Embracing Mistakes

There are no mistakes in life, just lessons. If you learn to accept mistakes, opportunities in life, and shortcomings, then you feel less stressful and fearful. If you do something wrong, you may get angry with yourself as most of us have a habit of beating ourselves up. Mistakes are gifts. We get to explore areas where we are deficient, need additional knowledge or training, or re-evaluate the approach. When something goes wrong, whether in your relationships, career, business, workout, or diet, there are ways to manage it, move on from it, and grow stronger in the process.

“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” -Albert Einstein

Here are 10 ways to help manage your mindset when you feel like you’ve made some mistakes in life. Remember, NWMethod, is all about perception and resetting your mindset to re-focus you. The mind is connected to the body and any physical manifestation is always rooted in the mind first.

Be open to making mistakes: accept that you are human. Making mistakes is a part of experience. When you are open to making mistakes, you will progress faster. It’s usually in the failure, where the improvements can be made.

1. Be aware. Look for areas of improvement, be aware of what you are doing and how you feel, how you make others feel. Seek betterment.

2. Accept full responsibility for yourself and your life. Whatever happens, whenever you make a mistake or are involved in a misunderstanding, take responsibility. When you accept full responsibility for yourself, you can accept responsibility for making things right. If something was done poorly, you can fix it.

3. The first time you try something won’t be perfect. Ask yourself why it didn’t work the first time. Learn what went wrong, then apply the change to your next try.

4. The solution is in the mistake: typically you will fail the first time. It is a test to see if you learned something. The growth happens when you apply it to your next go around.

5. If it was meant to be, then it will be. So often we are hung up on our mistakes that we think that was supposed to happen; but it wasn’t supposed to happen that way. Something bigger and better is around the corner waiting for you.

6. Mistakes humble you. They keep you grounded and keep your ego in check. Make it ok to make mistakes, your work ethic will thank you.

7. Without mistakes, there is no wisdom. Mistakes allow you to put your wisdom to use and give real advice. Wisdom comes from experience and mistakes, not pages and articles. Mistakes give us insight into our habits of thinking, behaving, and adjusting. Mistakes add meaning, color, and texture to our lives.

8. Taking on challenges build strength. No person in a position of success and power have not failed. They were willing to forget their own path to find the answer. Whatever challenges you are going through - with your body, diet, relationships, business, know that everyday requires practice. When you commit, you will always succeed. Stay committed.

9. Embrace messy learning. Success is non-linear and it’s a constant transformational journey for all of us.

“Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” - Samuel Beckett

Life is a journey. What is most important in your journey is your mind. When you learn, understand, and commit to your growth - each mistake and failure will be considered a gem. If you need 1:1 support and are interested in working with a coach, click the NW 1:1 Coaching Link to work with me. I am here for you and look forward to helping you on your journey to loving yourself deeper and deeper each day.

Love, NW <3

Throw Out Your Scale: 3 Other Ways You Can Measure Your Fitness Progress

Some fitness advice would have you believe that scales are the holy grail of progress measurement, but we’re here to tell you that that’s not the case!

Contrary to popular belief, scales aren’t the best way to measure all your hard work and ensure progress. In fact, they can go as far as making you feel discouraged and part of why you give up. The numbers you see on the scale can indicate a variety of things. From water retention to muscle loss, your scales make it hard to see the bigger picture, something which is essential in our quests to be the healthiest versions of ourselves possible. All that should matter is that you’re healthy and happy in your own skin. To achieve these goals, there are much better ways to measure your progress than by using scales, and we’re going to tell you three of our favourites!

Take Progress Pictures

We all have days when we don't feel our best when it seems like putting on a smile and taking a picture of our bodies is the last thing we want to do. But trust us when we tell you it will be so worth it in the end. If you choose to implement this into your routine, you won’t regret it. There’s nothing more powerful than a visual aid and with this method, whether you stay consistent with it or not, you’ll be able to see a difference between two pictures side by side in a way which provides more clarity than your scale ever would.

Retesting Your Personal Bests

Whatever your favorite form of exercise is, it gets easier over time. With consistency and practice, you’ll be able to smash your own personal records over and over. When you’ve advanced past a previous best, after a period of time of your choice, we encourage you to revisit it and try again. By trying your old personal best a little while after moving on from it, you’re able to feel exactly how much easier it is to perform the movement, and how much stronger you have become. We would be hard-pressed to find something more empowering than feeling yourself growing stronger!

Use A Tape Measure

Remember what we’re about to tell you like it's the gospel. You will lose inches more than pounds. Everyone is different, of course, and everyone’s bodies are different. But as a general observation, if you’re combining strength training with cardio, you will build muscle whilst losing fat. A pound of muscle is less voluminous than a pound of fat, and so even though it weighs the same, it takes up much less space when built on your body. In doing so, you will lose more inches than pounds. 

There you have it, three reasons to throw out your scales, and three ways to measure your progress in a way which will do wonders to empower you and inspire you to keep pushing yourself to achieve the most you possibly can. 

Why I Believe NW Church is the Best Fitness App for Women

If you are looking for a way to take control of your fitness journey and make the best choices for the best possible results, NW Church is your saving grace.

