Yoga has positive impact on blood pressure
By Kavita Maharaj - Nanaimo News Bulletin - February 2, 2009
What is blood pressure? Blood Pressure is the force or tension within the circulatory system that is used to transport or move blood throughout the body.
It is measured as a number of millimetres over mercury (Hg). In a healthy circulatory system, the top number, which measures the systolic pressure (ventricular contraction), should not be more than 120-130 mm/Hg. The bottom number, the diastolic pressure (ventricular relaxation), should be about 80-85 mm/Hg. –140/90 mm/Hg or above is hypertension.
These numbers may fluctuate due to environmental, physiological and/or psychological changes. If the numbers remain elevated for marked lengths of time however, you are said to be “hypertensive” or suffering from high blood pressure. Hypertension places you at risk for damage to the organs such as the heart, brain, kidneys, etc.
It is almost impossible to tell at any given moment (save with the use of a blood pressure test), if you are hypertensive. As a result, hypertension is known as one of the “silent killers.” Despite this, some symptoms may suggest the need to be tested for hypertension: mild and pounding headache, dizziness, hazy vision, ringing in the ears, and disturbed kidney functioning.
The good news in this equation is that regular yoga practice has been proven to have a direct and positive impact on high blood pressure. According to Dr. Sujit Chandratreya, research has shown regular yoga practice reduces blood pressure by 10-15 mm/Hg.
A likely reason is yoga’s ability to shut off the ‘flight or flight’ response (sympathetic overdrive) that is constantly on in hypertensive patients. Yoga changes the stress response from level of the mind to the physical body, dealing with hypertension triggers at the source.
Another reason is the internal organ massage that takes place in many yoga postures. These ‘massages’ place pressure upon organs such as the kidneys and adrenals, regulating blood supply to these organs. This helps to control their hormonal secretions which have a direct impact on blood pressure.
Although not the main focus of yoga, often the regular practice of yoga leads to weight loss in students who are more than their ideal body weight. This in turn, tends to decrease blood pressure.
Yoga breathing slows and decreases the signals to the medulla oblongata in the brain (the centre that regulates blood pressure).
This appears to lead to reduced blood pressure in the body.
It should be noted while a regular yoga practice is a fantastic method for helping to reduce blood pressure, some aspects should not be practised by hypertensive students.
For example, inversion poses (poses in which the head is below the heart) should be avoided or modified. Pranayama, in which the breath is held, should be altered to eliminate the breath retention.
A gentle practice is best for the hypertensive student. Overly heated environments and overly-strenuous postures are counterproductive to hypertensive students. The most conducive styles of yoga are classical hatha, kripalu and restorative yoga.
Always let your qualified yoga teacher know you suffer from hypertension so she/he may help to modify your practice as you go.
