Invigorated!

I am feeling so invigorated being back into the "teaching routine"! Tonight I taught my first Hatha Yoga Flow class at Golds Gym Dr. Phillips and was very happy with how it went. The first class is always the toughest for me and now I feel I can relax more and really let loose.

I also started back at Disney with my Pilates classes for a new eight-week session that is packing them in! I added more classes this time around.

Platinum Dance Academy is also up and running and I taught there yesterday (Pilates and Candlelight Yoga). The studio is so new it smells like brand new carpet and paint! Love those smells.

I am back at the Artisan Clubhouse in the most beautiful room in the county!

I am back on the Spinning bike at Celebration Health tomorrow as well.

Many more classes at many different locations and facilities (Golds Gym, Montessori School, Celebration School, etc ect)...life just keeps getting more interesting. I say it a lot but I love the work that I do!!!!

That is all...

Sean

Back in Florida!

I am officially back in Florida and begin teaching Group Fitness classes again tomorrow!

Be careful...if you attend any of my many classes you will leave feeling and looking better!

You have been warned...!

Sean Vigue

Flying back to Florida!

Hello my friends,

I will be flying back to Central Florida tomorrow after an amazing and relaxing vacation in Wisconsin with my family. The weather has been absolutely perfect (clear nights, full moon, slight breeze) so the summer humidity in Florida is going to hit me like a brick when I get off the plane.

I am soooo excited for the many new classes that have been added to my busy schedule and look forward to working with current and future clients. This business is truly a blessing as it allows me to come in contact with thousands of people and work directly with them for amazing results. Every class is a new adventure with endless possibilities!

Anyways...here's to an inspiring second half of 2008!! See you in class!

Sean Vigue

Caring for yourself

Here are a few excellent quotes I have read on my vacation:

"It is the mind itself which builds the body."
-Friedrich von Schiller

"Pilates has quietly survived all the various fitness trends."
-Washington Post

"Not mind or body but mind and body!"
-Joseph Pilates

"He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened."
-Lao-Tzu

Have a nice week my friends and always remember: how you treat your body is your choice!

Sean Vigue

New Yoga class at Golds Gym Dr. Phillips!

Starting Tuesday (and every Tuesday after that), June 24th at 7:30 pm I will be instructing a flow Yoga class at Golds Gym Dr. Phillips. You will work up a sweat and leave feeling refreshed and invigorated. I am very excited to teach Yoga at this excellent facility as it is the number one Golds Gym in all five of the southeast states and has a huge enrollment.

I have been teaching Pilates Matwork on Tuesday (10:30 am) and Friday (10:30 am) at this Golds for almost a year now with great success and look forward to teaching a Yoga class that the members will find physically, mentally, and spiritually rewarding.

Time for dinner!

Sean Vigue
svigue@Mr-Fitness.org

Mr. Fitness is on vacation!

I will be on vacation from teaching all my classes until the week of June 16th! Thus one half of my Fitness Year is over with over 325 group fitness classes taught all over Central Florida since January. The number of classes I have taught in the last two years is over 2000. What a year so far!

When I return I will be adding classes to new and exciting locations so stay tuned! I am joining Platinum Dance Academy, adding more classes at Disney and will be teaching at a couple very prestigious studios around Orlando.

See you all very soon!

Sean Vigue
svigue@mr-fitness.org

PS I will still be blogging while I am on vacation so check back.

Thanks for all your support!

Hello my friends,

As I prepare to take my first vacation since Christmas and recharge my batteries I look back at the first half of 2008 with total happiness! My opportunities to work with people and give them the tools to improve their physical, mental and spiritual selves continues to grow with each passing day. This is truly an amazing business to be a part of and I am learning more with every single day...with every single class...with every single person.

Since January, 2008 I have taught over 325 top-notch Group Fitness classes to thousands of people all ages, sizes, and fitness levels all over central Florida. These classes include Pilates Matwork, Hatha Yoga, Yogalates (fusion of Yoga and Pilates), and Spinning/Indoor Cycling. I teach these classes in a vast variety of locations including health clubs, businesses, schools, private homes, resorts, studios, hospitals, and clubhouses. All you need is a mat, a bottle of water, and a desire to change your life!

When I return from vacation I begin teaching at a brand new, state-of-the-art dance academy (Platinum Dance Academy- www.danceatplatinum.com) in Celebration, Florida, am adding more classes to my busy Walt Disney World schedule (I will be there four days a week teaching Pilates), and also am in talks with several studios who cater to sports and fitness professionals about teaching group fitness classes. I am going to begin working with more professional athletes, performers and dancers who need their bodies to be in top shape for their employment.

I wish to thank every client that I have had the honor of instructing thus far in my professional fitness career (Mr. Fitness LLC) and look forward to the infinite, endless and exciting possibilities of the future. This is only the beginning!

