The Many Health Benefits of Yoga

I'm trying very hard to keep my answer brief. :-)

I started about six years ago. My initial experiences were positively brutal, and I hated (nearly) every moment of every class for the first month. I stuck with it, though.

Over the course of the next few years, I experimented with different styles and teachers, ultimately working my way up to three or four classes per week (I had to be careful due to several chronic injuries -- I had to work with my teachers to develop technique modifications to suite me). There are many different styles, and every teacher is different. I generally prefer the more repetitive, physically challenging varieties (like Ashtanga), and I tend to find overly spiritual or pseudo-science-y teachers to be a bit irritating.

Over time, I found that my mood was generally much better when I regularly attended yoga classes. Partly this is simply due to getting a set amount of exercise, but there's a lot to be said for the mental aspects of it. I wouldn't say I meditated, per se, but the break from responsibilities and external stress really does seem to benefit my mental health.

I've done it for a little over 2 years now. I also run and lift weights, and I feel like the three complement each other very well (flexibility, endurance, strength).

The hardest part is finding a good teacher that you mesh with. If you go to a class and end up hating it, try another one. In my experience, the teacher matters far more than the label on the class - I've been to "advanced ashtanga" classes where I didn't even break a sweat and "beginner hatha" classes where I felt like I was going to die.

I usually feel much better after a good yoga class than I ever do after a good run or workout - less sore, more alert, more relaxed. I'm also consistently surprised at the new things I'm able to do since starting yoga (proper pullups, headstands, touch toes w/o even feeling a stretch). All in all, I'm a big fan, and would recommend it highly.

I've been doing it once a week since last year. It helps that it's a work sponsored activity or I probably wouldn't have gotten into it.

I don't do it every day but I have a little five minute routine I practice every once in a while if I feel my body getting stiff or I start getting headaches.

Yoga classes are great too. Especially for single guys.