You can usually tell when I'm happy by the fact that I've put on weight.
I've always eaten well and have a balanced diet.
On average, African-American women are 4 times as likely to die from pregnancy related complications. Latina women are at 2 times greater risk.
In the world of maternal health, cell phone technology is being used to provide prenatal care, linking pregnant women to health care providers when they can't otherwise reach healthcare facilities.
Yoga has brought me closer to myself. It's helped me realize the interconnectedness of the mind, body and spirit, in the Buddhist sense of the word.
I want my daughter to see that I am a professional and have commitments, but that I'm there when the family needs me, and so is their father. In some cases, more so.
Style is something you either have or don't have.
Many models I knew had come from broken families. That makes a significant difference in the way you handle yourself and the choices you make.
May is the month when people focus on mothers more than any other time of year.
I think there are so many extra benefits to running besides the health ones that come from getting your heart rate up, sweating, and all that other good stuff.
The seated lotus postures are an amazing way to go into meditation, or simply just to take a moment to ground oneself.
Every actor is a model to a certain extent, since they have to do so much press.
One thing that has become abundantly clear to me as I have advocated for the health and well-being of girls and women over the years is the innate power we each have within us to establish deep connection with one another and heal ourselves simply by sharing our stories.
If Mom is healthy, then her child is more likely to thrive, more likely to have a better quality of life and, ultimately, better able to provide for his or herself.
When I was seven months pregnant with my son, my mother and I took a trip to El Salvador, where she's from. Frequent visits with her to see my extended family have taught me how different life can be if you are born into poverty.
I never looked at magazines before I started modeling. I was 13 or 14, and none of my friends were into magazines. We were into the fashion of the day, though.
Access to maternal healthcare is a human right.
When you are balanced and when you listen and attend to the needs of your body, mind, and spirit, your natural beauty comes out.
In many countries, women aren't jubilant when they learn they are pregnant. Quite the opposite - they're terrified.
I always recognized that modeling would allow me to see and do a lot, so I looked for opportunities to learn and grow.
Sacred spaces can be created in any environment.
Like so many new moms, I felt anxiety over the impending birth of my daughter. However, most of the anxiety I felt was around the idea of raising a child. I wasn't focused on potential risks to my health or hers that could occur during the actual birth.
In parts of the world where basic infrastructures like paved roads and transportation systems are underdeveloped, people walk for days to reach a health care provider.
I feel like being a good model for my children is something that I do take seriously.
Yoga is about compassion and generosity towards others. It means being mindful of the world around us.
On the days I don't run, I do yoga and cross-training.
I sincerely feel that beauty largely comes from within.
Not every model wants to be an actress.
I think mothers are so important. I mean, it seems like such an obvious thing to say, but I think we don't really express that enough, apart from one day a year. So I think we need to come together and celebrate us every day.
I have my family, which is my main thing; the organization; a modeling career. All these things are important, but family definitely comes first.
In my teen years, I was hanging out with adults - Steven Meisel, Francois Nars, Oribe, Paul Cavaco. We had so much fun! We'd go out in New York.
We're living in miraculous times where connections are made at the blink of an eye, the tap of a thumb, and the click of a mouse. We can never replace human interaction, but these simple actions can be powerful and meaningful to those we connect with.
A lot of people have questioned how yoga and their own spiritual beliefs can come together. Yoga actually pre-dates religion.
I enjoy the celebration of my birthday as much as anyone else does, but I always remember to start my day thanking my mom because she did most of the work the day I came into the world, not to mention all she has done throughout my life that has contributed so much to the woman I am today.
After delivering my daughter in 2003, I endured and survived a hemorrhage, the leading childbirth-related complication that takes the lives of thousands of other mothers all over the world.
Lipstick is the easiest way to dress up without doing a lot, but it's hard to maintain, so I always opt for nudes if I'm going out for a long time.
I would be very proud to have influenced anyone that I know or don't know to quit smoking.
My weight fluctuates, and I haven't always been skinny. I became curvier in my twenties, but I never felt self-conscious about it; going through different periods is all part of being a woman.
If you do one thing a day, make it a headstand. It's the king of all postures and has so many benefits. It helps me sleep better and focus.
It is education that will arm us with the tools that will enable us to succeed and put a stop to the rising rates of preventable death.
Every Mother Counts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother. We inform, engage, and mobilize audiences to take action and raise funds that support maternal health programs around the world.
There has been a lot of media attention around the dangers of drugs used to treat mental illness on the fetus.
I haven't left modeling completely; I just took a step out, and I now have the rare luxury of picking and choosing how to spend my days.
Parents should not smoke in order to discourage their kids from smoking. A child is more likely to smoke when they have been raised in the environment of a smoker.
I was really gangly and uncoordinated as a kid. I couldn't even do a cartwheel.
Yoga has been the best tool for managing stress and life's challenges. Everything from my studies to my father's death was eased by my practice of it.
Yoga is not a religion to me.
With every passing year, I feel more fulfilled.
If we can't support a woman while she is giving life, then we don't support women.
