Sitkari Pranayama - Despite the fact that yoga has been around for centuries, largely because of the prominence of chemical medication, the art and discipline has taken a rather long time to become popular in the modern world. Only in the last few decades has yoga known to be a very effective natural treatment for a number of different medical ailments. Initially though, almost the entire medical fraternity was unhappy with the practice and warned many that the discipline would prove to be fruitless. However, with continued research finding out that yoga is indeed a very effective tool more and more doctors are recommending that their patients choose to take up this natural treatment option more seriously. Yoga has a number of benefits on a physical as well as mental scale. For instance, yoga helps in improving the flexibility and joint mobility as well as in the strengthening and toning of the muscles, helping correct posture and stimulating the glands of the endocrine system - thereby improving the entire digestion and elimination process. On a mental level, practicing yoga is known to help relieve stress, sharpen concentration, frees the spirit as well as refreshes the body as a result of relieving muscle strain. There are a number of many other benefits that the discipline also provides such as renewing, invigorating and healing the body.