1. You'll Sleep Better

I don't know if it's because you're so relaxed, or because every muscle in your body hurts, but you'll sleep like a baby at night. I just started taking hot yoga classes, which are incredible! When I lie down at night, my body is so ready for sleep. I don't have to fidget around anymore, I just doze off peacefully. Of course, the morning is a different story. My body feels SO sore! That feeling goes away eventually, so don't worry! The reasons to take up yoga just get better!

2. Mental Flexibility and Resilience

Studies have shown that yoga has a positive effect on the brain and central nervous system. Apparently, "it thickens the layers of the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain associated with higher learning, and increases neuroplasticity, which helps us learn new things and change the way we do things." Now you know why people who do yoga are better with "going with the flow." Their minds allow them to learn new things and not be afraid of changing something.

3. Stress Relief

Overall, yoga helps release stress. Trust me, you'll feel like a different person afterwards. Yoga's focus on deep/controlled breathing helps you forget about everything else that's bothering you. You drift off to another world. It's crazy how effective yoga can really be to your body. If you're ever stressing, just close your eyes, take deep breaths, and try to forget everything. With practice, achieving this will become easier for you.

4. Improved Flexibility

One of the obvious benefits of yoga is flexibility. Yoga poses stretch your muscles significantly, but they stretch other soft tissues as well. This includes your ligaments and tendons. The resulting effect is an increase in your joints' range of motion. Whenever I go to a yoga class, there are people who are so incredibly flexible, it baffles me. All I have to do is remind myself that they've been doing this longer than I have. Practice makes perfect!

5. Healthier Heart

While helping to reduce stress, yoga can also help lower your blood pressure. These effects will clearly help people with high blood pressure and those at risk of heart disease or stroke. A healthy heart means a healthy body, which means a happier you! Your heart will thank you for it.

6. Happier Mood, Less Anxiety

We all know that exercising has the ability to relieve depression and boost your happiness. Research suggests that yoga is an even better way to improve your mood rather than walking or other types of exercise. Researchers believe this effect might be due to "yoga's stimulation of specific areas and chemicals in the brain." With a lower blood pressure, healthier heart, and less stress, your anxiety will lower too. There's really no downfall to yoga.

7. A Healthier Weight

A yoga class won't burn off as many calories as an aerobics class would (unless it's hot yoga, you'll burn SO many calories that way!), but it's still great. According to medical research, people who practice yoga are better able to lose weight and keep it off. It probably has something to do with the mental discipline of yoga. It promotes body awareness and a better relationship with your body.

Well, there you have it! These are just seven out of MANY reasons why you should take up yoga. In a nutshell, it'll provide you with a healthier version of yourself. Are you planning to get into yoga?