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 mo

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.