The sexual prowess and purported tantric abilities of Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner is a decades’ old subject of female contemplation. Like luxuriously comfortable high heels or chocolate that causes weight loss, Sting joins the ranks of unfulfilled fantasies that nearly all women have harboured, admittedly or not, at one point in our lives. Rumours of his interest in Tantra Yoga (famously [and also somewhat erroneously] reputed for its sexual connotations) as early as the late eighties fuelled that fantastical fire and with our current love of all things yoga, it is a fire with long-burning embers.
In case you missed the connection, Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner is the birth name of the celebrated rock star more commonly known as Sting. You might think his piercing blue eyes, soulful sound, or intense punk look are what determined his stage name, but in fact, Sting was a nickname he earned from wearing an old black and yellow striped top when he played in jazz clubs before making it big. Band members said it made him look like a hornet, hence, Sting. The sweater didn’t stick (thankfully), but the alias did and went on to claim some of the greatest achievements in British rock star history.
At 66 years of age, Sting doesn’t look much different than he did nearly 30 years ago, with the energy of a guy a third his age and the same charisma that made hearts swoon for the front man of The Police. He credits yoga for this gift of “eternal youth,” affirming that he’s more flexible and at ease in his body now than he ever was, even as a high school athlete. Whether on the road or on his yacht, Sting has a daily practice of a Ashtanga yoga—75 to 90 minutes a day, in fact.
As with sincere gurus of all teachings, Sting practices what he sings with harmonious authenticity.
But the hours on the mat consciously stretching and breathing only scratch the surface of Sting and his wife Trudie’s yogic life. He praises yoga for its physical boons (which have been a foray into spiritual exploration) while Trudie reaps the rewards of a calmer mind—something that plays a key role in her position as the chief fundraiser and director of the duo’s Rainforest Foundation. The family inhabits a large farm with over 50 types of organic fruits and vegetables, a small trout lake, and a slew of happy-go-lucky free-range chickens. Their sizeable donations have touched charitable interests from every corner (nearly 50 organizations to date), but their biggest passion lies in the preservation of rainforests and its indigenous people.
As with sincere gurus of all teachings, Sting practices what he sings with harmonious authenticity.