I’ve been doing yoga for 25 years. Here are 7 things I wish I knew when I started.

• I’ve been doing yoga for 25 years, and in that time, I’ve learned a lot about the practice.
• In my 20s, I did yoga to lose weight and didn’t appreciate the mental-health benefits.
• There are many different poses and types of yoga, so find the one that fits your body.

I started taking yoga classes over 20 years ago to work off the last few pounds from my first child.

Back then, it was all about weight loss, having flatter abs, and comparing myself to others. However, that child is now 25, and a much older and wiser version of myself still practices regularly — for different reasons.

Here are some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned that would’ve been nice to know when I first started yoga.