OnlyOnAOL: Christina Aguilera dishes on doing good, getting fit and being a mom
BY MOLLY WINDING
If you've ever wondered what Christina Aguilera is like in real life, we're here to tell you. She. Is. Amazing. Not only is she crazy talented, which you no doubt already knew, but she's also a huge philanthropist and the most loving mother ever.
Aguilera is involved with Verizon's domestic violence organization, HopeLine, which donates old phones to survivors of abuse and connects them to vital resources for getting out of dangerous situations. She discussed her partnership with HopeLine Thursday, highlighting the organization's way of helping people stop domestic violence -- by purchasing a Verizon pre-paid bundle at Walmart. As a survivor of abuse herself, the singer is passionate about the cause.
"Domestic violence is a very dear subject to my heart, having gone through much of my own personal moments dealing with it and dealing with the aftermath of what can happen," Aguilera said. "HopeLine is all about rebuilding new lives and giving hope to women."
The Voice judge has always been open about her experience with abuse in the hopes that she can help alleviate the guilt and shame many women feel, which hinders their ability to speak out about their abuse: "I've spoken a lot in my past about my own experiences with domestic violence to spread awareness and empower women to speak up if they're in a certain situation," Aguilera said.
While the cause has always been important to Aguilera, her desire to make an impact has grown stronger since the birth of her daughter.
"I'm so glad that I was able to come out of my situation and learn from my experience, because abuse is something I will not tolerate," she said. "I want to encourage my daughter to live an abuse-free life as much as I possibly can encourage her. My biggest gift I can give her is the gift of protecting herself."
Her daughter, Summer Rain Rutler, was born in 2014, when Aguilera took a brief hiatus from coaching on The Voice. "If I didn't name her Summer," the singer said, "I probably would have named her Joy. She's so eager to live life and is on the go constantly. She's curious about everything."
When asked about how it was taking time away from The Voice, Aguilera said she didn't have much of a choice: "Summer was just meant to be born on this earth. This girl needed to be born." Needless to say, Aguilera's quite smitten with her charismatic little girl.
In true Christina Aguilera form, the popstar bounced back quickly after giving birth. We just saw her step out at the 2016 Breakthrough Prize Ceremony and she looked incredible -- so what's her secret to getting back in shape?
"I try not to be so hard on myself at this point in my life," she said. "Women put themselves through hell to look a certain way, but just be aware of what you're body's taking in and what makes you feel good."
Despite her lax approach to achieving the perfect body, she did also hit the gym. Aguilera credits cardio and yoga for her toned physique, and yoga was especially helpful for her to relieve stress, which she says can be the biggest issue of all.
"It's less about depriving yourself and more about encouraging yourself to be gentle on yourself and your body, reward yourself with things like massages. Going easy on yourself is the greatest gift you can give yourself, especially after giving birth," she said, and we couldn't agree more.
Aguilera is in an amazing place, and her take on life is refreshing. The fact that she encourages and inspires other women to be kind to themselves is a testament to the kind of woman she is -- strong, confident and beautiful, inside and out. We love you, Christina!
See photos of Christina Aguilera through the years:
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