Practising yoga and meditation has no doubt become one of the biggest trends in Hollywood when it comes to staying fit and healthy.

So ‘I Am Starstruck’ recently decided to give it a go, with Leeshie (myself) attending Body Matter Australasia’s ‘Love Body Yoga – Mindfulness’ course.

Over six weeks, the program introduced participants to mindful eating, mindfulness meditation and mindful yoga practice.

And needless to say, I’ve now realised why so many famous faces are fans of the practices themselves.

In the super busy day-to-day lives that we lead, saying it’s difficult to unwind and completely focus on one’s self is arguably an understatement.

So attending this course was definitely beneficial, in the respect that, it offered me a dedicated time slot every week to devote my energy to mindful practices, consequently giving me the opportunity to learn new techniques I could later adapt to my lifestyle.

Many of you may not be familiar with the definition of the term mindfulness itself, so here it is: ‘a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique’.

And according to the official website of Love Body Yoga, the benefits of mindfulness are:

• improved focus and concentration
• increased self-awareness
• reduced levels of stress
• creation of better relationships
• decreased self-defeating thoughts & behaviours
• increased mood & positive attitude

After completing the program, I’ve definitely learnt a few things and have altered my daily routine as follows:

• Not going on social media for the first 15 minutes after waking up
• Practising ‘mindful eating’ while drinking tea – taking the time to enjoy every sip and truly indulge in the sweet flavour
• Dedicating time to conscious breathing, mixed in with some yoga

Although these are small changes to my lifestyle, their impacts are huge.

So while this course has come to an end, the same instructor Lauren is looking forward to starting a new course next week and it’s not too late to join. Click here to see more information about the Yoga for Recovery course which will be held at Yoga Sivana in Sydney’s Mosman.

Here’s what some Australian and international celebrities have to say about practising yoga and/or mindfulness:

Ashley Hart 

I spoke to Australian model Ashley Hart last year for Daily Mail Australia.

The younger sister of Jessica Hart became qualified as a yoga teacher in 2008.

She said: ‘I’m probably practicing it around three or four times a week’.

‘My yoga practices have really expanded off the mat… That’s the aim of yoga and I feel like I can have yoga experiences in every moment’.

She also revealed her goal is to ‘be fully present, to connect with people and know our oneness and truth and portray a state of love’.

Taylor Swift

Appearing on Jimmy Fallon‘s show, the Shake It Off singer admitted she does bikram yoga.

‘The yoga is so great for my body and I love what it does for my mind,’ she said. ‘Negative thoughts flow right out.’

Laura Dundovic 

Speaking to Women’s Health last year, the former Miss Universe Australia said: she tries ‘doing some weight training twice a week and yoga to stretch out whenever I can fit it in’.

Emma Watson 

The former Harry Potter actress is quite the pro, having told Elle Australia: ‘I’m a board-two certified qualified yoga instructor’.

Hugh Jackman 

The 47-year-old Australian actor has previously told Men’s Health: ‘I practise different strains of meditation and its really changed my life. It is not a religious thing’.

Lena Dunham 

The Girls star has been practising meditation since she was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder at the age of nine.

In 2013 she said: ‘[Meditation] has made it possible for me to weather certain challenges and storms and public moments that I didn’t ever imagine would be in my life’.

‘It gathers me up for the day and makes me feel organised and happy and capable of facing the challenges of the world, both internal and external.’

Ellen DeGeneres 

Previously speaking with The Today Show, the popular talk-show host said: meditation ‘feels good… Kinda like when you have to shut your computer down, just sometimes when it goes crazy, you just shut it down and when you turn it on, it’s OK again. That’s what meditation is for me’.

Jessica Alba

Speaking to LA Times earlier this year, the 34-year-old mother-of-two said: ‘I like doing guided meditation. Sometimes it’s just spending five or 10 minutes breathing and being connected to my body’.

She added: ‘I like to do hot yoga and sculpt yoga’.

Erin Holland

The former Miss World Australia tries to incorporate yoga into her weekly fitness regime.