Whether you’re just starting out on your fitness journey, or looking to connect to your chakras deeper, NW Church is the app for you. Taking care of your mind, body and soul is absolutely imperative whilst working to be the best version of yourself possible. Without taking care of your mind and soul, you will never be able to truly appreciate and thank yourself for the progress you were able to make with your physical strength and physique. NW Method is a world renowned fitness experience that offers the best health programs in the world. 

It takes hard work and a whole lot of sweat to sculpt the body you want. It’s difficult, and we aren’t doing ourselves a favor by not taking the time to honour and thank ourselves for it. 

With NW Church, you’re provided with a vast library of over 250 hours of video content tailored to every sphere of your being. Each NW Method workout is filled with constant affirmations and empowerment to have your mind, body and soul defined with positive energy encouraging you towards your fitness goals.

Aside from the physical aspect of fitness, NW Church also takes into account the importance of your spirituality. The sections are separated into 7 different sections, targeting each of the chakras. The chakra system is the energy center of your body. Each section is formatted to open the corresponding chakra and bring balance to your body. With routines specially tailored to each individual core chakra, tutoring you in the correct methods of opening, unblocking and aligning your chakras. In doing so, you open yourself up to self-exploration, providing you with the opportunity to better understand yourself.

Whether you are a beginner or advanced…

The best place to start your journey is the “6 Week Master Class Week 1”. I breakdown each move for you and also teach you about your chakras. The programs includes a schedule mapped out to easily follow along. 

If you want shorter, targeted workouts…

Head on over to “Spot Treatments” This section was created to target the biggest problem areas in the body and to fit your time constraints. With workout options ranging from 10 to 45 minutes, getting a quick workout in will be an excuse from the past!

If you are ready to challenge yourself… 

Check out my “Transformation Nation” program that was featured in the E! Show “Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian”! I took both of my clients through this 12 week journey and they each lost over 50 POUNDS!! Complete each program 6x a week with one rest day.

If you want to pick and choose your programs..

You have a range of other categories to choose from! Each signature workout has minimal vocal cueing to let you focus on the instincts of your body to guide you. I recommend working out 5-6 times a week to build a new habit. There are many different levels in class so you can see that NW Method is for every “body”. I will be with you, coaching and supporting you every step of the way. 

Finally, NW Church doesn’t forget to spend time on the mind! A host of guided meditation routines are available on the app, with mindfulness cues peppered in throughout all the exercises. Meditation before or after a physical workout has been proven to have incredibly positive effects both on the mind and body. Consistency is key, and if you implement our meditation tips into your routine, we guarantee you’ll see far better results in all aspects of your fitness.

In mind, body and soul you deserve the best. There is nothing you should put before your wellbeing, for it's only when you are at peace with yourself that you can extend your help to those around you who need it. Do yourself a favour, and make one of the best decisions you’ll make for a long time, by choosing to place your trust in the NW Church app, and wait for the results to blow you away.

Try This 20 Minute Home Workout to Improve Body and Mind

Your success depends on the amount of quality time you spend on your body: how you think about it, what you feed it, and how you move it.  Your body is the physical vessel that helps you grow your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.  How much quality time do you have to spend on your physical fitness?  With time as one of our most valuable resources, it can be challenging to know how much time to spend on our bodies. Problem no more. Enter this NW Method 20-minute workout you can do at home when you are short on time or just need a quick sweat!

The NW Method focuses on high repetition movement. This style of exercise induces muscle memory using the body in a 360 degree to hit all angles, release all seven chakras (our primary energy centers in the body), and achieve steady-state cardio to accomplish both cardio and fat burn.  At the start of the NW 20 minute workout, we start with specific arm movements that tighten and tone the area where we get “bra fat.”  Since we are constantly in forward motion, these muscles are the most neglected area of the body.  Working our arms at the start of the workout brings fresh oxygen to our bodies and hearts.  During the middle of the workout, we start to target full-body problem areas.  A major problem area is the saddlebag area, caused by too much sitting all day.  Adding specific movements in high repetition allows us to tone this area and balance the lower body.  At the end of the NW 20 min workout, we have a short dance section that will enable you to connect all your muscles and provide freedom of movement.  Our bodies need to feel alive and connected, and what better way to do that other than dance?!  

Here are three moves that target those problem areas in just 20 minutes:

1. PEEK-A-BOO

The peek-a-boo is an NW Method favorite and we believe the arms energize the entire body - we are energizing the entire body - pumping blood to the body, pumping fresh oxygen through the body - We over use our major muscle groups - The purpose in the arms section is to sculpt around the arms 

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2. Side Kicks

In the full-body section, the “Side Kicks” target the saddlebag region.  When we sit all day, our bodies are not using the muscles that keep our butts lifted and perky.  During this 20 minute workout, we are hyper-focused on this region as humans tend to sit 80% of the day.

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3. Dance Cardio

We pick fun moves in the dance section that get our energy flowing and our full body feeling free.  There is nothing worse than feeling constricted by tight, rigid movements!

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Here are 7 reasons why exercising at least 20 minutes a day is good for you:

1. Highly beneficial in your overall health, lowering the risk of diabetes, cancer, and other chronic diseases.
The stronger your body is, the stronger your immune system is.  We need a strong immune system to fight off disease, bacteria, and viruses.  When our immune system is healthy, our body can function better.  Exercising 20 minutes a day can seriously strengthen your disease-fighting mechanisms.

