Famous Musicians Who Do Yoga
Musicians are known to rock out, party hard and be on the road. But a lot of famous musicians do yoga as well.
In this article, you will get to know 5 famous musicians who love to do Yoga.
Madonna
Back in 1998 in an Interview by Oprah Winfrey, Madonna aka the “Queen of Pop” announced that she has given up the gym for yoga. Madonna started her yoga journey during her first pregnancy. She practices Ashtanga Yoga, which is quite an energetic style for people who like a challenging workout.
“Yoga is a metaphor for life. You have to take it really slowly. You can’t rush. You can’t skip to the next position. You find yourself in very humiliating situations, but you can’t judge yourself. You just have to breathe, and let go. It is a workout for your mind, your body and your soul.”
– Madonna
Here’s a picture of Madonna doing a forearm stand on the stage in a live performance:
Ziggy Marley
The eldest son of the reggae music icon Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley, started his yoga journey quite in his early years. Regular practice of yoga and meditation helps him feel more connected to his inner-self.
“I didn’t get into yoga for the exercise. For me, it was about spirituality, not poses. I got into the poses after. Then I started doing the postures and got meditation from books, which was especially beneficial. The postures open up energy centres and help keep me on an even keel. Very, very calm. Very centred. I just accept that I feel good and calm.”
– Ziggy Marley, Yoga Journal, March 2012
Here’s a picture of Ziggy with his son Isaiah:
Lady Gaga
“I do Yoga, I do Bikram and I eat really healthy.”
– Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga started her Yoga journey back in 2004 and has been regularly practising it ever since. She is more into Bikram Hot Yoga and usually starts her day with at least 15 minutes of meditation.
Here’s a picture of Lady Gaga practising Bikram Yoga:
Steve Vai
Steve Vai started his yoga journey during difficult times of depression. The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga by Vishnu-Devananda, helped him learn about the various meditational techniques and healthy living.
A three-time Grammy Award winner Steve Vai credits a large part of the success to meditation.
“Meditation is one of the best ways to find inner peace and balance in your outer life. It has an effect on everything you do. More and more people are understanding the deep value in taking control of their minds because most of us do not have control of it. It controls us, and until a shift is made out of the egoic thinking stage, all bets on awakening to our own consciousness are off.”
– Steve Vai interview to Jayden Wilson, published on Tone Deaf
Sting
Sting started his yoga journey a little late at the age of 38. In the initial years, he practised the challenging flows of Ashtanga Vinyasa. Which is quite the energetic and militant style. He starts his day with a 60-90 minutes session of yoga every morning. He says that yoga helps him maintain the well-being of his mental and physical health.
“Yoga has enriched my life...It is a great way to offset the downsides of touring by bringing much-needed peace and sanity into what can be a hectic life. Like music, yoga is a journey - one that is long enough so you keep developing, and keep learning. I don't see an end to it.”
– Sting
Here’s a picture of Sting doing a headstand in an elevator:
“It composes my mind; it gives me more energy, and, as a consequence, I find I am more productive. As a singer, I also think some aspects of yoga, such as breathing properly and eating well, are key to maintaining a healthy voice. So, yes, yoga is an important part of my creative life. I’m sure my lung capacity has also increased—I can certainly hold notes longer than I used to be able to. For me, yoga has become more than just exercise: It’s about control, discipline, and emotion, and those are useful tools for any songwriter.”
~ Sting, Yoga Journal, March 2010
Learn about the benefits of yoga for musicians by checking this article here.
