I went to yoga class after not going for over a month. I thought I would be completely out of shape and was prepared for a miserable class- but fortunately I was surprised! I did not struggle with much (except the usual wrist paining basic of downward facing dog)
I have always wanted to be a yoga regular, but have not been able to get into it as much as I have hoped. I've taken yoga classes here and there for years... many have told me that yoga is just not for me (due to the fact that i have carpal tunnel in both wrists) In Dharamsala, we took yoga almost everyday. It was not easy for me, I did not really like the instructor and I definitely did not like the assistants pushing you into positions in a very rough manner (i pulled a muscle thanks to one of them) However, being in a huge room in the Himalayas with a view of the mountains made it easy to keep going back.
As of January, I've been going to Vinyasa flow yoga every week. (Yes, it was one of my new years resolutions) I think what appeals to me about Vinyasa flow is that it is not too slow- none of the asana's are held for too long so my wrists do not get too uncomfortable. The yoga studio I go to is right across the street from my apartment. It is always packed and the instructors are generally good, although I wish they had a regular schedule of instructors. Instead you don't really know who you are going to get, even if you show up at the exact same time and day every week.
As far as clearing ones mind and getting into the meditative state, I don't get that to that place with yoga. My most meditative activity is step aerobics, believe it or not. During step class, my mind HAS to be clear to pay attention to the different moves. And slowly my mind goes into a sort of trance, a conscious trance where I just stare at the floor while stepping and jumping up and down. If i mess up or miss a step, its because i get lost into a thought and miss the cue!
It should be noted that I am also taking an abs class, which is neither fun nor meditative. It is hard and my abs feel like they are on fire for the full 45 minutes. Yikes!