2. It keeps you fit.
Whether you want to lose weight or not, 20 minutes a day keeps you fit.  It gets the sweat flowing, brain clear, body flexible, and heart pumping. 

3. You’ll become stronger.
You are what you repeatedly do.  The more you practice a 20-minute workout, six days a week, the stronger you become.  Through muscle memory, your body will learn new ways to move and how to sustain it over time.  Working your muscles keeps you physically fit.  The mental exercise your mind gets also contributes to your mental strength and focus. 

4. Healthy muscles help your body function properly.
When your muscles are hydrated, toned, and balanced, they aid your body in its functioning.  They help you move freely, bring a full range of motion, and assist you in balance, coordination, and internal organ function, such as the movement of food through the digestive system.

5. Exercising 20 minutes causes immediate changes in muscle tissue DNA.
As soon as you start to exercise, you bring more oxygen to your blood and tissues.  The heart begins to pump fresh blood into your body, and your muscles start to work.  Muscles adapt to what you do, and if you don’t “use it”  you “lose it.

6. Boosts mood
Exercising increases endorphins and helps relieve stress.  It enables you to keep from feeling discouraged and beating yourself up for missing a workout.

7. It keeps you consistent.
When you are consistent, you see changes in your behavior, attitude, and mood.  Your body learns through repetition. So if you are focused on your body and exercising 20 minutes per day, it will keep you consistent in your body, mind, and heart.

Twenty-minute workouts go a long way!   The more consistent you are with your time and workouts, the more benefits to your body and spirit. Don’t forget to plan your next 20-minute workout!  Here’s a link to my one of my favorite 20-minute workouts.

Here are my 7 Favorite On Demand Workouts from the NW Church App

Fitness and health can often seem overwhelming. There are always so many options to choose from, with each on demand workout with promising something a little different. Being so overwhelmed with choices, it can be hard to make a decision with regards to which workout is right for you. Luckily for you though, we have got all your bases covered! The following workouts are some of our all-time favourite on demand workouts from the NW Church app. We just know that once you try them you’ll be hooked, and they are sure to soon become some of your favorites too.

1. Believe

Body Focus: legs, hips

What you need: mat and towel 

Length: 64 minutes

Format: toning, dance cardio, choreography

This workout is the first chakra workout in the Workout by Chakra Series. It focuses on the Root Chakra and how our beliefs create the foundation to our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. If you look at the root chakra anatomically, it starts at the root of your spine and connects to your adrenal glands. It manifests physically through the health of your skin, your spine, anything to do with your legs down, your immune system and even the health of your teeth. One major thing associated with the adrenal glands would be your body's natural fight or flight response under stressful situations. Our bodies are the gateway to create new beliefs and that starts with getting your root chakra in balance. I want my congregation to fully commit and believe in every movement they complete. Full commitment and belief creates new energy; new energy to manifest thoughts and feelings into the physical. 

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2. Full Body Fat Burn

Body Focus: full body, waist and legs

What you need: mat and towel

Length: 24 minutes

Format: toning only

This super quick and effective workout will get your body burning and sweating right from the get-go. It works your arms, legs, core, booty and your big beautiful heart, all while fitting into your busy schedule with ease. Fat burn isn’t just about your caloric intake. You need to make sure that you are giving each workout all of your energy because what you put into it is exactly what you will get out of it. This workout is absolutely perfect for those who struggle with finding the time to do something kind for themselves, but also those who want to get a full body sweat sesh on in a little time. Quality over quantity. So when you hit it, give it everything you go every time.

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3. Butt lifter 

Body focus: butt legs skin

What you need: a mat and towel

Length: 60 minutes

Format: toning, dance cardio, choreography

We live in a society that is constantly telling you to GO GO GO. When was the last time you took a moment and asked yourself, “How am I feeling?” This slow-burn, full body program is specially designed to train your body using fluid, circular movements to tone and lift the booty while challenging the mind to let go of expectations. Your glutes are the central to low back and hip strength and need to be focused on to bring balance to the body.  Featuring my most innovative moves like Kicking Clamshell and my personal favorite, Cross into Heaven.  A perkier booty is a perkier mood!

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4. Sex Drive

Body focus: lower abs, hips, inner and outer thighs

What you need: a mat and towel

Length: 56 minutes

Format: toning, dance cardio and choreography

Get ready to feel yourself and truly embrace your sensuality. Own your body! With the moves in this explosive workout, don’t be surprised by how incredibly sexy you feel after just an hour! The NW Method is all about your sensuality and connecting to your second chakra, the Sacral Chakra. The sacral is connected to the diaphragm, psoas, as well as your TFL. Its located in your adrenals and your sex hormones, estrogen and testoterone. With over 20 years of expertise on Chakras, I created the NW Method to incorporate opening the chakras within each section, making the NW Method a truly innovative, groundbreaking fitness lifestyle. 