As always I am here for you. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Sean R. Vigue
svigue@Mr-Fitness.org

Teaching Yoga for children at Montessori

I just finished my second year as the Yoga instructor for the Montessori School of Celebration, Florida. Time indeed does fly! Every week I teach Kindergarten through seventh grade the many benefits of Yoga and meditation. A stressed-out unfocused child will turn into a stressed-out unfocused adult.

Marsha Wenig wrote in Yoga Journal:

"Children derive enormous benefits from yoga. Physically, it enhances their flexibility, strength, coordination, and body awareness. In addition, their concentration and sense of calmness and relaxation improves. Doing yoga, children exercise, play, connect more deeply with the inner self, and develop an intimate relationship with the natural world that surrounds them. Yoga brings that marvelous inner light that all children have to the surface."

The children really keep me on my toes and everyday is a learning experience. The most difficult part of teaching yoga to younger children is letting them know it is fine to just relax...to be...to let go of the day. The concepts start to form and they begin to understand after several classes. Yoga is a huge departure from the energies of their days. I would have benefited greatly from Yoga when I was in grade school because there were many times when my focus wained. One of the most common comments on my report cards was that "Sean does not use time wisely". So shameful (-:

Many parents have shared wonderful stories with me about their children teaching them different parts of yoga...from relaxing breathing to the famous Tree balance pose. Anyone will benefit from practicing yoga on a weekly basis...young and old alike.

Sean

Candlelight Yoga at Platinum Dance Academy

Here is the press release for my brand new Candlelight Yoga class at The Platinum Dance Academy in Celebration, Florida:

Looking for ways to unburden some of the stress in your life? Then come join us at Platinum Dance Academy this summer for Candlelight Yoga with Sean Vigue (www.mr-fitness.org). Practice gentle yoga in the soft glow of candlelight to relax the body and soothe the soul. Beginners Welcome!

You'll unwind and drain your tension away with this soothing, restorative yoga program designed for all fitness levels and body types. Melt anxiety into tranquility with yoga postures specifically chosen to release tension, increase strength, improve balance, and enhance flexibility. You’ll leave feeling recharged and ready for a restful night and busy week to come. All you need is a mat and a bottle of water.

Beginning Monday, June 23rd the class will be held for six weeks on Monday evenings 7:30pm-8:30pm. Space is limited, and registration is on a first come – first served basis. Be sure to register early to ensure your space in class. The pre-paid classes will cost $85 for the six week session. Space permitting, the drop in rate is $15.00/class.

For more information go to www.danceatplatinum.com

Bringing in Disney performers and more!

The Platinum Dance Academy in Celebration, Florida (where I will be teaching Pilates and Candlelight Yoga) will be attracting many professional performers from Walt Disney World and the surrounding areas. The level of dance, Pilates and Yoga instruction will be top notch and the facilities will dazzle all ages and talents. Construction has been moving along ahead of schedule and the plan is to open in the next 2 weeks! I will start teaching my Pilates and Yoga classes the week of June 23rd.

To stay current on the exciting happenings with Platinum Dance check out the website at www.danceatplatinum.com

We expect an outstanding future in Central Florida!

Sean Vigue

Noodle Salad

Love this quote from the movie As Good As It Gets...

Carol Connelly: OK, we all have these terrible stories to get over, and you-...
Melvin Udall: It's not true. Some have great stories, pretty stories that take place at lakes with boats and friends and noodle salad. Just no one in this car. But, a lot of people, that's their story. Good times, noodle salad. What makes it so hard is not that you had it bad, but that you're that pissed that so many others had it good.

This movie came out 10 years ago. I remember seeing it in Wichita while I was doing a production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at a professional theater in town. It was the first time I ever went to a movie by myself and I loved it!

Just thought I would share...

Getting ready to head to Disney to teach Pilates...

The power of the mind in exercise

"The mind, when housed within a healthful body, possesses a glorious sense of power."

-Joseph Pilates, letter to clients, 1939

The mind is always in control of your body in every single endeavor we do. In my classes I tell people to visualize the movement first and then translate it to your body and perform it exactly the way you saw it. Pilates not only strengthens and tones your body but also does the same for your mind. The mind becomes sharp and focused. The more focus we posses the more we enjoy and savor our lives....paying attention to the beautiful moment that is upon us. I like the term "intense focus". Our focus determines the reality that we are all meant to find in our everyday lives. Only by staying focused can we truly find the joy of the moment.

Pilates is a natural high. That high is always inside of us and can be brought out and savored.

Thoughts on Teaching

I pattern my classes like a dramatic piece of theater. In every theatrical production you have the overture, the setting, the dramatic action that pushes the story forward, the falling action and finally the resolution. People leave the show feeling content and happy. If this structure is changed then everything falls.

My classes are structured with the same thoughts in mind. We begin with a warm-up, move into the exercises or poses, (they build and develop as we move further into the class) the big, power moves finish off the exercises, and then we move into the cool down (stretching and releasing tension that we built up during the class). People leave my class feeling content and happy.

