We’re all in search of that workout we enjoy so much we want to keep doing. As a result of this search, the ancient Eastern practice of yoga has gone through so many adaptations; from Jivamukti yoga to Hatha yoga, Scientific yoga and even Yogilates. The new craze now, however, is Koga.

Last week  Dr. Oz, featured this new workout which combines kickboxing and yoga. Created by Jon Koga, a yoga and kickboxing instructor, Koga is an interesting blend of yoga’s flexibility and balance training and kickboxing’s strength and confidence building.

Paula Patton, who stars along side Gabourey Sidibe and Mariah Carey in the movie Precious, is expecting her first child in May. The 34-year-old wasn’t planning on having kids but after falling in love and also realizing her age, she decided to go for it and got pregnant!  Since she’s been pregnant she’s trying to make smart choices with her daily food intake. For example, she is sure to eat a salad every day and she has switched from coffee to green tea. She does get cravings for milkshakes so she tries to fill up on water and fruit to keep the cravings in check. Patton also revealed that she is getting plenty of sleep. She said,

“When people say, ‘You have a pregnancy glow’ I wonder if it has to do with my healthier lifestyle. No more cocktails and I’m getting more sleep than ever – nine or 10 hours a night. I was never that girl.”

When it comes to exercise Patton has laid off considerably. She’s cut back on her Ashtanga yoga sessions and told her trainer she doesn’t even want to step inside of the gym while pregnant. Her trainer told her not to worry about it because once she’s had the baby she can get back in shape within six weeks time.

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Cameron Diaz may be in the Caribbean filming Knight and Day with Tom Cruise, but that hasn’t stopped her from getting in a yoga workout (photo above) and relaxing with friends during her down time. In past interviews Cameron often speaks of her love for the outdoors and that she prefers exercises such as hiking, snowboarding and surfing so it’s only natural to see her in the great outdoors striking a few yoga poses as she has a holistic approach to exercise. She said,

“I admit I do hire a personal trainer as well, but for me working out is a big part of keeping mind and body together.”

Diaz also mentioned that she trains three times a week apart from her yoga workouts. When it comes to her eating habits, now that she’s 37 she can’t eat fattening foods such as fried chicken and onion rings like she used to do because she realizes that ‘insides rebel against you.’

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The starlet Gabourey Sidibe from the movie Precious is larger than life. Yes, she’s large, and one could argue that she’s being a positive role model because she has decided to ‘embrace her curves’ a term that is used too often these days, and be body confident. In the February issue of Harper’s Bazaar she talks about feeling beautiful by wearing diamonds, makeup and designer dresses. She said,

“One day I decided that I was beautiful, and so I carried out my life as if I was a beautiful girl….I wear colors that I really like, I wear makeup that makes me feel pretty and it really helps.”

And now that she’s ‘famous’ she still has no plans to lose weight. She said,

“I hate yoga so much. Like if yoga was a person, I’d stab them. It doesn’t make any sense to kill yourself, because who are you trying to be beautiful for? It’s a mind game, not a body game.”

Celeb Diet Doc
I like her attitude… but I do worry that she is well on her way to develop diabetes and hypertension if she hasn’t already. Remember a waist size of greater than 35 inches in women is a risk factor for diabetes, hypertension, elevated cholesterol, stroke, and heart disease.

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It’s hard to imagine that Jennifer Aniston was ever even told to lose weight but supposedly when she got her first agent in the early 90s she was told to drop the pounds. Over the years she’s followed the Zone Diet and dabbled in other diets but now she has learned that good health is a balance of the body and the mind. A friend said,

“She used to be so intense and obsessive about her routine, weighing herself and following fad diets….Honestly, Jen has never looked better and it’s because she’s learning to find balance in her life.”

So what’s her secret? First off, she depends on fresh fruits and green veggies and lean proteins such as chicken breast and fish. While filming, she is sure to cut out pasta, bread and red meats. Also, she has her own vegetable and herb garden at her home in Beverly Hills and when she’s out of town she’ll stock up at local farmers markets.
When it comes to exercise Jennifer is an avid yoga practitioner. She follows Mandy Ingber’s Yogalosophy, a hybird workout plan that combines yoga poses with toning exercises. She said,

“In every way, my body just got stronger and everything got stronger. It changed my life.”

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Yoga isn’t just for ladies guys – it’s a unisex practice that quite a few male pro-athletes have taken a shine to. Just because they are lithe on the mat, it doesn’t make them any less masculine or brawny on the field.

Basketball player LeBron James says yoga keeps him healthy, and he’s even become so good that he can do a full headstand, all 6ft 8 inch of him! Another legendary NBA player, Shaquille O’Neal, also doesn’t think he’s too big for the eastern exercise as well as tennis star Andy Murray.

