga, Krishnamacharya’s teachings and a universal, quantum approach to the body. Shiva is known for bringing the roots of yoga alive for modern practitioners in creative, dynamic and life-transforming ways and for offering the synthesis form of prana flow out in the world. Shiva is the creator of Prana Flow Yoga, Yogadventure Retreats, Yoga Trance Dance for Life, Moving Activism for 1,008,000 Trees, the worldwide Global Mala Project, Yogini Conferences and E2: The Evolutionary Edge Tour. She writes for Yoga Journal, Yoga Plus Joyful Living, is the author of award-winning CD’s and DVD’s, and contributor to many publications and features.
Seane Corn is an internationally celebrated yoga teacher known for her impassioned activism, unique self-expression, and inspirational style of teaching that incorporates both the physical and mystical aspects of the practice of yoga. Her classes integrate dynamic vinyasa flow asana (linking movement with breath) with the application of precise alignment, meditation, visualization, intention and prayer to create an inner journey towards healing and empowerment.
Since the beginning of her teaching career in 1994, many yoga, health and wellness sources have sought her insight and expertise. Having appeared on over twenty magazine covers, featured in over thirty magazine publications, Seane was a featured yoga contributor for Oprah.com’s ‘Spirit’ section and was seen on The Today Show with Matt Lauer. Over the course of her career, Seane has created four yoga DVD’s and one audio CD produced by Gaiam, Sounds True and Yoga Journal and has a new DVD on the chakras and the mind/body connection coming out in 2014.
Meet Faith Hunter, Yoga teacher & Lifestylelist, sprinkled with a dash of Louisiana charm. Faith began her life long love affair with yoga in the early 90s as a way to cope as her beloved brother Michael was dying from a complication related to AIDS. Through meditation and mindfulness Faith was able to release her fears and experience an awakening from within. From that day forward, she committed herself to sharing these practices with the world.