In times of stress, most of us fall into one of two categories: The Reach-for-the-Ben & Jerry’s category or the My-Stomach-Churns-at-the-Thought-of-Food category. So it should come as no surprise when celebs like a recently divorced Madonna and a very recently dumped Jessica Simpson reveal bodies that show the consequences of their relationship woes.
The Material Girl has clearly revolutionized women’s fashion and women’s fitness. She has shown women that the weight room is not just for men and female bodybuilders. But following the recent divorce from her husband Guy Ritchie, Madonna has been hard at work being a single mother and running around the world for her Sticky and Sweet Tour.
If you think that yoga is just about becoming more flexible and chanting a few oms, think again. Created in India over 5,000 years ago, yoga is meant to bring union to the body, mind and spirit. Today, more than 20 million Americans roll out their mats and practice postures like triangle pose, headstands and warrior sequence.
So why are Americans who are eager to gobble up a fast-paced, calorie-torching workouts like Tae-bo and spinning, embracing yoga with such vigor?
Here are five of the top reasons:
Most of us can only dream about having just a fraction of the personal training wisdom (and discipline) that Madonna has amassed over the years. From a soft and voluptuous “Material Girl” to the muscular warrior physique she now sports, Madonna’s iconic body gets about as much attention, if not more, than her music career, chameleon-like wardrobe and her controversies.
A few years ago, Madonna was introduced to the pint-sized trainer and former dancer, Tracy Anderson, through her best friend Gwyneth Paltrow. Anderson helped Gwyneth get in the best shape of her life following the birth of her second child, Moses, and now this ballerina-turned-trainer is a fixed presence within Madonna’s entourage of stylists, artists, chefs and dancers on her Sticky & Sweet Tour.
Anderson keeps her tiny body and many others in fabulous shape through her own signature method that revolves around variety. From cardio to strength-training, Anderson pushes her A-list clients, like Madonna, to the max by having them perform hundreds of repetitions of weight-based exercises that work muscles at different angles so that the muscle (and you) never becomes bored.
madonna yoga
Whether you’ve performed a few rounds of sun salutations or been twisted into Triangle pose, chances are you’ve done Ashtanga yoga. Ashtanga yoga is one of the oldest forms of yoga. Its series of postures has its origins in the Yoga Korunta, an ancient Indian manuscript. It is technically referred to as Ashtanga Vinyassa yoga, “vinyassa” referring to a dynamic system of breathing and movement.
History
The postures included in the six series of the Ashtanga yoga practice are presumed to be a few thousand years old. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that guru Sri Krishnamacharya and his student, Sri K. Patthabhi Jois took the postures outlined in the Yoga Korunta and devised a system of yoga that was initially taught to children and adolescents.
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