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5. Transformation Nation Week 6 - Law of Compensation

Body Focus: butt and flexibility

What you need: a mat and towel

Length: 55 minutes

Format: toning and choreography

Every inhalation is accompanied by an active contraction in your lower back which is a contraction that is the exact opposite of the desired forward bend. When you exhale, you release your lower back muscles, which helps guide you deeper into the stretch. What are the things in your life which you are grateful for? Bring those things to the forefront of your mind and hold them there, letting gratitude wash over you every time you inhale and letting those stresses in life go with every exhale. All that we have is represented by the blessings and abundance we receive. The visible effects of our deeds and the positive energy we put out into the universe are given to us in the form of gifts, money, inheritances, friendships and blessings. With this workout, use your body to create something positive and beautiful, while letting each breath increase flexibility. 

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6. Surrender

Body Focus: legs and flexibility

What you need: a mat and towel

Length: 58 minutes

Format: toning and choreography 

Giving up control is hard. People often feel the need to maintain power over every part of their life because they have a hard time setting or maintaining boundaries, or they may have childhood trauma associated with a fear of instability. You may try and control all variables to get rid of uncertainty. Yet, there is a force larger and greater than that of our own. This opens us up to opportunity and greater things that we never thought possible. I want my congregation to release control of their bodies to find the freedom in its free flow. Relinquish control and find freedom.

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7. Responsibility

Body Focus: legs and flexibility

What you need: a mat and towel

Length: 58 minutes

Format: toning, abs and choreography 

People complain about what's not going right in their life. Everything you have, see, and experience, you create. Take responsibility for everything happening in your life that is within your control. You are responsible for your choices and what you decide to think or feel about anything. I want my congregation to realize this power and take responsibility to make the small changes necessary to make a better "them." Making small changes as you realize this power moves you closer to your goals. Make it happen.

The NW Church app is filled with over 250+ hours of workouts to help you fulfill your fitness goals and it’s designed to help you connect with your mind, body and spirit. 

No matter what sort of workout you’re looking for, or how much free time you have on your hands, the NW Method is a workout for every “body.” These incredibly versatile exercises, when incorporated into your routine, will help you refine both your body and soul, allowing you to be the very best version of yourself you can possibly be, and feel better than ever, physically and spiritually. 

What is LISS? Why this New Trend is Great for Beginners?

LISS stands for Low-Intensity Steady State. It encompasses any sort of cardio workout in which you maintain a consistently low-intensity pace for a stretch of time. You don’t need to have access to a gym for your LISS workouts, which makes it incredibly convenient for people who don't have the time, means or desire to get to the gym every time they want to break a sweat.

We know how intimidating it can be to get started on your fitness journey, and there's nothing which will discourage you more than starting off with something too difficult. The NW Method was created to challenge any athlete whether beginner or advanced. If you’re new to working out, LISS is an excellent way to ease yourself into fitness without shocking your system. In my app, you will find a section titled Beginner LISS which will be a great starting point for any beginner with NW Method or working out! 

So it's highly likely that you’ve heard of HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training), but what exactly is the difference between LISS and HIIT? HIIT workouts instruct you to perform quick, explosive bursts of high-intensity cardio, directly followed by a short rest time, before repeating the cycle. This cardio-rest cycle is carried on for 10-15 minutes at a time. In doing so, your heart rate is raised incredibly quickly, owing to the intensity of the exercise. This results in an ‘after-burn’ impact, wherein your body continues burning fat even after your workout has ended. 

LISS presents itself as a sort of antithesis to HIIT. Since it’s low-intensity, it becomes a lot more achievable for those who have no prior fitness experience and is much easier to remain consistent with. In fewer words, it's the perfect workout for beginners! During a NW Method workout, we perform 30 reps, both sides, for each section back to back with no stopping. This is what makes NW Method a game changer because we are keeping that body AND mind constantly focused. 

If the goal you’re trying to achieve includes burning fat, LISS is definitely your friend. Training with lower-intensity increases the amount of oxygen available for your body to utilise. Since fat requires oxygen to be broken down, the more oxygen available to your body, the more fat you’ll burn. 

LISS helps your body metabolise fat, which is something HIIT doesn’t do. 

When easing yourself into your fitness goals, it is important to build up your stamina and strength. Whether you’re totally new to exercising or you’re recovering from an illness or injury, LISS is the workout for every “body.” It’s effective and simple, requires no equipment and doesn’t place excessive strain on your body. And with NW Method all you need is a towel, mat and good attitude! 

By making your LISS something as simple and enjoyable as taking a relaxing walk, you don't need to dread it. If it's something you love, you won't find it difficult to stick with. Just like that, you’ll have cultivated a consistent workout routine for yourself!

Taking this time to consciously shift your lifestyle into a more healthy and active gear while simultaneously defining your muscle memory with high repetition is the essence of LISS cardio. This is what makes it so magical for everyone who tries it, especially beginners!

These Lower Body Glute Exercises Will Tighten, Tone and Firm

Try out these bodyweight exercises to tone and tighten your glutes beyond your wildest imagination.

When I created the NW Method, I focused on targeting three specific areas: behind the arms, waist and the butt. Our bodies are constantly in a forward motion and in habitual movements like working from home. NW focuses on opening the hips to get the blood flowing by energizing and stabilizing the lower limbs with moves like the ones listed below. NW movements were created to ensure balance, flexibility and strength in the glutes and hips. 

My philosophy for toning and growing the glutes is to continually target them and that is EXACTLY what NW Method does. With 30 reps each side, your butt is bound to be on fire at the end. 

