Yoga, one of the world’s oldest practices, has become a catch-fire fad over the past decade — one that is still burning strong.
Holly Madison: To keep her 36D-23-36 figure in tip-top shape, Holly has turned to more relaxed forms of exercise for prenatal health. “I love to workout but I do fun things like hiking and yoga so it doesn’t seem like I’m working out at all,” says Holly Madison. She is due to have a baby next year and is trying to stay in shape during pregnancy. To do Ustrasana (Camel Pose), start in a kneeling position with the feet hips distance wide. Press all five toes equally into the ground and take the inner thighs back (internal rotation). Place your hands on your sacrum and pull the sacrum down as you roll your shoulders back and lift the sternum. Keep the thighs active and in line with the hips throughout the entire pose. Lift your lower belly to protect the spine and slowly arch backwards, maintaining length in the lumbar spine as you extend. Keep length in the front body. Reach back for the heels. Lift the chest away from the sacrum and let the neck extend back maintaining as much length in the cervical spine as possible.
Maria Menounos: She is an American actress, journalist, television presenter and occasional professional wrestler known in The United States for her appearances as a correspondent for Today, Access Hollywood, Extra, and abroad for co-hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens, Greece. We caught her photograph stretching in the Warrior Pose 1 (Virabhadrasana I). This yoga pose helps to improve balance and agility and strengthen your legs, back, and arms. It also targets the chest, shoulders, neck, and abdominal area.
Victoria’s Secret Angel Candice Swanepoel stretches out in yoga asana: “Yoga is one of my new favourite ways; I just started doing more. It’s nice to just be able to stretch and work on your body but also your mind,” Candice says. In the Downward Facing Dog Pose, you build up strength in the upper arms and you give space and opening in the back, neck, chest, hips and shoulders. If you let your ankles sink nicely to the floor in this Asana, you stretch the calves at the same time. In Yoga, this pose is often used as an exercise in between other exercises, but it is in fact an exercise in itself.
A follower of Buddhism, a Victoria Secret model, Miranda Kerr benefits greatly from regular yoga asana, one of her favorite being Wheel pose (urdhva dhanurasana) .”This is my absolute favourite pose because it gives me great energy. It’s an instant pick-me-up, like having a cup of coffee.” This pose opens the chest and lungs, tones and strengthens the arms and legs.
Madonna practices Ashtanga (aka astanga) yoga: which encourages more dynamic movements and transitions between the postures. Ashtanga yoga can be an effective cardio workout as well as a isometric bodyweight bearing exercise. Ashtanga yoga is meant to purify the body by cultivating an internal heat, or tapas, which allows toxins to burn off as the postures are practiced. In addition, it builds strength, flexibility and reduces stress. In fact, one of Madonna’s songs ”Shanti/Ashtangi” from her Ray of Light album features the Ashtanga Yoga mantra that is traditionally chanted before class. The star praised the practice, saying, “Yoga is a metaphor for life. You have to take it really slowly. You can’t rush. You can’t skip the next position. You find yourself in very humiliating situations, but you can’t judge yourself. You just have to breathe, and let go. It is a workout for your mind, you body and your soul.” Namaste to that — and to Madonna’s body.
Gisele Bundchen: the most famous supermodel in the world, told Vogue magazine that after giving birth, she regained her figure with nothing more than a yoga mat. Yoga is known to elongate and tone the muscles, and Gisele’s perfectly-sculpted body makes her a poster girl for the practice.
Michelle Williams credits her seductive curves to genetics … and yoga: In 2011, the beauty co-founded the “Yoga for Single Moms Project,” which provides single parents with free yoga classes along with simultaneous childcare, making Williams that much more beautiful in our eyes. In the February issue of Marie Claire, Michelle Williams testifies to the healing power of yoga. She tells the mag that the practice helped her cope with the 2008 death of ex-boyfriend Heath Ledger and become a better mother to their daughter Matilda: “Yoga gave me relief like nothing else; it made me a better person and a better mother. I could come back to my daughter anew.”
Kate Hudson recently told Self.com that she does transcendental meditation and Kundalini, a form of brain-focusing yoga. “Anything you do helps,” she says, adding that there is no one way to get your om on. “You could sit there and not think of your mantra for your whole practice, but you’re still benefiting,” she says. And while she advocates learning to let go and be still, she also insists it’s OK to skip a day or two. “That’s what my book’s about—don’t beat yourself up,” she says. “Throw that idea of ‘I have to, I have to, I have to’ out the window.”
Jessica Biel She told Fox 411: ”I have no life… I spend a lot time in yoga class.” Jessica has been hitting the mat for years. “I like to do a couple of classes of yoga during the week, mixed in with weight training sessions, which are for strength… Actually the yoga class is less about strength and more about stretching and elongating, so I can have the combo.” Jessica adds. Jessica Biel is one of the fittest celebrities in Hollywood.
Jennifer Aniston: has a deep appreciation for yoga and continually credits her youthful figure to the practice. The actress told the world that yoga “completely changed my life,” and is “one of the most fun workouts I’ve ever had.” Mandy Ingber, Aniston’s trusted instructor and close friend, developed a video featuring Aniston and her yoga routine. If her body doesn’t sell the practice, we’re not sure whose will! Jen lost over 30 pounds in her twenties and does two-hour yoga workouts followed by 20 minutes of cardio. She says of her yoga practice: “My legs got leaner,” and “my arms got strong.”
