31 www.sportzblitz.net Women’s Fitness & HEALTH I n the 21 years she has been in the public eye Madonna's body has always been as important as her music. In the eighties and nineties it was more about subverting sexuality through excess flesh and raunchy videos, but today Madonna's attitude towards her body is governed, not by fad diets, but by her passion for yoga and macrobiotics. Madonna Evolved The evolution of Madonna from full- blown sex-nymph to spiritual mother has been an interesting one. From the controversy fuelled days of ‘Like a Prayer’, in which she depicted a black Jesus Christ, to her dubious forays into acting Madonna has had her fair share of image revamps. Today, however the restlessness of the past has faded and Madonna has hung up her conical bras in search of a greater cause. On matters of the past she's brutally honest. "It was about money and power and the way things looked – getting people's approval, all that stuff. I was just being an ego-driven nutcase! I thought I was doing a service to mankind, being revolutionary, liberating women, yada yada. I wasn't!" she told W magazine earlier this year. "But that is the nature of fame and having power, suddenly realizing you have a voice. You really think you are the shit. Well, that's just immaturity, and I've realized that I do have voice and I've been given this place in the world for a reason." Spiritual Mother The last eight years have been formative ones for Madonna. In 1996 at age 38 she gave birth to her first child Lourdes and in August 2000 she had second child Rocco. With marriage and motherhood came a calmer, more peaceful Madonna. "I reached an age where I allowed myself quiet phases and I learned to enjoy them. Those phases are enormously important for me. I remember that I couldn't sit still for a second. I was always on the move. I was often pretty aggressive, wild and unpredictable, but that has changed." Since discovering Ashtanga yoga in the late ninties Madonna has rapidly become the postergirl for this ancient tradition. Madonna was introduced to yoga by Sting, who invited her to his apartment to sit in on a lesson from yoga guru Danny Paradise. WF&H were fortunate to speak to Danny about Madonna’s passion for yoga "When I was in New York around 6 or 7 years ago, I heard that Madonna was interested in Yoga" says Danny "One day when I was working with Sting she came over to his apartment and watched some of the practice. Trudie Styler (Sting's wife) told me later that from that moment on she wanted to learn Yoga". Madonna & Yoga Naturally Paradise was Madonna's first port of call. As one of the first Western teachers to complete all the phases of Ashtanga, Danny Paradise is regarded as one of the leading gurus in Ashtanga yoga. "Madonna has tremendous discipline. Because of her previous disciplines (in particular, dance) she understood the practices of Ashtanga yoga and her body adapted to the teachings very quickly. She was very serious about the practice from the moment she began". According to Danny, Madonna was an extremely dedicated student. "When I worked with her she would usually do gentle warm-up yoga movements for half an hour and then she would carry on with one of the Ashtanga routines for the next 90 minutes. She has been learning the primary, intermediate and advanced routines of Ashtanga yoga. She is very down to earth and humorous. She recognized that Yoga is not about following gurus or being devoted to a teacher, but rather becoming free of teachers and being totally responsible for everything that comes one's way". Danny attributes the rise of Ashtanga in western society to our increasing desire for self fulfilment. "It's my understanding that yoga is an approach to spirituality using ancient means of accessing vitality, building the immune system, strengthening and healing the nervous system, slowing down the mind, eliminating stress and purification. It is part of the ‘original instructions’ to help people achieve happiness in their lives daily. It allows the practitioners to become their own authority on their personal evolution, and to understand the sacred nature of existence". Danny believes that the quest for self determination is particularly relevant in today's society "This is an age of personal responsibility. It's not about 30 Women’s Fitness & HEALTH www.sportzblitz.net ✤ celebrity by Lygia BARNETT ✤ WARNER MUSIC IMAGES Madonna strikes a pose GETTY IMAGES Like her or loathe her there's no denying that Madonna has one of the best physiques in show business. Where some celebrities will go to all lengths to appear devotees of yoga, pilates and macrobiotics, Madonna has proven that when it comes to matters of health and fitness she knows what she's on about. Reinvention Madonna’s