Yoga is India’s biggest gift to the world. As we celebrate the International Yoga Day this weekend, here’s everything you need to know about this gift that keeps giving.
Yoga is one of the only practices that increases agility, response time, flexibility, and overall improve overall fitness level without the stress injury frequency, of regular high-intensity workouts. Many celebrities, sportspeople and even corporate honchos have tried and loved it. It’s not a fad trend, there’s a reason its popularity is timeless and never ending.
- Gisele Bündchen – Uber-model Gisele Bündchen includes yoga in her fitness regimen, which she started doing at the age of 12. She practices Anusara yoga every morning along with meditation and healthy eating.
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- Jennifer Aniston – A long term yoga devotee, she’s been working with teacher Mandy Ingber for over 15 years. The practice keeps not only her body, but also her mind ready for anything and everything.
- David Beckham – He worked with yoga guru Shona Vertue to help cure his back and soccer aches. While he doesn’t play football professionally anymore, Beckham practices Bikram yoga and couples’ power yoga to stay fit.
- Lady gaga – a huge advocate for self love and expression, she practices yoga regularly, and has also tried SUP – Stand-Up Paddleboard Yoga.
- Madonna- a trendsetter and icon, Madonna has spoken about the benefits of yoga many times, and has even done it on stage during performances!
- Robert Downey Jr – what started as an attempt to kick substance abuse and addiction has become a way of life for the actor. He credits a combination of 12-step programs, yoga, meditation and therapy with keeping him sober.
- Oprah – a big fan of regular meditation, she has even invited Meghan Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, over for garden yoga and lunch.
- Daniel Loeb – a regular devotee of Ashtanga Yoga, he is no less than one of the most successful hedge fund managers in history with $17.5B Assets under Management Hedge Fund
- LeBron James – he has been doing yoga for years, as he credits it to increasing his stamina and endurance.
- Lionel Messi concludes his training session with yoga to release any residual stress and starch tight muscles.
- Entrepreneurs and tycoons also practice different forms and aspects of yoga. Sergey Brin (Co-Founder, GOOGLE, Inc.), Jeff Weiner (Yahoo executive-turned-LinkedIn CEO), Arianna Huffington (Founder, Huffington Post), Padmasree Warrior (Chief Technology and Strategy Office of Cisco Systems and one of the top 100 most powerful women in the world according to Forbes) and Bill Ford ( Executive Chairman, Ford Motor Company) all take time out of their day to meditate.
Many, if not most, hotels, resorts and spas have their own yoga class schedule, along with an instructor. At Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort and Lawana Koh Samui Resort, Dr. Serge Landrieu takes multifaceted private yoga sessions, on request. These sessions include yoga, pilates, pranayama, myotherapy and life coaching. The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island have both group and individual yoga classes in unusual environments, such as oceanfront, meditative beach walks and full moon meditation, apart from those in a typical studio.
JW Marriott Los Cabos Beach Resort & Spa has 30 to 50 minute group vinyasa yoga sessions curated by wellness expert Nora Tobin. Several locations of Hyatt’s Exhale Spa have ‘chill yoga’ classes – long-held restorative poses are held in a dark room, complete with a blanket and bolster.
Wyndham Boca Raton has its own on-site yoga studio, Yoga Journey, where guests and members of the community can enjoy 36 unique classes, along with workshops, teacher training, kula gatherings, and a ton of other special events. The Banyan Tree in Phuket has yoga sessions too, ranging from yoga duo to yoga for men.
The ancient practice has come a long way from being taught word-of-mouth by Indian Brahmins to being one of the most popular fitness essentials. If you STILL haven’t tried it, no better time than to start than now.
