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Yoga is a popular way to stay fit. But it is not just Indians who perform Yoga. There are also Hollywood stars who practice Yoga.
Yoga is an ancient Indian practice, but its relevance has only grown in modern times. Its popularity has increased not only for its physical health benefits, but also for being a balm for mental health. While you tone your body and relax your mind, you can also improve your body’s flexibility. Joining the list of people who swear by yoga are some of the top international celebrities, including Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry and Reese Witherspoon. Some of them even share their love for yoga on Instagram. On the occasion of International Day of Yoga, which is celebrated annually on June 21, find out the top Hollywood stars who practice Yoga.
Here’s a list of international celebrities who credit yoga for their wellness!
1. Jennifer Aniston
Friends star Jennifer Aniston didn’t instantly fall in love with yoga. In a 2006 interview with Self, she recalled going to a yoga class years ago. She remembered thinking, “It’s really crowded, really hot, really sweaty, and I can have a better workout if I run and a better meditation if I sit quietly by myself.” She eventually used a treadmill or elliptical trainer to meet her fitness goals. In February 2005, a month after her marriage to star Brad Pitt ended, she turned to fitness trainer Mandy Ingber, and found yoga appealing. She said, “Without wanting to dwell on the past anymore, which is exhausting, I was in need of being scooped up. I wasn’t looking at it like, I need to get in shape. I was looking at it like, I need to get my mind in shape.” Aniston also noticed that after doing yoga, her legs got leaner, and arms became stronger. At 55 years of age, she continues her tryst with yoga.
2. Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson makes time for a “little movement” every day. The 45-year-old actress goes for a walk, uses the treadmill, and does Pilates. “If I have more time for it, I love hot yoga,” she told People magazine in 2021.
3. Madonna
Popular singer Madonna, 65, feels yoga is a metaphor for life. “You have to take it really slowly,” she was quoted in 2019 by Life & Style. She feels you can’t rush or skip to the next position while doing yoga. “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, your body and your soul.”
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4. Alicia Keys
Grammy winner Alicia Keys tried kundalini yoga after someone suggested it to her. “Between the chanting and the singing and the rhythm and the meaning of these ancient words, I discovered a sense of peace and comfort,” she wrote in an opinion piece for USA Today. “I started to notice a richer connection with myself, an ability to go deeper.”
5. Reese Witherspoon
If we go by her Instagram account, Reese Witherspoon is a big fan of yoga. In one of her videos, the Legally Blonde actress is even seen doing yoga poses such as Warrior I and Warrior II.
6. Jennifer Lopez
Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez often shares videos of her fitness routine on Instagram. One such video featured the Hustlers actress exercising outdoor. Her routine includes weight training as well as yoga. JLo, as she is lovingly called, has also backed an Indian yoga chain called SARVA.
7. Gwyneth Paltrow
During a 2018 interview with the Wall Street Journal, Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow said, “I remember when I started doing yoga and people were like, ‘what is yoga? She’s a witch. She’s a freak.’” She even suggested she had helped popularise yoga in the West. The actress said she was shocked when she went for a yoga class and was asked if she had ever done yoga before. “Forgive me if this comes out wrong, I went to do a yoga class in Los Angeles and the 22-year-old girl behind the counter was like, ‘Have you ever done yoga before?’ And literally I turned to my friend, and I was like, ‘You have this job because I have done yoga before.’”
8. Miranda Kerr
People know Miranda Kerr as the Victoria’s Secret supermodel. She is also a yogi. She told Women’s Health in 2018 that she loves yoga apart from doing other physical activities like walking.
9. Lady Gaga
Singer Lady Gaga has churned out many hits, including Shallow. When she is not in the studio or performing on stage, the Grammy winner likes to do yoga among other things. Back in 2014, she posted on Instagram, “Just left Bikram Hot Yoga Houston.” It is based on the traditional yoga techniques, but done in temperature that touches 105 degrees Fahrenheit.”
10. Halle Berry
Oscar winner Halle Berry finds yoga to be “one of the most helpful stress-releasing practices.” To her, it is a physical form of meditation that allows her to move negative energy out of her body. “Whatever type of yoga I practice, focusing on my breath and really feeling my body as I flow through and hold poses really centers me. It’s like the stress just lifts right out of me,” she wrote in Women’s Health in 2020. She tries to do yoga at least thrice a week.
