When LeAnn Rimes took her first yoga class four years ago, she couldn’t touch her toes, much less attempt triangle pose. “I was so tight it was making me irritable and tense.

I knew if I could stick with it, yoga would improve my flexibility and posture in ways my regular strength and cardio routine couldn’t.”

Now the 24-year-old is more limber (she’s a pro at crow pose) and less stressed, which helps her deal with the demands of being a performer.

“I give 100 percent when I’m onstage, and even though the audience gives back so much to me, it’s still emotionally and physically draining,” says LeAnn.

“To recover, I do a 10-minute mini practice in my tour bus after every show. All that stretching and deep breathing releases tension – particularly in my hips, calves, throat, and chest – and makes me feel balanced.”

Since taking up yoga, LeAnn has more energy, her legs and triceps have gotten firmer, and her abs are flatter. “That intense sense of focus has allowed me to activate those deep core muscles,” she says. “I’m trying to bring that same level of concentration into every aspect of my life.”

Tom Larkin, LeAnn Rimes’ yoga instructor and owner of Sanctuary for Yoga, Body and Spirit in Nashville, Tennessee, chose these poses [here's LeAnn Rimes' Workout] to improve LeAnn’s balance and loosen up her tight hips and shoulders.

“Most people could benefit from stretching these areas.” Add the moves to your routine one or two days a week and, like LeAnn, you’ll be singing their praises. [via]