We are all currently living in the age of the booty. We’ve all got one, and we all deserve to spend a little time giving it some love. No matter how big or small, we can all appreciate a little toning and firming. After all, all booties matter. Add these seven exercises below to your regular workouts to give your glutes a little kick up the butt and get them into shape!

Attitude Lift and Side Extension 

Stand up straight with your shoulders back, and engage your core. With your starting leg, lift it off the floor backwards and towards the opposite corner, as if drawing out a capital L in the air with your toes. 

Then, extend your leg straight, kicking out in the same direction as the working leg, before lowering it back to the ground. 

This is one completed rep.

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Side Medium Lift

Assume your starting position on your hands and knees, keeping your hands shoulder-width apart, knees hip-width apart and your spine neutral.

Remaining stable on the ground on one knee and the same side arm, reach your other arm behind to hold on to the calf of the starting leg. 

Slowly pulse your leg up and down.

This is one completed rep.

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Diagonal Cross

To begin, assume the same starting position as the previous exercise. Bring your working leg up and bring the opposite elbow down. Return to your starting position.

This is one completed rep.

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Back Tap Releases

Begin with the same starting position as the last exercise. With your starting leg, kick out on the same side at a ninety degree angle. Bring your starting leg back around and tap your foot with the opposite arm’s hand.

Return to your starting position.

This is one completed rep.

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Forearm Fire Hydrant

Assume your starting position, almost the same as the previous exercise except that you lower yourself on to your forearms with hands clasped together. Lift your bent knee to hip-height, straight outwards, then slowly kick backwards. Slowly drop your leg back down to reassume your starting position.

This is one completed rep.

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Plank Pulse and Kickback

Assume your starting position with a simple plank. Kick your starting leg back towards the opposite side. With your starting leg still mid-air, slowly drop your hips until they touch the ground. Without letting your weight rest on the ground, raise yourself into a plank once more. Finally, lower your starting leg to the ground again to resume your starting position.

This is one completed rep.

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Lunge Wrap Push-Up

Assume your starting position of a kneeling lunge. Kick your starting leg backwards whilst simultaneously doing a push-up.

Return to your starting position.

This is one completed rep.

Your glutes will be on FIRE after these intricate yet effective moves. 

You have to give a little in order to receive, and the results you will achieve with this workout, coupled with a bit of consistency, will make all the sore muscles worth it in the end. Set off on your journey to tight and toned glutes, we’re sure everyone behind you will love the view!

Take Your Health and Wellness to the Next Level with NW Fitness

If you’re considering embarking on a fitness journey but don't know where to start, I have you covered! 

Before beginning your journey, it is important to identify the spheres of your being which you’re looking to improve on. It’s safe to say we are all just striving to be happy and content, but it is not really possible to achieve that if we don't give due attention to all facets of our being. By focusing on some and neglecting others, we would be doing ourselves an undeserved disservice. With NW Fitness, you keep this in mind in everything you do. With the NW Method philosophy, I believe that in order to truly improve yourself, we need to focus on the mind, body and soul - which is exactly what my program helps you achieve. 

The NW Method is a dynamic mind-body experience which sculpts your curves, frees your spirit and helps conditions the body and soul to connect with one’s personal power.

NW Fitness was founded by global fitness artist, spiritualist and savvy entrepreneur Nicole Winhoffer. In my endeavour to create an accessible way to optimise all facets of being, a one-of-a-kind program was created. Through choreographed movement and expression, you are encouraged to ignite confidence within yourself, promoting a mind, body and soul connection, all while changing your figure. 

Choreographed to the beat of a specially curated playlist, the immersive 55-minute workouts, through consistency and repetition, target the three areas of the body most often cited as problem areas: behind the arms, the waist, and the buttocks. In addition, NW Fitness incorporates spiritual refinement routines. By learning to surrender your mind, you will see that you find peace within yourself and become content in your existence.

Form a stronger connection with your inner self and spirit. NW Method doesn’t take the importance of spirituality lightly and provides you with routines especially tailored to each one of your chakras and their specific requirements. 

Each week a dedicated workout theme is also shared with the NW Fitness community and is done with the intent for each member to then apply the very same theme into their everyday lives following your class. The NW Method classes can be taken at a variety of locations in New York and Los Angeles, with virtual classes also available and easily accessible on our digital platform and email subscription service, NW Church.

Gone are the days of grinding yourself down to the bone, exhausting yourself in the pursuit of the perfect body from the cover of magazines. With NW Fitness, we prefer to reject the rigidity of scales and measurements, and instead encourage you to simply live. Focus on enjoying your journey with your mind, body and soul, until what you see in the mirror before you, and what you feel in your heart and soul, fills you with joy and pride at all that you have accomplished. 

How to Encourage a Healthy Mindset When Life Gets in the Way

I incorporate mindfulness into all my NW Method sessions to help you work on having a healthy mindset.  It’s easier to do when you’re working out because you have to use your body and mind to perform consecutive movements.  It gets harder IRL because we get bombarded with so many distractions, and our minds have lost a sense of stillness and focus.

