Do you have high BP? Here are some Yoga and meditation to overcome this health problem
Hypertension, also known as High Blood Pressure, affects an estimated two-thirds of the human population of roughly 1.13 billion people worldwide.
FollowDepending on nature of our activities, our blood pressure goes up and down repeatedly to adjust to the needs of the heart. However, when the reading remains continuously high or low for an extended period, it is diagnosed as Hypertension or Hypotension.
If left untreated, it can lead to life-threatening conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, renal disorder and vascular dementia. Therefore, it is essential to get your blood pressure checked regularly.
Causes
Hypertension doesn’t have any symptoms and slowly develops over many years. Some of the causes for this condition is leading a sedentary lifestyle, stress, and being overweight. These are some of the high-risk factors for hypertension. It can also be due to poor diet, inadequate sleep, excess alcohol consumption, excess salt/sugar consumption and dehydration etc.
Holistic Treatment
While there is allopathic and other forms of treatment for Hypertension, if you want to manage this condition naturally then yoga is the key. Yoga can help improve your all round health through asanas, breathing exercises, meditation techniques along with consumption of nutritious food. All these factors will go hand in hand in ensuring that your stress levels remain low. Ayurveda, the system of naturopathy and other forms of healing can also be considered along with yoga.
Prevention and Management
There are certain practices that help you control the condition of hypertension. It requires that you remain committed and follow a system of discipline with regular exercise and self-care. There are asanas that you can practice which are extremely simple and easy to perform but very effective in treating hypertension. When practicing these yoga asanas you must proceed with caution and awareness.
Do the exercises very slowly while paying attention to your breathing pattern and alignment. Yoga can help you lead a more healthy life, and combat stress, anxiety etc. You can also heal hypertension through these special techniques of meditation like Trikuti Dhyan, Vajra Dhyan and Siddhohum Kriya.
Yoga Asanas
VrikshasanaBegin by standing in Samasthithi. Lift you right leg off the floor and balance your
body weight on your left leg, place your right foot on your lift inner thigh. Place it as close to your pelvis as possible. You may support your foot with your palms to bring it in place. After you find your balance, join your palms in Pranam Mudra at your heart chakra. Focus your gaze forward. Repeat the same with the alternate leg.
- Baddha Konasana
Begin by assuming Dandasana. Fold your legs and bring the soles of your feet together. Pull your heels closer to your pelvis. Gently push your knees down. Empty air from your stomach and hold the posture for 15-20 seconds. Repeat 2-3 sets.
- Samasthithi/Tadasana
Stand tall with big toes touching and heels together. Draw in your abdominals and relax your shoulders down and back. Breathe 5-8 breaths while actively engaging your leg muscles. Try to balance your body weight on both feet equally. It's a great pose to keep the postures tall and strong.
Meditation Techniques
Siddhohum Kriya is a practice that prepares you to become a container to receive energies, and enhances your capacity. It removes your mental limitations and also makes you powerful enough to implement these energies. There are 5 steps to practising the Siddho Hum Abhyas, the Disha (direction) to face is East. Each step has a specific formation, and philosophy behind it. This practice is ideal when done during sunrise, and each step is to be held for 1 minute.
The 5 steps are:
- State of Surrender
- Establishing a connection with divine energies
- A state of prayer
- A state of receptiveness
- Gratitude for what you received
Vajra Dhyan is another technique where you sit in Vajrasana for a long period of time. We have a special channel called Vajra Nadi within the body which controls the flow of energies. This meditation technique focuses on slow inhale and exhale which helps you balance your system.
You must take care of all the different aspects of the mind, body and spirit. Yoga helps you to be physically fit, mentally alert, emotionally balanced and spiritually blissful. Include the activity of walking into your routine and try to do this twice a day, in the morning and evening. Follow a nutritious diet, and drink water only when you feel thirsty. This will help you prevent and manage your condition of hypertension.
