Improve Every Area of Your Warrior Two.

We all recognize Warrior Two (Virabhadrasana II) as a staple in virtually every yoga sequence. But are we all getting as much benefit as we can? This simple tip is your ace in the hole when it comes to discovering the true benefits of this posture: opening the hips, toning the legs, and forging an overall strengthened body. Students and teachers are always amazed at the difference they feel, immediately, after this tip.

You'll find this and other amazing tips in my book and DVD, Functional Yoga Instruction

The Functional Yoga Manual holds a five star rating on Amazon.com. Don't miss out!

"This is a must have book to add to your yoga collection whether you are a student or a yoga teacher. I have practiced yoga for over 10 years and taught it for over seven years and I have learned more from Functional Yoga Instruction then in all my personal yoga experience and instruction combined. It has completely changed my practice and how I teach yoga. This book is very organized and explains the techniques in a simple, clear, precise way. Functional Yoga Instruction teaches how to move on the mat in a safe, effective way which spills into proper movement off of the mat. Since I have practiced Functional Yoga Instruction and used the techniques in the book, I move better on the mat, as well as off the mat. It has increased my body awareness and I am much stronger. This book is ALL killer and no filler. I highly, highly recommend it!"


The Functional Yoga DVD is our best seller!


“I have folded, twisted and tried to breathe my way through quite a few yoga DVDs, always slightly tense and worried that I wasn't in the correct position for benefit or, more importantly, for injury prevention. That is not the case with the Functional Yoga Instruction DVD as the direction is so clear, precise and easy to follow. I appreciate the anatomical, almost scientific, approach to the instruction, breaking down the poses with tweaks that even the most experienced yogis would benefit from. For me, the comfort of knowing I'm doing the pose correctly rather than trying to force things and look impressive, allows me to scan, tweak, breathe and generally benefit more deeply. In fact, I find that I'm doing some of the poses less deeply than before, but feeling far stronger for it. After taking classes at Winter Garden Yoga and now following up at home with the DVD, I feel a definite improvement in my posture (something I thought was fine before… guess not!), more aligned and attuned to my body.”

Save money and purchase the DVD/Book Combo! I can't imagine a better investment for your yoga practice.

The 3 Mistakes Yoga People Make, Winter Garden Yoga

The 3 Mistakes Yoga People Make, Winter Garden Yoga

I’ve been teaching and practicing yoga for nearly 20 years now. I’ve been to a lot of classes. I’ve been to a lot of workshops. I’ve watched countless DVDs. To put it mildly, I’ve seen it all.

And, because of what I’ve seen, I became very passionate to un-do the stuff that’s being done. So I developed my own method of yoga called FunctionalYoga Instruction™. As you know, my method of yoga is based on strength versus flexibility, alignment versus depth, and awareness versus appearance.

This method is changing lives. I invite you to visit WinterGarden Yoga whenever you’re in the area or to check out our one of a kind DVDs.

If you can’t make it out to see us, I want to share some very important information with you: The 3 Mistakes Yoga People Make.

Don’t take any of it personally. You may not even be aware that you are making a mistake or putting yourself at risk. After all, students do what teachers say. I’m inviting you to open your mind and own up to this stuff so that you can continue to experience yoga in a healing and happy way.

Here they are…

Number One: Stretching

This is a big one and it is a tough one to address because stretching is almost always synonymous with yoga. My mission in life is to change this association forever.

You see, stretching implies that the soft tissue is literally being elongated. This is great if you want to destabilize your joints or risk tearing your muscles. If that’s your goal, keep stretching.

The truth is that our muscles are long enough already. All we need to do is reprogram our nervous system in order to allow our muscles to achieve their fullest range of motion. By doing so, you will become more ‘flexible’ faster and safer. All of the instructors at Winter Garden Yoga are experts at this technique.

Number Two: Workout

I am going to paraphrase Pavel Tsatsouline, “Let yoga be yoga. Let cardio be cardio. Let weight training be weight training.” Yoga can’t be everything. It wasn’t designed to be.

Now, I’ll tell you that Winter Garden Yoga’s clients have said that our classes feel like a workout, and I understand that. After all, our method is based on strength and alignment. And yes, you will get toned. And yes, you will burn calories. But here’s the difference: yoga is just part of the package. Our clients are encouraged to go for walks (cardio) and to lift weights (weight training). When you combine all three components, you’ll have a potent combination that will cover all the bases.

Number Three: Ego

A lot of yogis focus on “How does this pose look?” or “I should be able to do this.” This is the ego. Leave it at the door or with your shoes. At Winter Garden Yoga, our instructors encourage all of our clients to focus on how a pose feels. Don’t take this the wrong way: we don’t care if you can get your hand to the ground or if you can perform some deep-stretch-foot-behind-the-head-maneuver. If you can do it, great.

We care about how your pose feels to you right now. Not what you could do 20 years ago… or 20 minutes ago… only right now. “Can you breathe here?” “Can you meditate here?” These are the questions that will flush out the ego quickly, get you tuned in, and keep you injury free.

That’s it. The 3 Mistakes Yoga People Make. Believe me, there’s a lot more but if you start with these top three, I guarantee that you will see amazing results quickly. In fact, if this happens to you (and it will), contact me at WinterGardenYoga.com because I’d love to hear your story.

All the best,

Brian

PS: Are you a client at Winter Garden Yoga? If not, why? Contact Us for a free consultation so that you can begin making positive changes to your life right now. There’s no obligation. Just give us a call or contact us to see if we’re the right fit for you.

Improve Your Triangle Pose

Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose) is probably the most recognized posture in all of yoga. According to Yoga Journal.com, the benefits include:

"Stretches and strengthens the thighs, knees, and ankles
Stretches the hips, groins, hamstrings, and calves; shoulders, chest, and spine
Stimulates the abdominal organs
Helps relieve stress
Improves digestion
Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
Relieves backache, especially through second trimester of pregnancy
Therapeutic for anxiety, flat feet, infertility, neck pain, osteoporosis, and sciatica"

In this video clip, I demonstrate a great way to "true up" your triangle pose by using a wall.

Enjoy!