Life is challenging and can bring a lot of stress along with it.  We are expected to yield results from our health, career, business, relationships, home, and financial life.  To maintain an ideal, sustainable lifestyle, we must strive to find balance.  Success looks different to all of us, but we are all dealing with stress that comes with life.  It’s how we handle it that matters.  A great way to manage stress and achieve a healthy mindset is through mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. When you are in a flow of mindfulness, your life finds a new balance. This heightened state of awareness and consciousness brings presence into all our lives.  Here are some examples of things that take us away from mindfulness:

1. Not being in the present moment.  

2. Doing one thing with our bodies, but thinking about something else.  

3. Not paying attention to our breath or seeing what is in front of us. 

4. Anxiety about the future or what will happen 

5. Eating foods that are not nutritious. 

These are just a few examples, but we must practice mindfulness to achieve our optimal health. 

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HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO INCLUDE MINDFULNESS IN YOUR LIFE:

1. Body Scan
I love giving this mindfulness tip to my students because it’s easy and quickly brings people to the present moment.  Whenever you are doing an action: brushing your teeth, taking a phone call, listening in on a Zoom, do a body scan.  Start at the tips of your toes and breathe deeply as you trace your body parts from the feet to the top of your head with your mind.  Visualize each body part as you slowly move up your body and keep a mental picture in your mind.  As you observe the mental picture, continue to feel the body part you are holding in your mind’s eye.  Take deep breaths as you check in with each area of the body.  This practice improves mental focus and awareness.

2. “10 Deep Breaths”
Where ever you are, close your eyes and inhale.  As you inhale, expand your waistline and bring the air deep into your abdominals.  Keep breathing in until you can’t take in any more air.  Hold for a couple of seconds, and then exhale the air out through the mouth.  Keep focused on your abdominals’ inhale and exhale as you position your body gently to adjust to your breath.  Your body should be relaxed, soft, and fluid.

3. Dance
Dance is an excellent remedy to move stagnant energy.  If you feel stuck, or out of the moment, turn on your favorite song.  Get up and move around.  Feel your body, listen to the lyrics; let your body run free.  Dance brings presence and mindfulness to the movement.  It allows you to express what’s inside you that can help you move energy.  Sometimes when we are thinking or feeling too much, that energy lies dormant in our body and can stay there as “stuck energy.”  What dancing does, is enables that energy to unlock and transform from the inside out.

4. Chew Your Food
Mindfulness during eating is easy.  While you sit down to eat, bring awareness to your posture and how you are sitting at the table.  Take in the entire energy of everyone sitting with you and, of course, yourself.  Take note of your breath and how you are breathing.  For each bite of food, drop the utensils on the plate, and chew your food thoroughly.  As soon as you swallow the bite-full, take a deep breath and exhale.  Grab your utensils and take your next bite.  Dropping the utensils allows us to pause between our bite-fulls and adequately break down and digest our food.

5. “Free Write”
Writing in the morning allows you to free your mind of thoughts and make room to welcome new ones.  Hopefully, after we sleep, we have had 8 hours of rest and sweet dreams that have activated our subconscious.  In the morning, it’s great to empty our thoughts by journaling.  Journaling keeps us present and mindful as we take to paper the very thoughts and emotions that fill our soul.  It’s important to remember that there is no right way to write.  It is a form of artistic expression and can bring you into the present moment fairly quickly.  Practice free writing in the morning or at any time when you want to add more mindfulness to your day.

The trick is to practice these habits as frequently as possible until a healthy mindset becomes second nature.  You can partake in any activity in your day with a genuinely mindful attitude and keep that practice with you in your life.  It’s essential to take time for yourself and put yourself first!  And remember, the trick is to aim for balance, not perfection.

Fiji Water

Check out my blog post for FIJI

People approach me all the time and ask me:

“How do I get rid of this, how do I get rid of that?”

There is a pattern to the “problem” areas of the female figure: behind the arms, the waist, and the area underneath the glutes.  Challenges from droopy skin, excess fat, untoned muscles, and cellulite run rampant in these 3 points.

What’s also interesting is that the pathways of energy (in the Kundalini System for example) contain 7 chakras that align themselves with different parts of the body.

If I were to align the 3 problem areas of women to the corresponding 3 energy systems on its same level:

1) Back Arm Fat correspond to the Heart Chakra

2) Waist corresponds to the 5th Chakra / Ego

3) Saddle Bag area corresponds to 1st Chakra Root.

If your chakral alignment is off balance, the areas of the body that correspond can also be blocked.

My theory is that women and their 3 problem areas correspond to the blocked chakras that challenge and face our inner strength each and every day.

Our hearts are open, we are giving, comforting creatures.

Our egos represent our self-esteem and our worth.  And in our day and age, when we are faced with so many pressures to look beautiful, to act a certain way, and to dress a certain way… it leads to pressure and sometimes a questioning of who we really are and our role in society.  More so than ever, the woman is independent: both providing and taking care of the home and growing less dependent on a partner.  This can be confusing hormonally as (by nature) there is room for only 1 alpha / 1 beta in a partnership.  Often times, the woman is acting as both!

Our Root Chakra is represented by our territory, our footing on the ground, our worlds.  Women are challenged by speaking their truth whether its at work, professionally, at home, or in a relationship.  Our Root and our relationship with our foundation is extremely important in growing into the person we want to be.

