I began practicing yoga off and on for the last few years. I have tried all different kinds of yoga, hot, Bikram, Vinyasa, and they are all amazing. I love yoga. Yoga is not just for skinny, flexible girls; yoga is a practice for everyone and it is about building on your own body's strengths. Yoga is about improving yourself over time and practice. After I finish a yoga class, I feel refreshed and better than ever. These are just five reasons why and how yoga change my life.

1. Exercise

Yoga is a physical movement which means it is excercise. But it's better than going to the gym and running on a treadmill for thirty minutes. In yoga, you can build your own practice and make things harder or easier as you need. You build on top of what your body can do. It is a practice that takes time and patience to perfect.

2. Relaxing

After a hot yoga session, nothing is more relaxing than laying down on your mat with a cold towel over your face. Yoga is incredibly relaxing because your mind is not focused on winning. It's focused on your breathing and self improvement. There is no competition with yoga which means everything you do is about and for yourself to improve.

3. Anxiety melts away

Because of how relaxing yoga is, on top of the workout, my anxiety melts away. I no longer think about the stress of competing with anyone. As selfish as I sound, it's all about me and what can I do to improve myself. Practicing yoga helps me stretch out my body and take a minute just to breath. I feel that with every breath gets lighter and easier the more I practice yoga.

4. Meditation

Every yoga class ends in meditation. Or at least it should. Meditation is just five minutes of near silence, closed eyes, either sitting up or laying down, and relaxation. The idea of meditation is that you clear your mind and just release all of the stress of the day or week. In a way, meditation is like a detox. Just five simple minutes of nothing and just a clear mind.

5. Spirituality

Before I began yoga, there was no way I was going to become one of those hippies who preach peace, love, and happiness. Now I don't necessarily preach it, I do believe in peace, love, and happiness. There are seven spiritual laws of yoga; pure potentiality, giving and receiving, karma, least effort, intention and desire, detachment, and dharma. Each law is a different lesson like making an effort, cause and effect, and forgiveness. Each law is an essential life lesson I believe every person in the world should know.

Since I began my yoga practice, I honestly look at life a little differently. I look at life a little less cynical and a little more hopeful. With the power of yoga, I believe everyone can reach the level of enlightenment.