If you have been to Ananda Meditation Retreat, you have seen Brannon Forrester – serving a delicious meal he has just prepared, popping over to light your heater- or leading you in meditation and yoga postures. Brannon is our kitchen manager, maintenance lead and a yoga teacher – all rolled into one. Known for his joyful spirit and “say-yes-to-life” attitude, he is much appreciated by guests and staff alike.
But did you know that he is also an ultra-marathon runner, who has competed in many races in the US and elsewhere? And also an avid hiker and climber who has summited a number of peaks?
We caught up with Brannon last week between activities to ask a few questions:
Q: Hi Brannon- How did you get into running…and what part does it play in your life?
I began running in high school, and was one of the worst on the team! I stuck with it, improved quite a bit, continued through college, and even went to Africa to train with the Kenyans! I realized I loved running on trails and through nature more than through the city and on the track, and used it as a vehicle to explore and interact with the natural world. I came to love the movement and freedom that it brought; the magic of being able to cover long distances on foot. Taking it to the trails and the mountains brought an amazing renewal in nature and incredible views.
Q: What connections do you find between running and the practice of meditation and yoga?
They are completely related! In running you are always trying to find a state of flow; a sense of ease of motion and effort. The yogic approach to exercise is that the “zone” is the very purpose of sport, and not something to find occasionally on accident. The yoga tradition gives specific ways to develop the zone state in athletics; outlining specific tools for the actual experience of transcendental states is the very hallmark of yoga. The athletic zone is similar to deep meditation states, and so the more you can run in that state of flow, the more you can bring that sense of flow and renewal in nature into meditation, to cultivate your own inner nature.
Q: What has been your peak moment as a runner or hiker?
There have been many, but one last year was summiting Mt. Rainier solo. I had to get a special permit to climb alone, but felt confident from my previous experience in the Sierra Nevadas and on Mt. Shasta and elsewhere to attempt it. I climbed the normal route and made good time, feeling good enough at the altitude to even jog through the summit crater, and descended safely. The highlight was to be on a spectacular mountain and be able to be controlled enough to feel safe to just flow through the difficulties I encountered and to simply marvel at the changing views and scenery, and to do it much more quickly than most of the other folks on the mountain! It was a walk (and jog!) through incredible beauty on a notoriously difficult mountain with a sense of ease; the whole experience felt like a flow.
Q: I hear you once led a California black bear in a guided relaxation?
Ha ha! That was an odd encounter! I met the bear on a run on a trail around the Bullard’s Bar reservoir. The lake was on one side and the bear on the other, so I didn’t have anywhere to go. It bluff-charged me, which is a classic bear behavior to intimidate you and get you to move. I shouted to let him know where I was before he got too close; luckily he stopped and started sniffing the air. I had said “HEY!”, and so I continued to say “Hey, hey” progressively softer and softer, mainly to let him know where I was at but also hoping to calm him down. His head got lower and lower and suddenly dropped and was still, then he gave a little start as if he had fallen asleep for an instant! I didn’t know what to make of it but was able to continue “Hey hey”-ing my way down the trail until I was around the corner and then took off running as fast as I could! Definitely got lucky; maybe he (or she) was just a super mellow bear!
Q: What do you enjoy most about being part of Ananda Meditation Retreat?
Just being here. Being of service here is an incredible opportunity. I truly feel this is sacred ground, and an incredible way to provide people with a place and space to relax and experience inner peace. We try to create an environment that helps people dive deep into their inner selves, with the goal of tuning into the highest that is in them. Many people speak of the stillness that they experience and of inner guidance that they receive while they are here, which is wonderful feedback, but for myself and for those who serve here, we also experience deeper aspects of our own nature through our own practice and service here; we give but we also receive so much from trying to be channels of that light.