So, for these 3 areas of the body… women can be challenged!  In response, we can have problems with the areas of the body because we are not freed in these three chakras!

Being aware and mindful is the first step.  When you are walking, at the gym, or speaking with a friend, bring awareness to these areas of the body and breathe.  We want to bring energy and life BACK in the areas and achieve our sexy balanced body.

Below are 3 moves you can do to target these problem areas!

1) Ab Pass – Pass alternating in between a wide 2nd position.  Use finger tips to squeeze and activate the arms.  50 reps.

2)  Tricep Fire – On all fours, lift your elbow parallel to ceiling at 90 angle.  Complete 50 reps each arm.

3) Saddle Bag Fire – Choose 2 targets and line them up diagonally from your hip bone.  Lie on your side, bend the bottom leg.  Extend top leg straight and create a half moon from front target to back target.  Complete 50 reps each leg.

LONDON, HERE I COME!

So excited to be in London!!

I will be launching my  NW™ method at Gymbox!

Whats going on while I am there?

Friday: Master Class at Gymbox (Private)

Saturday: Appearance at Adidas by Stella McCartney (Private)

Saturday 3pm: Master Class at Gymbox open to the public, sign up under Train With Me!!

Look forward to seeing all of you in the UK!

ADIDAS GLOBAL AMBASSADOR

Find here the Adidas press release announcing me as their new Global Ambassador!

THE ART OF FITNESS: NET-A-PORTER

I am so excited it is finally here!

Fitness is ART workouts are now LIVE ! Project is finished I created this special online workout for Net-A-Porter and Adidas by Stella McCartney. These workouts are a retrospective of my new work as it comes to life‼

Consciousness
Chakras 
Energy 
Chromotherapy 
Movement 
Art 

Fitness is NOT just physical... You are infinite

To view the workouts and get a taste of the NW™ Method click here.

NW™ METHOD IS NOW AT GYMBOX!

Happy Wednesday!!

I am so excited to announce that the NW™ Method has officially launched at Gymbox!

The class is available 7 times a week, once a week at each Gymbox location.

I am so thrilled that Gymbox is where my program is launching. If you are in the UK go get a taste of the NW™ Method !

Don't forget to hashtag #NWMethod to show me your favorite NW™ move!

Check out the schedule at Gymbox

Love Yourself!

Nicole

CONNECTING WITH YOUR INNER SELF = BETTER BOOTY

Happy Monday Morning !  Even though it's still freezing out, I think the universe is giving us more time to prepare for our bikini bods :-)

I had the opportunity to sit down with Editor in Chief, Tiffany Godoy, of The Reality Show Magazine.  She is a wonderful lady and even hand delivered me a copy after my Friday 9am class !  She spends her time between Paris and China (super chic) and of course knew half of the amazing artists that attend my fitness classes in NYC!

Here is the full interview, where I share the importance of intention, energy, and what lies beyond fact. 

Newsflash: The more you connect with your inner self, the better the booty.  I inspire you to reshape your body and chakras for power house strength and confidence.

Enjoy !!

The Reality Show Magazine

Body Work

By Tiffany Godoy

“The body is a physical representation of your mental and emotional well being.”

Nicole Winhoffer

For Nicole Winhoffer, the fitness industry’s newest power player, sculpting the body, mind, and spirit is key.

We love her for a few other things that set her apart from the pack of body beautiful gurus: her workout fashions outdo any club kid’s look.  Her art fetish inspires her as much as Richard Simmons and Flashdance do. She’s danced on Broadway, and kick ball chained her way to coaching Madonna’s tour dancers to being personal trainer to the eternal goddesses herself.  With a freshly inked deal as adidas global trainer and ambassador for the adidas by Stella McCartney collection, and a new DVD series in the works, Nicole is ready to help target our problem areas, one chakra at a time. She joins us between workouts from her gym in New York City.

Tiffany Godoy: Your focus is on sculpting the mind, body, and spirit- can you describe the "The Winhoffer way to Strength and Beauty"?

Nicole Winhoffer: Women have a lot of responsibilities on this earth.  With the pressures to look good and be successful, I wanted to find a solution that allows us to feel beautiful, strong, calm, powerful all whilst looking good.  My philosophy targets the body, the muscles, the chakras, the skin, the mind, and the spirit.  As everything is connected, I wanted to create a workout that targets the problems areas that I heard all women complaining about and give the permission for women to be powerful  and free from negative thought.  Every woman deserves to feel and look like a goddess.  My philosophy is the solution.

TG: Tell us about your interest in chakras, and how you apply this to your fitness philosophy?

NW: The body is energy.  Each chakra, there are 7 total, focuses on certain areas of the body, mind, and spirit.  If one is blocked, it can cause disease, injury, infection or excess weight.  I noticed that a lot of women have excess weight around the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th chakra.

The 2nd chakra is sensuality and is located at the lower abdominal and hip region.  Women complain of excess fat, untoned abs, and a saggy bottom.  Women need to feel there sensuality and know it is ok to be sexy.  They must open this chakra and feel comfortable in their own skin.  My exercises around this region are targeted to open this chakra and tone these regions of the body.

