When you suffer from high blood pressure there are yoga asanas that you can do but you need to be careful. It is normally a good idea to go through a stress test. When you are affected by any of the following conditions you should go to the doctor before considering yoga: cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, diabetes and atherosclerosis. You should also avoid this when you have high C-reactive or homocysteine protein levels.
Generally, the yoga asanas that will put your body in a position that is inverted have to be avoided when you have high blood pressure. Always be sure that you avoid especially the relaxing inversions and the headstands or shoulderstands.
Relieving High Blood Pressure Through Yoga Asanas
The most important thing to remember is that you want to practice poses that are not inverted if you suffer from high blood pressure. The calming restorative asanas will always be useful for reducing blood pressure and stress, all in a natural way. Intensive stretch poses (like Janusirsana) and the gentle hip openers will also be really effective.
When talking about the very best poses for those affected by high blood pressure, we need to look at those that align the spine in a horizontal way. That is because the heart is slowing down, with low effort necessary to pump the blood the body needs towards the brain. You can try Hero Pose, Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend and Bound Angle.
As your asanas progress, you can add some mild inversions. However, this should be done in a gradual way, as alternatives. For instance, you can use supported bridge instead of legs up the wall. Bridge is energizing for your kidneys and highly soothing for your nervous system.
Yoga Breathing Exercises
Much evidence is available showing that breathing exercises often used in yoga will be useful in reducing blood pressure. Deep breathing is really good because the sympathetic nervous system is calming as blood flow is increased towards tissues. This mainly happens for the heart. High blood pressure yoga is very useful, together with lifestyle changes and some Ayurvedic remedies.
Remember that we are talking about natural healing. This means that results will not be as easy and as fast as with taking medication. However, as the body is healing, it learns how to be stronger. You will get results that will be felt for the long run. With medication it is not something that can be said. The nervous system has more balance and there are other mind/body system benefits that are gained. Generally speaking, you end up feeling better, energy levels are higher and you will feel that it is a lot easier to deal with stress, all as you are helping the body fight against high blood pressure.
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