31www.sportzblitz.net Women’s Fitness & HEALTH

In the 21 years she has been in the publiceye Madonna's body has always been asimportant as her music. In the eighties

and nineties it was more about subvertingsexuality through excess flesh andraunchy videos, but today Madonna'sattitude towards her body is governed,not by fad diets, but by her passion foryoga and macrobiotics.

Madonna EvolvedThe evolution of Madonna from full-

blown sex-nymph to spiritual mother hasbeen an interesting one. From thecontroversy fuelled days of ‘Like aPrayer’, in which she depicted a blackJesus Christ, to her dubious forays intoacting Madonna has had her fair share ofimage revamps. Today, however therestlessness of the past has faded andMadonna has hung up her conical bras insearch of a greater cause.

On matters of the past she's brutallyhonest. "It was about money and powerand the way things looked – gettingpeople's approval, all that stuff. I was justbeing an ego-driven nutcase! I thought Iwas doing a service to mankind, beingrevolutionary, liberating women, yadayada. I wasn't!" she told W magazineearlier this year. "But that is the nature offame and having power, suddenlyrealizing you have a voice. You really thinkyou are the shit. Well, that's justimmaturity, and I've realized that I dohave voice and I've been given this placein the world for a reason."

Spiritual MotherThe last eight years have been formativeones for Madonna. In 1996 at age 38 shegave birth to her first child Lourdes and inAugust 2000 she had second child Rocco.

With marriage and motherhood came acalmer, more peaceful Madonna. "I reachedan age where I allowed myself quiet phasesand I learned to enjoy them. Those phasesare enormously important for me. I

remember that I couldn't sit still for a second.I was always on the move. I was often prettyaggressive, wild and unpredictable, but thathas changed."

Since discovering Ashtanga yogain the late ninties Madonna hasrapidly become the postergirl for thisancient tradition.

Madonna was introduced to yoga bySting, who invited her to his apartmentto sit in on a lesson from yoga guruDanny Paradise.

WF&H were fortunate to speak to Dannyabout Madonna’s passion for yoga "When Iwas in New York around 6 or 7 years ago, Iheard that Madonna was interested inYoga" says Danny "One day when I wasworking with Sting she came over to hisapartment and watched some of thepractice. Trudie Styler (Sting's wife) told melater that from that moment on she wantedto learn Yoga".

Madonna & YogaNaturally Paradise was Madonna's first

port of call. As one of the first Westernteachers to complete all the phases ofAshtanga, Danny Paradise is regarded asone of the leading gurus in Ashtanga yoga.

"Madonna has tremendous discipline.Because of her previous disciplines (inparticular, dance) she understood thepractices of Ashtanga yoga and her bodyadapted to the teachings very quickly. Shewas very serious about the practice fromthe moment she began".

According to Danny, Madonna was anextremely dedicated student. "When Iworked with her she would usually dogentle warm-up yoga movements forhalf an hour and then she would carryon with one of the Ashtanga routines forthe next 90 minutes. She has beenlearning the primary, intermediate andadvanced routines of Ashtanga yoga.She is very down to earth andhumorous. She recognized that Yoga isnot about following gurus or beingdevoted to a teacher, but ratherbecoming free of teachers and beingtotally responsible for everything thatcomes one's way".

Danny attributes the rise of Ashtanga inwestern society to our increasing desire forself fulfilment. "It's my understanding thatyoga is an approach to spirituality usingancient means of accessing vitality, buildingthe immune system, strengthening andhealing the nervous system, slowing downthe mind, eliminating stress and purification. Itis part of the ‘original instructions’ to helppeople achieve happiness in their livesdaily. It allows the practitioners tobecome their own authority on theirpersonal evolution, and to understandthe sacred nature of existence".

Danny believes that the quest for selfdetermination is particularly relevant intoday's society "This is an age ofpersonal responsibility. It's not about

30 Women’s Fitness & HEALTH www.sportzblitz.net

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Like her or loathe her there's no denying that Madonna has one of thebest physiques in show business. Where some celebrities will go toall lengths to appear devotees of yoga, pilates and macrobiotics,Madonna has proven that when it comes to matters of health andfitness she knows what she's on about.

ReinventionMadonna’s

putting our power in outside figures. Wehave to claim it for ourselves, as wecreate it in our lives. This is the essenceof true personal growth. The techniquesdo lead to arch-typical changes ineveryone. These practices become afoundation for living and a vital key insurvival. I think Madonna has discoveredthis" says Danny.

Yoga has provided Madonna with anoutlet to express her power and strength ina non-destructive way. Where Mads onceappeared to thrive on tabloid gossipand media exposure these days shehas a different attitude to life in the

public eye. "I want to be moreliberated from my ego, less concernedabout what people think of me" sherecently told ABC's 20/20 program."Once you enter the popularitysweepstakes, which you do when youbecome famous, you enter the worldof how am I doing?"

MacrobioticsMadonna's responsibility for herself and herbody has become a primary concern for thestar. In early 2001 Madonna ditched herdaily diet, in exchange for a macrobioticone. The benefits were impressive. In an

appearance on Larry King, Madonna wasquick to destroy the common misconceptionof macrobiotics. "Do I look like I eat nutsand oats" she asked Larry King. Andfrom her healthy happy demeanour itwas clear that there was more to herdiet than oats and chaff.

Where most diets endorse the idea of

Madonna’s yoga teacher,

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food for fat loss, macrobiotics promotes theidea of food for sustenance. Based on theZen belief of balancing Yin and Yang,macrobiotics focuses on natural foods suchas grains, legumes and seasonalvegetables. While the diet is extremelybeneficial, it can be fastidious to follow,particularly if you intend to replicateMadonna's eating habits. Given the natureof her lifestyle Madonna has access to thebest organic products, the best chefs andthe best ingredients. Her adherence to thediet is reflected in her radiant skin andhealthy demeanour.

2004 marked 21 years in the businessfor Madonna, as well as the launch ofher re-invention tour. As her first fully-fledged tour in three years, Madonnawas determined to reassert her positionas one of Hollywood's fittest women.When describing her pre-tour routine ,a source close to the star explained:“She does yoga twice a day andrunning, cycling and weights once aday because she wants to be in peakcondition. The queen of pop isn't readyto hand her crown to Britney orChristina just yet”.

In bed with Madonna.

Madonna goescommando

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AshtangaAshtanga utilises the development ofheat as a means of purification oftoxins. The practice consists of routinesof yoga postures in a movingmeditation of linked deep breathingand internal locking. As the bodysweats, the toxins are released andthe mind becomes calmer andsteadier. While the benefits ofAshtanga are both physical andspiritual, the major emphasis isplaced upon internal development. Inthe yoga shastra it is said that Goddwells in our heart in the form oflight, but this light is covered by sixpoisons; kama, krodha, moha, lobha,matsarya, and mada. Eachrepresents desire, anger, delusion,greed, envy and sloth. Ashtanga aimsto eliminate these toxins throughcommitment and perseverance.