All of my classes (Pilates, yoga, yogalates, Spinning, chair yoga etc.) follow this dramatic arc. it ensures that every sequence has a purpose and they all connect together. Nothing happens by "chance" in my classes. There is a natural flow that your mind/body/spirit adheres to. Every class I teach improves how I "deliver" the product. Even after teaching a few thousand classes I am still learning from each and every one.

I have taken classes where there is no flow to the class. It is painful to me. If people come together for a group fitness class and the instructor drops the ball it is such a waste of time and spirit. I work very hard to ensure that EVERY class has it's own feel and personality. We come together to make our lives better (even extraordinary) in group fitness. To think any less would be a shame.

Sean Vigue

What will Pilates do for me? Let me tell you...

• Improve strength, flexibility and balance.
• Tone and build long, lean muscles without adding bulk.
• Improve circulation.
• Offer relief from back pain and joint stress.
• Engage the mind and enhance body awareness.
• Reduce stress, relieve tension, boost energy through deep stretching.
• Restore postural alignment and create a stronger, more flexible spine.
• Improve the way your body looks and feels.

These are just a few of the benefits. I teach Pilates Matwork more then any other class and they are by far the most popular. All you need is a mat, a bottle of water and the possibilities for improving your physical, mental and spiritual health are endless. Also without weights and machines you can make proper adjustments in a blink of the eye to suit your individual needs. It is just you and the mat.

When I teach yoga to my students at The Montessori School I refer to their mat as their "island". It is all their's and there is no limit to what they can accomplish when they are on their own, personal island.

Contact me to learn more about Pilates Matwork and why millions more Americans practice it each year.

Sean

Sean appearing at Platinum Dance Academy!

The Platinum Dance Academy will be opening in the middle of May in Celebration and I will begin teaching Pilates and yoga there the third week of June! I am going on vacation the first 2 weeks of June so it will give me plenty of time to rest up to hit the ground running! Platinum Dance will be offering TONS of children and adult classes of all shapes and forms. The classes will be "pay as you go" or buy a large number up front for a discount. Contact the Academy to get all the details. This is a VERY exciting opportunity for all of us!

My schedule beginning June 23rd (we may add more classes depending on the interest...which I hope will be HUGE!):

Monday
Pilates noon-1 pm
yoga 7:15-8:15 pm

Wednesday
Pilates noon-1 pm

To contact Platinum Dance Academy:

29 Blake Blvd. #106
Celebration, FL 34747
(321)939-1793
www.danceatplatinum.com

Off to plan for my exciting classes this weekend!!

Sean

Guestbook is up and running!

My guestbook is up and running again thanks to my web-master Richard. Excellent! Feel free to sign it on your way out...

Pilates classes for Walt Disney World

As many of you know I am THE Pilates instructor for all of Walt Disney World Florida property and I work through Cast Activities. I have taught at Team Disney, Animal Kingdom Cast Services and have been teaching for the last year-and-a-half at the Feature Animation building in Disney's Hollywood Studios. I just taught my 150th Pilates class at this excellent facility and could not be more excited with how the classes have been going. Cast Members sign-up for eight-week sessions with me through the Cast Portal/Hub and these classes run several times during the week. I am very pleased that so many Cast Members keep coming back for more of these dynamic and invigorating classes that end their day at Disney. Each class ranges from 10-20 people and hundreds have attended at F.A. We are in discussions about adding even more classes at Feature Animation because of the huge interest that has been generated. We will keep packin' em' in our studio!!

So thanks to all who have attended my classes and the best is yet to come!

Sean Vigue

"I am 50 years ahead of my time."
-Joseph Pilates

Love it!!!

I love what I do!!!!!!

That is all...

Sundays off!

The only day during the week that I don't teach classes is Sunday. It is my official day off! I was looking forward to going for a looooong bike ride all week and it is RAINING! I think I may go out anyways and bike so fast I avoid the rain drops. It can be done. Two years ago I was biking on a wooded trail in town while it was raining and the bike shot out from underneath me. I was upset because my rim was all bent up...but I still rode it all the way home. That wasn't the most exciting story was it?

Anyways...off I go!!!

Sean Vigue

Sean will be teaching at Platinum Dance Academy in Celebration!

Well the Dance Experience in Celebration, Florida is history and I am very grateful for the hundreds of classes and clients I experienced there. There is a wonderful new dance studio opening in Celebration in early June that promises to be a state-of-the-art facility and destination for dance, Pilates and yoga! It is called Platinum Dance Academy and I will be teaching my world class Pilates and yoga classes there starting in the middle of June. An official schedule has not been created yet but it is in the works and I will make it available to everyone as soon as I know. Here is their info:

Platinum Dance Academy
29 Blake Blvd. #106
Celebration, FL 34747
(321)939-1793
www.danceatPlatinum.com

Contact them now before the classes fill-up! I am very pleased to join this top-notch academy!

Sean Vigue
www.Mr-Fitness.org
"Trainer to Thousands!"