An Easy Way to Keep Your Results This Holiday Season

A personal message from Brian…

Greetings! Make sure that your Thanksgiving celebration has all of the right ingredients, including a healthy dose of calorie burning activities. Don’t take chances that will sabotage all of your hard work that you've devoted to a healthy lifestyle. There is a reason you visit Winter Garden Yoga: to build strength, get lean, and get toned. You owe yourself an opportunity to keep those results. I’m going to share some simple strategies that will help you succeed.

1. Don’t do it! I know, “easier said than done”, but if you have the discipline and the desire to maintain your current level of fitness, don’t give in to the temptation of overeating during the Thanksgiving season. Instead, have a spoonful of each of your favorite offerings and bring home the leftovers. This way you can enjoy sharing food with friends and family without feeling guilty.

2. Create space. If you know that you will indulge during the festivities, try creating space first. This simple technique was shared in Tim Ferris’ book, “The Four Hour Body.” Ferris suggests vigorous activity just before a meal in order to create a caloric deficit… hence, creating space. Be sure to choose exercises that are related to strength (pushups, bodyweight squats, lift weights, etc.). Fitness experts agree that strength movements raise your metabolism and burn more calories (for a greater period of time) than cardio related choices.

       Fitness experts agree, strength moves such as the kettlebell Get Up burn more calories than cardio.

3. Doubles. Fans of P90X ® will recognize this idea. Workout in the morning and again in the evening. You read that correctly, two workouts in a day. This will help melt away the extra pounds from the double servings of turkey and stuffing. Believe me, this is some heavy artillery against the battle of the bulge. Take a breath and think about it for a moment. Doesn’t it make sense? Of course it does. It works because you are creating space and adding some extra insurance to boot. It will be very difficult for that slice of pumpkin pie to compete for that space on your waist. 

The good news is that all of the above happens only once a year. That means you can make plans to counterattack the extra calories before they take away your hard earned results.

I think you’ll agree that these simple strategies will help you stay on track during the holiday season and throughout the year.

All the best, Brian

*Always remember to consult with your doctor or health care provider before beginning this or any other fitness program.

5 Truths For Finding Good Yoga Teachers, Winter Garden Yoga

From the desk of Brian Friedman, Owner/Director of Winter Garden Yoga


Okay- you’ve decided it’s time to “get in shape”. Finally, you’re ready to look better and feel better the sensible way- through nutrition and exercise. Because time and experience has shown you the truth...

Diets don’t work, ab gizmos don’t work and infomercials are a joke.You're finally ready to get real and transform your body once and for all. You’ve heard the amazing success stories, watched many a late night episode of “The Biggest Loser”, read about Hollywood's secret weight loss weapon...

And have decided to seek out the guidance of a yoga instructor.

But not all yoga instructors are created equal, so how do you find the right yoga instructor for YOU?

1. They must be qualified to teach.

It is easy to become certified in anything these days. A few dollars and a few days of training doesn’t make someone an expert. Look for a qualified instructor who has years of teaching experience under their belts.

There is a big difference between a “certified instructor” and a “qualified professional”.

2. They should do more than just “take you through a class.”

A top quality yoga instructor does more than just “take you through a class”.

Anyone can tell you what to do.

Look for an instructor who will educate you about all the components necessary to achieve optimal health and a fitness result. Your teacher should review breathing, good posture, alignment, movement, and strength versus flexibility.

Goal setting, putting together a plan of action, and then holding you accountable and supporting you through the entire process is absolutely critical to your success.

High quality is the clearest distinction between the  teachers at Winter Garden Yoga and the other, ordinary yoga studios.

3. Ask for Proof of Results.

A top yoga instructor should be able to do more than just talk about results- they should be able to prove they deliver. Ask for proof of client results. Do they have before & after photos of clients, testimonials, references? Can you speak with a client to inquire about their experience working with them? If a yoga instructor can’t offer this kind of concrete proof than be careful.

4. Ask for a Guarantee.

According to a Consumer Reports study there is more dissatisfaction in the health industry than any other industry. That’s crazy. Think about it- if you took your car to a mechanic you’d expect it to be fixed- not come back with 2 or 3 pings and a loose belt!

Working with a yoga instructor should be the same as any other industry. If they aren’t willing to guarantee your results, then find someone who will. Spending your time and energy without a guarantee of results is like going to that terrible mechanic!

Don’t waste your money or more importantly your time working with someone who can’t offer an iron clad guarantee of your success.

