Photographs: Cover of Super Guia Magazine
Celebrities across the world have been turning to yoga to keep themselves in shape. Here are some of the hottest stars who swear by the ancient Indian practice.
Madonna recently made headlines when she decided to practice yoga in the aisle of an airplane.
The pop star was on her way to New York when her flight was stranded at Heathrow Airport. Not one to lose out on a single free moment, she decided to practice some calming yoga poses.
Wherever she may be, Madonna, we are told, practices Ashtanga yoga daily for over 90 minutes.
And she isn't alone. The Material Girl leads a pack of high-flying celebrities across the world, who practice yoga to keep their bodies in great shape.
Here are a few other hotties who sweat it out in yoga studios...
Sridevi
Image: SrideviPhotographs: Rajesh Karkera
Sri has kept away from the spotlight ever since she got married and had kids. But whenever she makes an appearance, the yummy mummy has us go weak in the knees, just like she did in her heyday.
The '80s siren has been practicing yoga for the last five years and has also reportedly cut meat out from her diet.
According to her trainer Manish Tiwari, Sridevi practices yoga for an hour each day, five times a week and reveals that Surya Namaskars and headstands are the secret behind her glowing skin.
Gisele Bundchen
Image: Gisele BundchenPhotographs: Calzedonia Swimwear ad campaign
Just a few weeks after she delivered, this supermodel showed off what most new mothers crave -- a perfect post-baby figure.
The secret, she revealed, was kung-fu and -- you guessed it -- yoga!
Gisele has been quoted as saying that she did yoga three days a week, all through her pregnancy, up until two weeks before her son was born!
She is also said to have practiced a lot of meditation, which helped her with the childbirth.
According to her instructor, Gisele normally does an hour of ansura yoga in the mornings, which has helped her both emotionally as well as physically.
Trisha Krishnan
Image: Trisha KrishnanSouth Indian star Trisha Krishnan also recently revealed that she practices yoga to stay in shape.
Besides avoiding fatty food, Trisha practices yoga for at least half an hour before she starts her day.
The actress has said that she finds this form of workout to be most convenient when she is travelling for outdoor shoots, because she doesn't need to depend on any gym equipment or carry anything other than a yoga mat.
Reese Witherspoon
Image: Reese WitherspoonPhotographs: Cover of Elle Magazine
Walk the Line star Reese Witherspoon sure knows how to balance her life as an actress, film producer, single mother and one helluva stunner.
Reese is a regular at YogaHop, a famous Santa Monica studio, and practices yoga three times a week, for 90 minutes each day. Her yoga sessions are unique in that there is rock, pop and hip-hop music played during the class.
She also runs a lot and is a Pilates freak.
Shilpa Shetty
Image: Shilpa ShettyPhotographs: Still from Shilpa's Yoga
Soon after reclaiming her fading stardom post the Big Brother victory, Shilpa, known for her super sexy abs, launched her yoga DVD, which was literally flying off the shelves when it first released.
The leggy actress has called yoga 'a lifestyle choice and the most holistic approach to life she have ever come across' and with good reason -- she is said to have been suffering from a neck problem and chronic spondylitis before she took to yoga.
"I don't believe in starving myself to remain thin. I eat well, work out and practise yoga to remain healthy. If you want to get peace for the mind, body and soul, yoga is the only answer," Shilpa has been quoted as saying.
Jennifer Aniston
Image: Jennifer AnistonPhotographs: Cover of Rolling Stone Magazine
Jennifer Aniston sure made heads turn when she posed for the cover of GQ wearing nothing but a tie.
The 40-something Friends star has a body built for sin and maintains it with regular yoga sessions.
The actress, who has appeared in an introduction to her friend and fitness trainer Mandy Ingber's yoga DVD, seems like an unlikely poster child for the ancient Indian practice. Ingber herself says she was surprised when the 'fast-paced' Jennifer took a liking to yoga.
"It worked to help her get her body where she wanted it," Ingber has been quoted as saying.
Aniston has also confessed that yoga 'changed her life' and helped her 'quiet her mind'.
She told People magazine that her favourite poses are the child pose (balasana) and the tree pose (tadasana).
Kareena Kapoor
Image: Kareena KapoorPhotographs: Still from Tashan
Had it not been for Kareena Kapoor, India would probably have never heard of size zero.