Sometimes an entire team gets involved in the action. The NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles have had Baron Baptiste, a yoga guru, as part of their staff for 4 years now.

In the video above, check out NHL and US Olympic goalkeeper Tim Thomas working a few poses with his instructor. The 35-year-old may be nicknamed The Tank, but he says yoga keeps him flexible.

“My first session with Dana [Edison, his trainer], I had no idea what I was getting myself into,” he says. “I was sweating within the first 5 minutes; I didn’t know how I was going to make it through it the rest of the hour.”

Celeb Diet Doc
Yoga is not going to go over well with six pack Joe, but yoga gives you a great workout and is deceptively difficult. Ok, it’s time to get back to the man cave.

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We all know Jennifer Aniston loves yoga, but in a recent video interview her personal yoga trainer and friend Mandy Ingber went on the record as to how well our favorite Friend took to the eastern practice.

Because of the actresses fast-paced lifestyle, constantly moving between meetings and sets and auditions, Mandy didn’t really expect Jennifer to enjoy slowing the pace down in her exercise regime.

“She is a very fast-paced person,” Mandy says in the interview. “I wasn’t thinking that she was going to like yoga. And then it turned out that it really was something that she loved, and it worked to help her get her body where she wanted it.”

But Jennifer doesn’t just stick to regular yoga; Mandy mixes her routine up with a bit of cardio before hitting the mat and then adding toning exercises to the yoga poses.

“Women look to her as the perfect blend,” says Mandy. “She’s very natural. Who has a better body than Jennifer Aniston?”

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Trudie Styler and her husband Sting are no strangers to yoga. For years, the happy couple has practiced yoga and meditation and have always credited it to not only their good health but also their long 27 year relationship. Interestingly enough, it was Sting who introduced Madonna to yoga years and years ago but it’s Madonna who we often link yoga to when we think of celebrity fitness trends.

Trudie started practicing yoga 20 years ago and her practice lasts from 45 minutes to an hour and half every day. She and Sting will sometimes practice together but she said that he is much better and getting into a meditative than she is. She said,

“Yoga is the best holistic workout and body toner there is. It sorts out a chaotic mind and calms the body – it is how I de-stress, or stop myself getting stressed in the first place.”

Trudie has announced the release of the first of five fitness and yoga dvds entitled, Trudie Styler’s Warrior Yoga
. The dvds teach the Ashtanga form of yoga which entails continuous movements and postures all while focusing on the breath to promote and intense internal heat. Trudie’s yoga plan is a bit different in that each pose is only held for a couple of breaths so it’s more like an ‘express workout’ that will purify the muscles and organs and expel toxins.

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British actor Hugh Grant may have scored a great role starring opposite Sarah Jessica Parker in the new comedy Did You Hear About The Morgans?, but his performance wasn’t as trouble-free as his bank balance is about to be.

The actor, whose career spans 2 decades, recently admitted that he gets really nervous before a big role because the stakes are so high. When he told The Globe magazine that he’s unsuccessfully tried yoga and breathing exercises to help him calm down, celebrity yogi Subodh Gupta responded saying Hugh was doing the wrong kind of yoga.

“There are various Yoga styles and it can be a possibility that Hugh Grant may have tried only one or two famous styles of yoga which may not have suits his personality,” Subodh said on his website. “However I can guarantee that if Hugh Grant tries the Scientific Yoga style even for a week, he will be out of his nervous wreck situation.”

The yoga instructor says that because stress originates in the mind, disturbing our energy levels and manifesting in the physical, it cannot be treated with modern medicine. Scientific Yoga, on the other hand, uses various multidimensional stress management techniques to release tension not only on a physical level but also on a mental one as well.

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It’s great to have friends in high places, especially when you friend is everyone else’s favorite Friend. Yoga instructor Mandy Ingber is one such lucky lady; she’s got her friend Jennifer Aniston to endorse her new DVD, Yogalosophy.

In the DVD’s introductory video, Jennifer confesses that yoga changed her life. The 40-year-old actress says Yogalosophy is one of the funnest workouts she’s ever done and encourages viewers to work hard so they can see the results too.

On Mandy’s website she says that when she changes her emotions, she sees the changes in her body as well.

“Sometimes I am motivated by nurture, sometimes by intensity. My motivational hybrid technique revolves around cycles of change,” Mandy says. “Yogalosophy can help you use the natural flow to recreate your body through intentions, emotions, and other motivational triggers.”

Although Yogalosophy is a word she made up, Mandy says when it comes to the body, everyone is on an equal playing ground. Whether you’re rich or poor, happy or sad, you need to take care of your body and yoga is one way you can not only look after it, but can also get back in touch with it.

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