She played a comically brusque lawyer on Fox's "Ally McBeal," one of "Charlie's Angels" in two films and a fictionalized version of herself on HBO's "Sex and the City," but Lucy Liu is more than the sum of her acting parts. She also is a passionate human-rights advocate, author and artist. To complement her daily workouts, three years ago Liu began meditating. Her personal instructor? Deepak Chopra.

A lead role in "Elementary," a CBS series that just began its third season, soon followed. The show, set in New York City, is a modern-day reimagining of Sherlock Holmes, with Liu, 45, as Joan Watson, a former physician initially hired to be Holmes' "sober companion."

How did you start meditating?

Deepak Chopra wrote an introduction to an art book I wrote, and he asked me if I wanted to learn meditation from him. I said, "Absolutely."

He said, "Get in a comfortable seated position. The most important thing is not to judge your meditation." If you're thinking about the grocery list, all the things you have to do or what you want to eat for dinner, and 20 minutes goes by without a quiet moment in your mind, that doesn't matter. You are doing it and the energy adds up. Meditation is very calming. Giving yourself time every morning and evening to sit and regroup is important. I get up extra early to meditate.

What is your exercise routine?

I mix Spinning, running and Pilates. Pilates is great for posture. When you first do Pilates, you don't feel anything and don't know that anything is happening. As you continue, it really strengthens from the inside out. I like using a reformer [a Pilates exercise machine] more than doing mat work. The counterweight keeps me engaged.

Are there certain foods you deliberately eat or avoid?

I went gluten-free for a little while. [Now] for me, it's about exercise and trying to modulate what I eat. Give yourself treats occasionally, depending on how much you have exercised. If you cut things out of your diet altogether, you will want those foods more and end up bingeing.

Have you ever done cleanses or taken supplements?

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Lucy Liu embraces elements of meditation, fitness and napping