Getting into a new athletic routine is always pretty difficult, especially when it comes to something deeply introspective like yoga. For years, I’ve tried to involve myself in the world of yoga, and through multiple attempts at home and a few classes, I’ve discovered that I may not be an expert but that I definitely love it.

In doing yoga, you learn so many new things: how to relax, exercise, think, and breathe simultaneously. All of that sounds pretty intimidating, right? It kind of is. But once you work through the first couple of exercise flows, things just sort of come together naturally. Breath slows, muscles relax, and your stress completely washes out of your mind for an hour of the day while you fixate on balance and stretching.

With this blank mental slate, you get to learn a lot about how your body works and how you can push yourself when it comes to stretching and core strength. When working on different yoga flows, various different muscles get used in each new flow. This introduces you to new things you can work on with your body and allows you to push yourself. This physical awareness is actually kind of scary, because you notice muscles that you didn’t even think you had. These muscles will be sore, but it’s definitely worth it to see the progress you can make, and feel the relief and strength that follows.

In at least trying yoga once, you’ll probably notice all of the above happening to you. Each class is a new way to delve further into this part of your mental and physical health, and I highly recommend attempting yoga at least once in your life! If not just to get away from the stress of your life for a little while, then to learn something new about yourself and get in touch with new ways of staying fit in your mind and body.