5. Look for someone who will empower you for life!

A great yoga instructor will do more than just help you to achieve your goals. A true professional will teach you the foundation of knowledge so you will no longer be lost in the “sea of confusion” when it comes to all the yoga, diet, and exercise hype.

The foundation of knowledge and the correct technique you’ll learn should allow you to maintain your results for life!

I'm inviting you to put us to the test. Contact us or give us a call at 407-579-9889 for a free, no obligation consultation ($87 value) to find a package plan that is perfect for you.

Winter Garden Yoga is a world renowned yoga studio recognized for providing a unique form of functional yoga instruction (TM) that gives you a toned, pain-free body that leaves you feeling great whether you’re currently flexible or not.

Unlike ordinary yoga studios with packed classes that over stretch and leave you feeling lost in the crowd, our services focus on strength, mobility, and nutrition all wrapped up into a caring, supportive, family-like environment you’ll call home.

Either You Got It Or You Ain't, Grit

From the desk of Brian Friedman, Owner/Director of Winter Garden Yoga.

Unlike other yoga studios, Winter Garden Yoga has core values that we live by. This list is not open to discussion. All of our instructors -including me- are held accountable to them. You could say that our studio is fueled by this potent list.

One of these powerful core values is expertise. We are all encouraged to keep up to date with the latest trends in yoga and health and wellness. More importantly, we're encouraged to sift out the untested or inferior tendencies and to focus on the stuff that works. As an added benefit to maintaining a high level of expertise, I get to check out inspirational speakers. One of which was Joe De Sena, author of  the in-your-face book Spartan Up and the creator of the Spartan Race.

When Joe was on stage, he spoke about grit and how the overall lack of grit in our culture inspired him to create the Spartan Race and gave rise to the Spartan culture.

Grit has been defined as courage, resolve, and strength of character.

Author and creator of The Spartan Race, Joe De Sena knows about grit.

It was an inspirational talk that got me fired up. I was fortunate enough to catch him in the hallway to have a brief discussion about grit. Are you born with it? Can it be developed? Do some people just not have it?

His answer surprised me. Joe said by and large everyone's got grit, it's just a matter of finding what will bring it to the surface. De Sena also said that there are little things we can do everyday to develop grit. He mentions several of these strategies in his 5-Star book, and I definitely encourage you to read it for yourself. But, if you're like me, you'd probably like a little sneak peek right now.

Without further ado, I'd like to offer 3 of my own specially selected tips to develop grit...

1. Wake up. Don't hit the snooze button. Get up and get out of bed as soon as the alarm clock goes off in the morning. It's easy to lie in bed for another 9 minutes, but grit is not about easy. Show some resolve and get your day started without delay.
2. Don't eat. Well, at least don't eat until you've earned it. And how you earn it is up to you. Personally, I don't eat until I've either taken a 10, 000 step walk, done my yoga, or lifted my weights.  Sometimes that may be 6 to 8 hours after I've started my day. You may want to run this one by your doctor. But all things being equal, most of us are overfed and under worked and we take our meals (and pretty much everything else for granted). When you earn your meal, you appreciate it that much more. Have the courage to apply this to as many situations as you can in life.
3. Be quiet. When was the last time you sat in complete silence? Even for just 5 minutes? Turn off your phone. Turn off the TV. Step away from your tablet and just be quiet for 5 minutes. Sitting in silence is a very subtle way of building your grit. By building the strength to ignore the senseless urges to check your email, you gradually learn to distinguish what is truly important and what is not. You learn to rise above and come out as the victor. Ultimately, you get control back into your life by overcoming arbitrary desires. 

Bonus Tip:

Stick to your commitments. I am inspired, every day, by the amazing VIPs of Winter Garden Yoga. These astounding people have grit. It's easy to say, "yeah, I'll come to yoga twice a week and stick to a healthy diet," talking doesn't exhibit strength... but doing does!

I think of Karen who makes it to the studio at least twice a week. Did I mention she only has one leg?

Karen has grit. She doesn't let anything stop her from her commitments.

I think of Kim who had basically given up hope, but stuck to her commitment, is down 30 pounds, and is on her fourth set of yoga clothes!

Kim has grit. She could have easily given up because of a stressful job, but she didn't.

I think of Cher who finally gained back her confidence and has kept it for over a year!

Cher has grit. She stayed faithful to herself and her goals and it paid off... and it still is!

I think of each and every one of our incredible VIPs because they have grit!

