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How Yoga Controls Hypertension ?

High blood pressure (hypertension) is a potentially serious condition due to its deleterious impact on many body organs and systems. In the ancient literature's of India, dating back thousands of years before Christ, hypertension, which is called and described as ?rakta vata?, was quoted as one of the major illnesses of human body. Herbal medicines, along with meditation practices were prescribed both for cure and prevention.

In the modern world, in about 80 percent of the cases of hypertension, the primary or the essential cause has always been found to be the stresses and strains in life. The other 20 percent of cases are caused by one or more medically or surgically identifiable causes.

As long as the stress and strain in the normal life remain under the disease causing threshold limit, there will not be any sign of this ailment. In the ancient Indian (Hindu) scripts, some methods were described to raise this threshold level so as to enable the body and mind to control the precipitation of hypertension.

According to Yoga, which is also as ancient as Ayurveda, stress is a state of imbalance of the mind. Yoga is a science of body and mind practiced in India for thousands of years. It has, in more recent times, received acceptance around the world, and is used in the management of stress worldwide.

Yoga treats stress in a holistic (body and mindAccording to yoga, which is also as ancient as Ayurveda, stress is a state of imbalance of the mind. Yoga is a science of body and mind practiced in India for thousands of years. It has, in more recent times, received acceptance around the world, and is used in the management of stress worldwide.) concept of the entire person. Stress is stated to be a result of bad interaction between different layers, called koshas, of human existence. Yoga aims to achieve a totally stress free state. According to yoga, the mind plays the most important part in causing hypertension and does so in the following ways:

Mental Causes: Worries of any nature stagnating in the mind for a long time produce tension in the mind, therefore causing disturbances in the emotional state of mind.
Pranic Causes: Prana means ?breath of life.? If prana is disturbed, it will in turn cause disturbances in the energy systems of the body, known as the ?chakras.? The chakras produce cyclic changes in the hormones of the body, and these in turn cause disturbances in the energy systems of the body.
Physical Causes: Abnormalities in lifestyle, such as sedentary habits, sleep disturbances, unbalanced diet, smoking, and drinking alcohol, as well as others, also disturbances in the metabolic and circulatory systems.

Using yoga to manage hypertension

Yoga offers a comprehensive and integrated approach for the treatment, as well as the prevention of essential hypertension. The practice of yoga integrates the activities of the mind with those of the body. This approach has been used for over 20 years at the Vemana Yoga Research Institute, Hyderabad, India.

Clinical evaluation of the patients using yoga has proved that using a comprehensive approach was much better than using isolated yoga techniques in the treatment of various disorders, including essential hypertension. The comprehensive approach recommends more than one yoga practices combined with making changes in lifestyle, performing meditation, and eating a suitable diet under an expert?s guidance and supervision.

The following yoga practices have been found to be effective in the management of high blood pressure. These practices should be taught by a yoga expert and practiced under his or her supervision. It is also advised that you keep a periodic record of your blood pressure in order to know for yourself, the result of these yoga practices.

1.Shavasana
?Shava? means dead and ?asana? means posture, therefore in this position you would lie in a supine position like a dead person. In this posture, all parts of the body are completely relaxed.

The technique is as follows:

a. Lie down in a supine position on a hard surfaced floor in a room (preferably a wooden surface.) Have your legs separated from each other by 60 degrees and your arms separated from the body by about 15 degrees.

b. Keep your elbows in a mid-prone position and the hands semi-flexed with the palms facing the body.

c. Keep your eyes closed. Breathe slowly and shallowly using your abdominal muscles (expand the abdomen while breathing in).

d. Keep your mind focused on your breathing. This act, called pranadharana, is essential in shavasana.

Do this yoga practice for 15 to 30 minutes one to three times a day, either in the morning or evening, every day for one month. When doing shavasana, you should have an empty stomach, so don?t eat beforehand.

This practice relieves you from high blood pressure, headaches, dizziness, hot flushes, mental weakness, and insomnia. The only precaution is if you have low blood pressure. If you do, you should not do this practice. Also, once your blood pressure has returned to a normal level, don?t do this practice if your blood pressure drops to a below normal level.

2. Naadi Shodhana
Naadi shodhana means ?cleansing of the nerves.? It clears the airway and nasal passages. Naadi shodhana may be done in either one of two positions: in shavasana (as described above) or in sukhasana (described below.)

Naadi shodhana in the shavasana position:

a. While lying in the shavasana position, bend your knees so that your ankles touch your buttocks.

b. Place the palm of your left hand horizontally over the center of your abdomen.

c. Press the thumb of your right hand against your right nostril and close the right nostril.

d. Inhale (using abdominal breathing) through your left nostril.

e. Next, press the ring and little fingers of your right hand against your left nostril and close your left nostril.

f. Remove your thumb from the right nostril.

g. Exhale (using abdominal breathing) through your right nostril.

(You are inhaling through the left nostril and exhaling through the right nostril.)

The inhalation and exhalation constitutes one unit of breathing. The breathing should be at a ratio of 1:2 (e.g., count from 1 to 5 while breathing in, and count 1 to 10 while breathing out), and it should be continuous (e.g., no break or holding of breath.)

