What is High Blood Pressure and how can yoga help?

Imbalance in blood pressure is a disease of the circulatory system which primarily affects our respiratory system and eventually all other systems in the body.

According to the WHO, hypertension (High Blood Pressure) occurs when blood pressure is too high. It means the blood has to push against the arterial walls consistently, so the heart has to work harder to pump blood.

In layman’s terms, when the blood faces obstacles to flow within the circulatory system, a pressure is created. This is known as Blood pressure. When the pressure is too high, that is more than the set normal standards, it is categorized as High Blood Pressure.

Blood Pressure is measured in two numbers.

Firstly systolic pressure, which represents the pressure in blood vessels when the heart contract or beats and secondly diastolic pressure, which is when the heart rests between the beats. Hypertension is diagnosed when the numbers are greater than 140/90 mmHg (as per WHO).

Hypertension is often called as a silent killer.

Symptoms of Hypertension:

Chest pains
breathlessness with small efforts
Extreme fatigue with little to no efforts
Continuous pain in the body
Extreme cases include blood from the nostrils

Common Causes of Hypertension

When we know what has caused the problem, it becomes easier to find a solution.

Obesity
Substance abuse
Stress
Age
Genetics
High salt and fat intake
Diabetes
Pregnancy (temporary)

Hypertension affects the quality of the blood, reducing the oxygenated blood supply to all parts of the body due to improper breathing. It affects the well-being of all the organs. The main components of the circulatory system are the heart, arteries, and veins. And the main function of the circulatory system is to transport nutrient-dense, oxygenated blood to all the cells of the body and to remove impure carbon dioxide from the blood to be purified again.

If we follow a disciplined, balanced lifestyle, it is entirely possible to avoid this disease. It’s a universal truth that everyone knows, yet people undermine the consequences of failing to follow it.

The risk factors associated with this disease are:

Brain stroke
Heart stroke
Vision loss
Loss of movement and flexibility
Inadequate supply of blood to vital organs.
Effective stress management

How can Yoga help in managing hypertension?

Once you have hypertension, it is very important to improve your lifestyle and diet(even if one is on medication), as it will continue to manifest itself strongly in the body. Research has shown that significant weight loss has helped many individuals around the world to successfully manage their well-being. It requires a systematic approach to changing your attitude, mindfully reducing stress, and prioritizing your lifestyle over anything else.

Yogic practices, particularly breathing techniques and pranayama, can greatly help in managing hypertension.

Shatkarmas : Yogic scriptures give us knowledge of six kriyas, which lead to detoxification and cleanse our bodies. Jal neti, kunjal kriya, shankha prakshalana, and many practices help us flush out toxins, excess fat and mucus.
Pranayama: Breathing techniques like Anulom/Vilom, Pranayamas like Nadi Shodhan, Chandrabhedi, Sheetali, Seetkari help clean our energy channels, allow deep respiration, and enable effective use of oxygen in our body. They help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing us to enter a rest-and-digest response (giving us enough time to assess the situation calmly), rather than releasing high-stress hormones like adrenaline and dopamine, which induce action and immediate reactions.
Helpful Asanas for High Blood Pressure: There are many asanas that allow our body to relax and restore energy. Asanas like shavasana, balasana, shashankasana, and asanas in Suryanamaskaras help stretch and relax the nerves and are extremely helpful when practiced regularly. Read here more about asanas for hypertension management.

Make a decision today. Take up yoga to manage your well-being and start your journey to a medicine-free, disease-free life. Hypertension can lead to other conditions such as high cholesterol, dysfunction of vital organs, and eye issues, to name a few.

Personally, for me, yoga has helped me reverse my attitude towards self-care, and I do not take my health for granted anymore. I manage my lifestyle through regular yoga practices and balancing my meals.

See my own transformation here.

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