I am calling you to the carpet (in a kind and loving, yogic way): practice these 4 powerful steps to developing courage, resolve, and strength of character, also known as grit. Let me know how your life has changed -for the better- after practicing these simple steps.

Winter Garden Yoga is a world renowned yoga studio recognized for providing a unique form of functional yoga instruction (TM) that gives you a toned, pain-free body that leaves you feeling great whether you’re currently flexible or not.

Unlike ordinary yoga studios with packed classes that over stretch and leave you feeling lost in the crowd, our services focus on strength, mobility, and nutrition all wrapped up into a caring, supportive, family-like environment you’ll call home.

Contact us or give us a call at 407-579-9889 for a free, no obligation consultation ($87 value) to find a package plan that is perfect for you.

Are You Crazy? Running Hurts!, Yoga

From the desk of Brian Friedman/Owner of Winter Garden Yoga

Each month Winter Garden Yoga features an amazing VIP who has achieved incredible results with our guaranteed methods. We call this feature: Winter Garden Yoga's Client of the Month.

Nominees share their inspirational stories (in their own words) and their photographs to motivate others to break old, destructive habits and to rise higher than they ever thought before.

This month we are proud to share Janie's marvelous story. What did Janie do to get rid of her achy joints? What did Janie do to dump her muffin top? What was Janie's best decision of 2014?

These answers and much, much more will be revealed in Janie's amazing and inspirational story.

Read on...

"As I get ready to run my first 5K in 30 years, I think back on how I got to this point of even considering it. If you had asked me 10 months ago if I would ever run again, my response would have been- 'Are you crazy? Running hurts! ... and so my story begins.

"I had been active all my life and especially enjoyed running until the responsibilities of raising a family and eventually being a single working mom put my needs at the bottom of my priority list. I did a great job of remaining sedentary for years. I kept telling myself I would exercise again and that I'll start tomorrow. 

"Tomorrow... tomorrow... tomorrow...

"I was even sick of listening to myself saying that same word over and over in my head. Simply put, I wasn't getting any younger. Every morning my painful joints, my extra weight, and my muffin top reminded me of the effects of menopause. I knew I had to take action.

Winter Garden Yoga helped Janie change her lifestyle. She just completed her first 5K in 30 years!

"I decided to join Winter Garden Yoga initially not knowing a thing about yoga but the schedule was convenient for me and I liked the variety of classes offered. After the first consultation, I thought, 'ok... it's now or never!'

"It was the best decision of 2014!

"What I probably found the most helpful was the personal goal setting. Honestly I was a little overwhelmed at first thinking I can't exercise 3-4 times a week and do 2 classes of yoga and so I tweaked my goals to not weekly but daily. Baby steps I called it. I remember Brian saying, 'JUST MOVE' and so that stuck in my head. It became a mantra. 

"As soon as I got home from work I changed into my running shoes, knowing that if I didn't then tomorrow would win. I first started running around my kitchen/dining room while my daughter timed me for 20 second intervals. I eventually moved it to running down the street and back, then half way around the block, then the entire block and as of today I'm going twice around the block...just about 5K. 

"My daughter asked me to join her to run in a 5K event and I said, 'Yes, why not? I'm confident that it is something I can do.' Wow! Who would ever thought I'd be saying that at the age of 56 after not running for almost 30 years? 

"I met my initial goal of losing 5 pounds but that isn't even important anymore. I stopped worrying about numbers. It's how I feel. Yes my clothes feel better now but more importantly I feel strong. Perhaps it's because I'm moving better thanks to the yoga classes. 

"Being a pediatric speech pathologist, I sit most of my day on the floor to play. I can now get up and down faster than the kids and the pain is gone in my knees and back. Thanks, WGY for helping me to change my lifestyle but also for encouraging me during each class to maintain a healthier life. 

"The fact that I never felt intimidated by the instructors or clients and especially the attitude of truly caring and accepting where you are in this journey to get healthy, is what keeps me coming back."

Winter Garden Yoga is a world renowned yoga studio recognized for providing a unique form of functional yoga instruction (TM) that gives you a toned, pain-free body that leaves you feeling great whether you’re currently flexible or not.

Unlike ordinary yoga studios with packed classes that over stretch and leave you feeling lost in the crowd, our services focus on strength, mobility, and nutrition all wrapped up into a caring, supportive, family-like environment you’ll call home.

Contact us or give us a call at 407-579-9889 for a free, no obligation consultation ($87 value) to find a package plan that is perfect for you.