The third chakra is the ego and self esteem.  It is located in the stomach region.  Women complain of their abdominal fat and often fat is stored there because they might want to "hide" and not be seen.  This area is crucial to my development of the women's body.  Through exercises and working the abdominals in many different ways, women begin to open up and find results in their abs and their life.

The 4th chakra is the heart located around the ribs-front and back.  This is where we block ourselves if we have been disappointed or feeling alone and abandoned.  The mid back is tight, we are unable to twist and rotate and women complain of their under arm fat and "bingo" wings.  I tell my clients to open their hearts, trust, and be love while developing exercises that tone these regions.

My clients see fast results because it is the intention behind the movement that gives them the power and precision to change their bodies and their lives!

TG: How does the mind affect the body, and the body affect the mind when it comes to weight loss, making changes, motivation for clients and for yourself?

NW: They are connected. What the mind believes the body will follow.  What you create in thought will manifest in life.  Yoga, meditation, and mantras are important to society - I agree.  But sometimes to control the mind only can be difficult for some in our fast paced world.  Some need action, motion, movement to feel like they are changing.

This is where I have adopted the philosophy of movement to change the mind.  Physicality can bring change to the mind.  Through specific movements and patterns, the body learns through action and repetition.  I want to re-teach the body and mind to reset old patterns of muscular and thought behaviors.

TG: What would you say is the body ideal people are looking for now?

NW: Of course all women want to be “skinny".  I see a beauty in curves. I like to mold and shape my women into beautiful hourglass shapes: the V shape.  Men need a bit of curves!  My workout follows this shape and aesthetic.  It's fun ! I'm like da Vinci sculpting the female body! My male clients love my workouts too, it makes them look fit. 

TG: What are your daily rituals?

NW: I love rituals.  I am a Scorpio!. I wake up. Meditate for 13 minutes with my tape.  Write down my ideas. Say thank you to the universe. Make my coffee and breakfast. Eat. Put on my gym clothes. Train myself. Answer emails for one hour.  Meet with my assistant. Train my clients. Practice, study, create for 2 hours.  Go to Yoga. Stretch at home.  Take a bath. Mediate before bed.  Write in my journal (I have my best ideas at night time.) and sleep well.

TG: Favorite workout music for pumping up your game at the moment?

NW: Love FKA Twigs “Two Weeks”, KlangRussell “Sonnentanz”, Basement Jaxx “Lights Down Low’”.

TG: Favorite fitness moments in fashion, film, music videos-looking at your instagram I feel a Flashdance vibe?

NW: Haha. Love the 80s!

Janet Jackson “Pleasure Principle” the best video ever.  This is what I feel like when I'm dancing in the studio and practicing on my own!

Janet Jackson - “Control” performance 1988.

Cyd Charisse movies - her legs and feet are epic.

Madonna Confessions on a Dance Floor,  “Sorry” and “Hung Up” tour performances.

Britney Spears’ 2000 VMA performance super amazing.

Mya - “Case of the EX” music video.

Missy Elliot - ‘She's a bitch’ music video.

Aaliyah “Are you that somebody?” music video - I will never forget this.

Flashdance the movie - J'ADORE! 

TG: One thing that sets you apart is your interest in integrating art and fashion with fitness (thank you!), what art, fashion you are interested in?

NW: Feelings and emotions are a huge part of my work.  Fitness is not just "Do this exercise and get this result". My process includes the idea and creativity behind it.  I gain my inspirations from fashion TV film music icons art and anything that moves me.

Salvador Dali, Alfred Hitchcock, Jeff Koons, Marilyn Minter are a bunch of artists that I love and that move my work.  Art imitates life.

 TG: The fitness industry may have more trends and it-body designers than fashion, what fitness videos, or fitness "gurus" have inspired you we are partial to the old Cindy Crawford videos…

NW: I owned every fitness video as a child. Billy Blanks Tae Boe, Kathy Ireland, Cindy Crawford, 8 Minute Abs, Richard Simmons, Jane Fonda. I did them all in my basement as a chile !

 TG: Do you think that in these times of intense stress people are using exercise to fuel a potential stress addiction- to harden with armor, rather than to escape and get in touch with the inside?

NW: I believe that people need something to turn off their minds.  The American way is to go go go - to work hard, take no vacation, and achieve the dream.  Having a grueling workout allows one of shut off their mind, focus in the NOW, and release the stress through physical activity.  This is what I create for my clients as well.  When you suffer in the room or are faced with challenges, it dictates how you will handle your life outside the studio.

 TG: A new gym in New York, a new series of DVD's, and of course the new gig as an adidas global trainer and ambassador for adidas by Stella McCartney, basically you are on fire! Other ambitions?

NW: I have so much I want to do. And new projects are always coming up as well. Among others, I’m now working closely together with adidas. It is so exciting! I’m an adidas global trainer and ambassador for the adidas by Stella McCartney collection. So I’ll be involved in creating unique training sessions, testing product as well as attending events for the brand, where I’ll have a chance to share my knowledge in training exercises to bring its performance and style credentials to life. Can’t wait for it to go life as we have been working on really great content to be shared very soon. I am an artist so the ideas keep coming in.  Sometimes I have to tell my brain... Stop! One thing at a time!  What I am learning is to just go with the flow.  The universe has me and will guide me the right way.  I am listening more and talking less.