Do five units of breathing. Take a break from this method of breathing for about two minutes then repeat. Do this yoga practice for about 15 to 30 minutes, once or twice a day (in the morning and/or evening) every day for one month. When doing naadi shodhana, you should have an empty stomach, so don?t eat beforehand.

This procedure improves the respiratory system and concentration and decreases the blood pressure. The only precaution is low blood pressure.

Naadi shodhana in the sukhasana position:
Sukhasana means ?comfortable posture?, and may also be referred to as the easy posture. Sukhasana is a suitable position if you are not able to perform other yoga postures such as padmasana (the Lotus position), which may be difficult for beginners.

The sukhasana position is as follows:

a. Sit comfortably on the floor, resting on both of your buttocks.

b. Sit up tall. (Keep your spine erect without any bending.)

c. Sit ?cross-legged? (flex or bend both knees, keep one leg and foot resting on the floor, with the other leg and foot resting on the opposite leg and thigh.)

d. Perform naadi shodhana as described above.

Do this for a total of 5 to 10 minutes, once or twice a day (in the morning and/or evening) every day for one month. When doing naadi shodhana, you should have an empty stomach, so don?t eat beforehand.

The benefits and precautions are the same as for naadi shodhana performed in the shavasana position.

3. Chandrabedhana in Sukhasana
Chandrabedhana means ?activation of breathing through the left nostril.? It is performed while sitting in the sukhasana position. This yoga practice activates chandra naadi (the left nostril) and calms (cools) the entire body.

a. Sit in the sukhasana position.

b. Place the palm of your left hand on your left knee.

c. Press the thumb of your right hand against your right nostril and close the right nostril.

d. Inhale (using abdominal breathing) through your left nostril.

e. Next, press the ring and little fingers of your right hand against your left nostril and close your left nostril.

f. Remove your thumb from the right nostril.

g. Exhale (using abdominal breathing) through your right nostril.

(You are inhaling through the left nostril and exhaling through the right nostril.

The inhalation and exhalation constitutes one unit of chandrabedhana. The breathing should be continuous (e.g., no break or holding of breath.)

Do five units of breathing. Then take a break from this method of breathing for about two minute then repeat. Do this yoga practice for about 5 to 10 minutes, once a day (either in the morning or evening) every day for one month. When doing chandrabedhana, you should have an empty stomach, so don?t eat beforehand.

4. Ujjayi Pranayama
Ujjayi pranayama means ?breathing with a hissing sound.? This practice cures throat diseases causing production of phlegm, and it has a soothing effect on nervous system, calming the mind.

a. Sit in the sukhasana position and close your eyes.

b. Breathe in and out through both nostrils using chest and not abdominal breathing (expand the chest while breathing in).

c. Produce a hissing sound both during inhalation and exhalation by closing your glottis. (It will probably take a few days to you to master how to produce this sound.)

The inhalation and exhalation, which constitutes one unit, should be forceful and continuous (e.g., no break or holding of breath.)

Do 10 units of continuous breathing. Then take a break from this method of breathing for one minute, then continue in 10 unit cycles for 5 to 10 minutes. Do this yoga practice once or twice a day (in the morning and/or evening) every day for one month. When doing ujjayi pranayama, you should have an empty stomach, so don?t eat beforehand.

A comprehensive approach

In our studies, we found that it took a minimum of one month (30 days) of performing these yoga practices before an improvement in blood pressure was noted. Of course, the cause of the hypertension needs to be attacked through a comprehensive approach, and every individual responds differently.

The nucleus of yoga is regular practice in a perfect way. A yoga expert?s guidance and supervision, as well as your doctor?s, are essential to achieve the desired results. You also need to have a firm belief, confidence, determination, and dedication in order for the practice to succeed.

Diet is part of a comprehensive approach to hypertension, whether you are practicing yoga or not. A diet low in salt and fat is usually prescribed and steamed, grilled, and baked foods suggested.

A vegetarian diet goes well with yoga. Foods to avoid are those that are fried, tinned, or cured; those with preservatives and oils; as well as butter, margarine, bicarbonate of soda, cakes, and biscuits.

Restrictions and limitations

The restrictions and limitations of these yoga practices will vary with each individual, as the response and abilities of each is different, hence the necessity to perform these yoga practices only under the direct supervision of a yoga expert.

Over doing and getting tired and fatigued are to be avoided. Recording the blood pressure before and after these practices are performed is recommended. A daily record is helpful to note the progress and determine the need for any changes in the routine and therapies.

The only precaution is that if you have low blood pressure as described above. Then you should not perform these practices. Care must also be taken that once your blood pressure has reached a normal level that it does not drop to a level that would be detrimental for you.

Also, it is advised that if you have hypertension, that you do not practice breath-holding (kumbhaka) while doing any of the yoga practices. You should also continue to take any medications prescribed by your doctor, unless otherwise advised to stop. It may be harmful to suddenly stop taking them without consulting your doctor.

Once your hypertension is under control, it?s recommended that you continue to see your yoga expert and/or doctor at least every three months or as otherwise instructed to ensure continued success in the control of your high blood pressure.

All of the yoga practices mentioned above aid in managing hypertension by reducing mental tension and stress, re-harmonizing the endocrine-chakra complex, re-balancing prana, and removing the effects of stress such as toxic wastes from the body.