The Bollywood star, who lost oodles of weight for her film Tashan, is said to be an avid yoga practitioner, which helped her drop those pounds and gain them back in a healthy way.
Bebo is said to practice yoga religiously for at least an hour every day.
Her trainer Payal Gidwani has said that yoga has also helped Kareena calm down and has touched her 'soul and is her prayer'.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Image: Gwyneth PaltrowPhotographs: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
The Iron Man stunner reportedly wakes up at 4:30 every morning just so she can practice yoga!
Gwyneth has confessed to a magazine that it helps her a lot, despite the fact that she isn't exactly a morning person and that when she practices yoga six days a week and eats clean food, she 'feels much better'.
Her favourite yoga pose is said to be Baddha Konasana or the Cobbler's Pose, which she says is 'most painful, but gets me the furthest'.
Unlike most celebs we know, Gwyneth has even taken her yoga obsession a step forward by teaching her little daughter Apple. Now that's some dedication!
Rani Mukerji
Image: Rani MukerjiPhotographs: Still from Dil Bole Hadippa
The Kuch Kuch Hota Hai star was always on the chubbier side, but when she had to whip herself into shape for Dil Bole Hadippa, Rani Mukerji started working out with a vengeance.
Besides doing the regular cardio, crunches and weight training, the Bollywood actress also turned to yoga.
Mukerji's yoga trainer Payal Gidwani designed a two-hour regime for the star that involved 45 minutes of walking and an hour and 15 minutes of yoga.
Slowly but surely, the results began to show. Apparently, Rani is so taken with yoga that she continues to practice it regularly.
Lady Gaga
Image: Lady GagaPhotographs: Gary Hershorn/Reuters
Who would've thought that the secret behind Lady Gaga's fitness would be yoga?
Apparently, the radical pop star has been practicing Bikram yoga in London to keep her energy levels super-high while performing on stage.
What's more, she's been tweeting like a maniac about her fixation with Bikram Yoga, posting pictures of her practicing it and wondering if there was 'such thing as Bikram rehab?'
Well, not that we know of...
Kavita Kharayat
Image: Kavita KharayatPhotographs: Hitesh Harisinghani
Kavita may not be a familiar face to people outside of the fashion industry, but the sexy model can sure as hell make heads turn when she walks into a room.
She is an amateur gymnast and has also run two marathons so far. Besides running, she performs power yoga to keep herself fit.
Kavita also does regular yoga, meditation and pranayamas to stay calm and de-stress.
Angelina Jolie
Image: Angelina JoliePhotographs: Lucas Jackson/Reuters
When she had to kick butt as Lara Croft, she took to kickboxing.
Now, years later with partner Brad Pitt and six children in her life, Angelina Jolie has turned to yoga.
The Hollywood star was named the hottest yoga celeb in a contest on Youtube a couple of years ago.
Now it seems that Brad has also joined her, as the two perform yoga together with their Indian spiritual teacher Guru Ram Lalji.
They're said to be practicing Siddha yoga, which has helped them cut back on their drinking and has reduced their arguments.
Namitha
Image: NamithaThis voluptuous South Indian siren has taken to yoga very seriously.
It seems that Namitha has been sticking to a most hectic shooting schedule and hasn't been able to find enough time to work out. But she has managed to hire a trainer and is said to be practicing yoga as regularly as she can.
The routine has apparently made her calmer and feel better.
Sonam Kapoor
Image: Sonam KapoorPhotographs: Cover of Vogue Magazine
As hard as it is to believe, Sonam used to weigh over 86 kgs before she got her first film offer from Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
Besides the weight-training sessions, breakfast of oatmeal and fruits and a general fitness routine, she also turned to artistic and power yoga.
It was only after working out and controlling her diet for over a year that she finally lost all the weight.
Lara Dutta
Image: Lara DuttaPhotographs: Cover of FHM Magazine
Following in Shilpa Shetty's footsteps, Bollywood hottie Lara Dutta also recently launched a DVD called Yoga: Recovery and Rejuvenation.
The dusky star demonstrates asanas that help her stay calm, stimulate the metabolic system, strengthen muscles and increase stamina.
Not bad, we say, for a workout that requires you to do little more than stretch and pose!
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