Self Magazine, December 2006

Exclusive! The healing, toning routine that changed Jennifer Aniston's life for the better

By Erin Bried
Photographs by Sheryl Nields

JENNIFER ANISTON'S MIND-BODY MAKEOVER

In a SELF exclusive, the actress talks intimately about her secret source of strength and, together with her yoga teacher, Mandy Ingber, shares the moves that changed her body and her life.

"If you're mentally strong, empowered and feeling good, no one can take you down."

Everybody knows what a whirlwind Jennifer Aniston has been through in the past two years. First, Friends ended after a decade; then her marriage to He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named followed suit. Vanity Fair trumpeted her tears. Vogue lionized her grace. GQ drooled over her body. But until now, Aniston has never shared her hidden source of courage. And no, it isn't Kaballa study or some rigid detox diet in which only brown foods are permitted. It's a 5-foot-4 yoga teacher named Mandy Ingber. Surprised? So was Aniston.

Aniston, 37, never considered her a yoga type. "I went to class year ago, and I remember thinking, It's really crowded, really hot, really sweaty, and I can have a better workout if I run and a better meditation if I sit quietly by myself." She passed her Rachel Green years working out on a treadmill, elliptical trainer and StairMaster. "I was disconnected from my body," Aniston says, in retrospect. "I was just getting my exercise out of the way." Then, in February 2005, a month after Aniston's marriage ended, she turned to Ingber, 38, who is one of Hollywood's most sought-after trainers. (Her client roster includes Brooke Shields and Helen Hunt.) With all she was going through, Aniston found yoga newly appealing. "Without wanting to dwell on the past anymore, which is exhausting, I was in need of being scooped up," she says. "I wasn't looking at it like, I need to get in shape. I was looking at it like, I need to get my mind in shape."

Ingber had her doubts that her pavement-pounding student would stick with the mat-bound program. "What sold her was that she was really sore the next day," Ingber says. Aniston agrees. "I was like, 'My butt! I can't sit. This has got to be good for me.'" She might have come to yoga primarily but to tune up her mind, but her body responded, too. "My legs got leaner. My arms got strong. I've maybe even grown an inch from aligning my spine. But that's all just the cherry on top," she explains. The real strength gains have been of the inner variety: Aniston says she's fitter emotionally.

If you've ever taken yoga and been turned off by having to chant or contort your body into an uncomfortable pose that was supposed to magically clear your mind, you're in good company. Ingber's style of yoga isn't about that. It's more familiar, less pressured and consequently more pleasurable to new yogis such as Aniston. "Mandy's yoga is unique. I've tried to do [yoga] elsewhere when I've traveled out of town, and it's never the same," says Aniston, who flew Ingber to Chicago during the filming of this year's The Break-Up. So what makes it so special? First, Ingber gets body results fast by sneaking in calisthenics after each pose to torch more calories, sculpt more muscles and make things interesting. Second, she keeps it accessible by skipping the advanced pretzel-like moves in favor of simpler ones. And finally, rather than asking you to clear your mind, she encourages you to tap your emotions, often using music to inspire you. (See Jen's playlist, page 177) "Emotions are energy," Ingber says. "When you channel them physically, they're fuel. You can take any emotion and turn it into a positive if you use it to move your body." Ingber says Aniston had "a lot of emotions she needed to move" when she first started yoga, and Aniston was grateful for the outlet. "I've had everything from deep laughter to deep sadness, where I was crying through the moves," she says. "It's good to get that stuff out. You feel like you're having a therapy session, a workout and a meditation at the same time."

The feel-good benefits of yoga start almost instantly. By concentrating on your breath and your body, Ingber says, you learn to be in and appreciate the present. "We live in such a fast-paced world, always going, going, going," agrees Aniston, who has signed on to do three movies next year. "Just making a devotion to yourself and committing to exercise is such an act of self-love." By practicing yoga for one hour, three days a week, Ingber adds, you're declaring that you deserve to be strong, healthy and happy. Which is precisely how Aniston feels these days. "When you're holding a pose, you learn to be patient with yourself," she says. "You'll get there, and if you fall out, it's OK. It's not a contest. It's not a race. It's just life."

"It's nice to be told, 'You're strong, you did good, kid. You did good.'"

"Yoga calms me down. It gives me energy and focus."

Do yoga. For a lasting calm - and sexy muscles - do the routine on the following pages three times a week. Try to hold each pose for 30 to 60 seconds (about 5 to 10 deep breaths), then follow each move immediately with two sets of 8 to 10 reps of the paired calisthenic. Right away, you'll be less stressed and more energized. And in as few as four weeks, you'll feel and look noticeably stronger, longer and leaner.

Add cardio. If you want to slim down as well as chill out, make like Aniston and tack on a 22-minute cardio session prior to your yoga workout. "It helps me warm up my muscles for the poses," Aniston says. After a five-minute warm-up, alternate one minute of high-intensity cardio, with two minutes of recovery at a moderate place. On high-energy days, Aniston will even follow up this interval training, which she does on the elliptical, with a 10- to 15- minute run on the treadmill at a 5.7 mile-per-hour pace on a 1.5 incline. Afterward, Ingber leads her through five Sun Salutations to get her in touch with her breath. Need a lesson? Visit Self.com to see a free video of Ingber taking you through the poses the same way she does for Aniston. If you close your eyes, you'll feel just like you're in Jen's living room instead of your own.

Jen's favorite yoga tunes

When you're trying to read a book or watch a movie, silence is golden. When you're trying to hold the Chair pose for only one more breath, silence can be torture. That's why Ingber always plays music during her classes. "It helps you tap into your emotions," she says. "Plus, it makes it more fun." Exclusively for SELF, Mandy compiled their favorite yoga grooves. Check out the songs below. Then visit Self.com to download the mix for your next workout.

1. "My Friend," Groove Armada
2. "Pastime Paradise," Stevie Wonder
3. "Let Me Roll," Seal
4. "Lebanese Blonde," Thievery Corporation
5. "Speed of Sound," Coldplay
6. "Jane Says," Jane's Addiction
7. "If I Ain't Got You," Alicia Keys
8. "Trouble," Ray LaMontagne
9. "Shelter," Ray LaMontagne
10. "Wild Horses," The Rolling Stones
11. "Landslide," Fleetwood Mac

butterfly pose
Aniston says: "I've always been pretty receptive. What you resist, persists."

one-arm balance
"I love this one because I don't feel sadness. I feel strong. I feel like I'm holding myself up."

crescent pose
"This helped my hip flexors. I love how it feels. I have really tight Achilles tendons, and this is really good for that."

bridge pose
"This pose feels vulnerable. You feel out there."

cat/dog
"Who wouldn't love this one? It's one of my favorites because I love to feel like a kid again."

tree pose
"Mandy says I have good balance. But it's hard to keep this pose without feeling like you're going to wobble or fall over."

boat pose
"This is a really tough one, but I love it. It makes me feel really strong in my center."

chair pose
"I feel energy shooting out of my hands, but this pose is hard for me. It's the burn. You've just got to get through this one."