Yoga. The word alone brings to mind images of Buddhist monks and young hipsters all across the world. According to one study by Yoga Journal, more than 20 million American adults practice yoga, which is nearly 9 percent of the adult population. So what is all the fuss about?

One of the greatest things about yoga is how it can appeal to everyone. Whether you are an 81-year-old man with scoliosis living in Kansas or a stressed 19-year-old NYU student, yoga can in some way improve your general health.

There are many physical benefits that are associated with yoga. According to webMD, yoga is a very effective physical workout that targets various regions of the body, from the arms and the legs to the core and the back. It also improves flexibility, and can be particularly beneficial for people with conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease and arthritis.

An article by Men's Fitness talks about some of the mental and psychological benefits that come with yoga, as told by a study by Frontiers in Psychiatry. This study explains that yoga can help alleviate symptoms of stress and mild depression, as well as help people to sleep "better and longer." Further research seems to indicate that yoga helps to create chemical changes in the body, which is why it can function (to an extent) as an antidepressant and psychotherapy.

Speaking personally, I have only very recently started to explore the enormously vast field of yoga, but it is something that I want to continue to tap into. My good friend teaches several different types of yoga classes, and her pressuring me to go to a few of them has opened my eyes to the plethora of benefits that exist. These benefits, both physical and mental, can be noticed after just one class.

I encourage everybody to try yoga at least once in your life. Who knows, it may set you down a lifelong journey of achieving a state of physical and mental harmony.