(Article I wrote for Sivana-East-Article) Great website for anyone into Yoga and Meditation

I hadn’t planned on becoming a yogi in training last year when I bought my $7.99 mat to take yoga from my local gym.

I did not know that I would be embarking on a new journey only five minutes away from my home or that my life would soon change.

I did not know that within these classes, something miraculous would happen.

I had tried yoga in my younger years. Back then the stretching didn’t quite make sense, and I didn’t stay with it.

Back then the stretching didn’t quite make sense, and I didn’t stay with it.

So imagine my surprise when something clicked midlife for me in my little yoga class almost a year and half ago that would change my world so much.

Here are five effects I have experienced as a middle-aged yogi in training who’s still learning about life and yoga daily.

SEE ALSO: 4 Ways To Develop Your Intuition

1) New Feeling of Exuberance

After steadily taking the four to five classes a week, I noticed a new twinkle in my eye, like I held a new found secret inside my soul.

I noticed my mornings felt more exciting and fun.

I had something new to look forward to, similar to how you felt when you were young and something wonderful awaited you later in the day, like that special trip to see your friends on a Saturday afternoon.

I tried really hard not to talk incessantly to others regarding this new found joy, because I didn’t want to lose the that magic potion of excitement that seemed bottled up in just anticipating my next class.

The good news is my inner circle seemed to like me better, too, with this new sense of exuberance.

That feeling also added a few new rays of sunshine to their day because I was becoming a happier person.

2) I Learned To Trust My Body

In the past — before yoga — I looked at exercise as more of a ‘cardio’ thing I had to do in order to keep in shape and stay healthy.

After many years of being a fitness runner and running a couple of half marathons, my initial reaction to yoga was quite mystifying.

I was incredulous at how my body could lean down naturally without much cardio involved.

I soon learned that yoga was not an easy thing.

And, in fact, when I met my favorite yoga teacher who taught me my first headstand and other acts of crazy feats for a woman of forty-five, I was amazed at how calming yoga was to me and to my body.

I learned to let go of results and to trust the process, which is how I learned to trust my body.

When you trust your body, you are signaling to your soul that ‘you feel good inside where you are and are capable of managing the outside, too.’

Yoga helps you face yourself in new ways, especially when your world is upside down.

3) I Felt Younger and Happier from the Inside and Out

As an author that has written a book specifically about aging naturally and embracing your midlife journey and beyond, I had no idea that yoga takes you there without effort.

It happens naturally by practicing yoga consistently each week.

From adding more oxygen to your blood cells, stretching your fascia and calming your nerves, yoga helps you feel more limber and balanced inside as you walk upright each day in your daily schedule.

When you feel happier, you actually exude the enthusiasm you are naturally more inclined to have, generally associated with youth.

So if you are hoping to turn back the clock in an easy and natural manner, yoga should be a must on your next ‘must-try-list.’

Even if it’s restorative yoga or simple hatha yoga moves, adding this to your weekly routine will have your soul feeling happier and your face looking rosier.

4) Get To Know Yourself Better

What are the benefits of knowing yourself? Pythagoras once said, “Know thyself and know the universe.”

This is absolutely true.

The more we know about what makes our inner self happy, the happier we have the opportunity of being.

When you spend time with you and you alone, you are nourishing your soul and body when you consistently practice yoga.

And, as a mom of a teenager with a super busy schedule, you could say some have witnessed me sprinting to my next yoga class in the midst of a hectic day because I deserve to have the life I want, too.

Many times it is so easy to forget to nourish our own needs.

But, if you are practicing yoga, then this is woven into the fabric of your weekly schedule.

5) I Discovered New Joy Inside My Fingertips

When you are upside down practicing your headstands against the wall with your fingertips spread wide beneath you, trust me, you gain a newfound appreciation for learning how to balance inside the tips of your fingers.

Often happiness can feel like a destination for just vacation time.

With yoga, you can find your daily dose of joy right there existing inside of you.

I am excited to learn this through the practice of yoga.

I am a yogi in training. I hope to become one and to stay one throughout the rest of my days. Why?

Inside my practice leads to finding more peace and love each day.

My loved ones have observed that I have become a happier and more vibrant person. I take this as a compliment.

Why? Because I can recognize this self-improvement, too.

I look forward to learning new things in life and in my personal relationships, too.

Life is worth making our very own. But do invest in a better yoga mat. We newbies have to start somewhere, right?