Yes, she's pregnant and in love, but those aren't the only reasons Miranda Kerr is glowing. Here, she spills the beans.
The title "supermodel" is not an easy one to earn. If you're
genetically gifted you're obviously ahead of the game, but the "super"
part of the title alludes to something more. Grace. Inner beauty. Skin
most women would kill for. And in Miranda Kerr's case, a wholesome
country-girl-next-door charm that has catapulted her onto catwalks
around the world, into the arms of one of Hollywood's leading men and to
the top of many women's "if only I could look like her" lists. So what
are her secrets? Put simply, Kerr, who wed British actor Orlando Bloom
in July and is seven months pregnant with her first child, lives clean
and healthy.
She follows Dr Peter D'Adamo's blood-type diet - which dictates what
foods you should and should not eat based on your blood grouping - and
credits her glowing skin to an organic plant-based diet and Tahitian
noni juice. She also advocates regular body brushing. In addition, Kerr
has developed an organic skincare range, Kora Organics, which she says
"is a reflection of my passion for living a healthy, organic lifestyle".
But it's the obvious external reflection of her inner beauty that has
won the Gunnedah, NSW-raised 27-year-old her legion of fans.
Kerr is a Nichiren Buddhist, a school of Buddhism based on the belief
that all people have an innate Buddhist nature and are inherently
capable of attaining enlightenment in their present lifetime. And,
rather than reach for the wine and TV remote after a stressful day, Kerr
prefers to wind down with meditation and some power yoga with her
husband.
The spirit within
The New York-based cover girl now wants to share the spiritual
secrets she credits to her success with her growing teenage fan base.
To that end, she will launch her debut self-help book, Treasure
Yourself, in Australia this month. "I felt as though it was important
for my readers to realise I was not always the person they see on a
runway or on the cover of a magazine,'' she told body+soul from her
home in New York City.
"I wanted them to know that just like them, at times I struggled
with insecurity, bullying, rejection and low self-esteem. When I first
started working as a model I would feel rejected if I went in for a job
but was told I did not have the right look. It took me a while to
accept that I was never going to be everything for everyone.''
In fact, she nearly gave up modelling altogether. After winning a
Dolly magazine modelling search in 1997, Kerr discovered the industry
was nothing like the glamorous world she had expected. "At first I
couldn't imagine earning my living from modelling and in those first few
years I felt uncertain about modelling as a career,'' Kerr says. "I
remember at 13 I went into modelling thinking models got to choose what
they wanted to wear in a shoot, lived a glamorous life, made lots of
money and were physically perfect. I soon realised that was not the
case.''
Despite being visibly pregnant, Kerr made a cameo appearance in the
Balenciaga show at the Paris Fashion Week in September, but says she's
reduced her workload significantly ahead of the arrival of baby
Kerr-Bloom. "I am feeling great and really enjoying the change of pace.
I have not stopped working completely, but with less work on I have
had a lot more time to spend on my personal projects such as preparing
for the book launch and further developing the Kora Organics range.
The darker side
Kerr is now ranked among the world's 10 highest-paid models, according to Forbes magazine. Treasure Yourself
- part self-help, part autobiography - chronicles how she got there,
from her days spent playing at her grandparents' Queensland farm as a
child to her current jetsetting life as a catwalk star. "To me,
Treasure Yourself was almost like writing a diary. The book is a very
personal account of the life lessons and experiences I have had growing
up as a child, right up until the woman I am today,'' she says.
She opens up about her experiences of the darker side of the
modelling industry and the heartbreak she felt as a 16-year-old
following the death of her first boyfriend, Chris Middlebrook. It's an
interesting read, considering the 175 centimetres-tall David Jones
ambassador generally sidesteps personal questions during interviews,
particularly when they involve her relationships. "We had been dating
for two years, and I had just left Gunnedah and moved to Brisbane when
he was killed instantly in a car accident and all of a sudden it felt
as though my world had fallen apart,'' she says in the book, which she
began writing almost five years ago.
"Although we were only young, we had both talked about spending the
rest of our lives together. I felt as if my heart had been ripped from
my chest and I didn't know what to do.'' Kerr keeps in touch with
Middlebrook's family, who are still based in Gunnedah, and has referred
to him as her guardian angel. As with most challenges in her life now,
Kerr used "power thoughts" to help get her through the difficult time.
"I now say to myself, 'I trust the process of life', to remind me that
even in the darkest hours there is still light and possibility,'' she
writes.
Dreams and ambitions
Kerr is a devotee of gurus Deepak Chopra and Louise L Hay, and
has included dozens of their positive affirmations in her book. They
are among her favourite motivational tools. Kerr says she also takes a
"vision book" on her travels, to keep herself focused on her dreams and
ambitions. "I have pictures of places I would love to go, people I hope
to meet, things I would like to do and even pictures of friends and
family that I pray will remain in my life for as long as possible,''
she says. "I find it really uplifting to look over the images and focus
on them as being part of my future.''
Considering she is about to welcome another person into her life in a
few months, Kerr has no doubt saved a special spot in her book for her
baby girl or boy. "If being pregnant and already feeling such a close
connection with the baby is anything to go by then I am really looking
forward to that moment.''
