Practice Yoga to Deal with Blood Pressure Fluctuations

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According to modern day studies and research, practicing Yoga religiously can help in combating several diseases and staying fit. With work and personal life conflicts taking the forefront, stress has become a major part of our lives. But there are ways in which we can deal with the growing stress levels and all the ailments that crop up due to anxiety and stress. Fluctuations in blood pressure are more frequent among people today and even youngsters are dealing with it. There are many reasons that can lead to high or low blood pressure problems. There are many medications that help in controlling blood pressure problems. But some prefer alternate treatment options to keep their blood pressure in check.

High strung activities have a tendency to lead to stress levels which is one of the causes for high blood pressure. Taking medication can only help to a certain extent but a person needs to make certain lifestyle changes to control your blood pressure. Yoga can be a beneficial activity to help control stress levels and deal with mental anxiety. Most of the times neglecting important things like diet, exercise, and other habits that lead to pent-up frustration that directly affects one's health. Vices like alcohol and smoking can also lead to blood pressure fluctuations.

Enhanced Control over Your Blood Pressure with Yoga

Heart ailments are on the rise due to high blood pressure problems and cases of youngsters suffering from heart attacks is truly shocking. Women go through low blood pressure problems during pregnancy which can be controlled with mild exercises. Dehydration, thyroid, and other ailments are also responsible for low blood pressure in people. Although there are medications available for blood pressure patients, it’s not necessarily always effective. Sometimes the core reason behind blood pressure is more in the mind rather than what the body is going through.

Most people today live a hectic and demanding life and this is bound to take a toll on their health. Yoga asanas and Pranayama can help in attaining a mental and physical balance. According to studies Yoga can help in strengthening the mind and help in improving blood circulation in the body. Yoga practice can help increase the oxygen supply to various organs of the body. Pranayama has the power to induce positive feelings and naturally increases the positivity in a person. Trying to get your blood pressure normal naturally is a more feasible option compared to popping innumerable pills. Yoga is a non-invasive way to deal with blood pressure troubles and is definitely a better option compared to other medications.

Lotus Pose
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Plow Pose
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Corpse pose
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The Padmasana (lotus pose), Savasana (corpse pose), Halasana (plow pose) are some of the effective Yoga asanas for blood pressure patients. Forward bending poses and movements are recommended for patients suffering from high blood pressure. Along with asanas, Yogic breathing is also recommended since it has a positive effect on our blood pressure. To combat blood pressure, a change in approach towards life is necessary. Revamp your life and inculcate healthy and beneficial habits that will naturally boost your health. A little bit of lifestyle revamp and a daily dose of yoga is all you need to see positive changes.

For more information visit the official website of Ministry of Ayush: http://www.indianmedicine.nic.in/

Facebook page: International Day of Yoga

Twitter id: @IntlDayofYoga

Benefits of Bakasana

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Bakasana is a pose in Yoga. The meaning of the word Bakasana is ‘crane pose’. Since the Bakanasa pose when done will make you appear like a crane standing on its legs, the asana was named such way. This asana is also known as Kakasana. This is because, the person who is practicing the asana will have to balance the whole body lifted up with his hands. Now the hands will appear like the shorter legs of the crow and hence it was named as Kakasana. In Sanskrit Kak refers to crow and asana refers to posture.

There are also other variations in the asana which were named according to the poses. Some of the major poses in Bakasana are

1.     Parsva Bakasana – this is the one in which one thigh of the performer will rest in the front arm. 

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2.     Eka pada bakasana – this is the one asana which lets the performer to have one leg stretched straight and the other one remains in the usual Bakasana. 

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3.     Eka pada koundiyanasana I – in this, one leg remains in Bakasana and the other leg will stretch diagonally backward.

(Pic courtesy: Wikipedia)

4.     Eka pada koundiyanasana II – this is like a firefly pose. One leg will remain in Bakasana and the other one will be stretched forward diagonally.

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Benefits of Bakasana/Kakasana

1.     Good for muscles in arms, shoulders and chest

Doing Bakasana is actually good for people who want to have strong arms, shoulders and chest. This asana is not a first attempt one. This is because; the stress it takes and the balancing it needs and more important is the strength it requires. Initially you may feel it trouble to do this asana as your arms and shoulders will not be strong enough to bear your body weight and at the same time you will not have a balance to hold yourself with arms alone. But on time and continuous practice, the asana is easy and thus makes you strong.

    

2.     Better functioning of digestive system

Doing this asana was proved to be having a good effect on enhancing the digestion and its entire related works. The asana is meant to burn more calories and thus the performer will have excess appetite. Thus the digestive system works fast to cope up with the food intake. It also reduces the acidity and heart burns due to indigestion of food.

3.     Helps to maintain healthy abdominal organs

While doing this asana, the abdominal organs will get expanded. These are the organs which are actually not taken much care in our daily life. Hence doing this asana will makes these abdominal organs stronger and healthy. But a regular diet is required.

4.     Extra spark on lungs and heart

Bakasana will make the lungs and heart to work synchronized. The heart and lungs synchronization is must for a better respiratory system and blood circulation in our body. The asana will let the lungs and heart work properly and thus enhances a better respiratory system and blood circulation. 

Wonders of Yoga - Healthy heart with simple Yoga

Modern times demand a competitive edge and hard work from an individual, all through their life. It therefore seems only natural to balance one’s life with distressing Yoga and a health benefiting exercise now, doesn't it? Some of the most significant benefits of Yoga include weight reduction, stamina building and improving an individual’s endurance and flexibility.

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A simple system of stress management, to promote good health and a healthy heart in particular can essentially be focused on, especially for heart patients, with Cardiac Yoga. This type of Yoga is relatively modern and backed-up with ample research on how yoga proves beneficial for the heart. Here are a few reasons why Yoga is a desired exercising routine for all individuals and an absolute for heart patients:

·       This age old practice, which dates back to ancient India, is indeed known to help in keeping one’s heart in shape. Various Yoga exercises like stretching and downward dogs have been known to help cardiac patients and promote a healthy heart.

·       Physical activity is often promoted by Yoga exercises as the lack of it is one of the leading reasons for heart diseases in both the genders.

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·       With consistent Yoga exercises and everyday routines, one can successfully overcome anxiety and depression, few of the reasons that induce physical inactivity, smoking, high blood pressure, which leads to heart diseases.

·       Yoga can help you in managing your hypertension as well! Studies reveal that Yoga helps in improving physical fitness, reducing stress and thus, in helping an individual lower their blood pressure.

·       Heart failures due to failure or low aerobic capacities can be worked on with some simple Yoga exercises. Besides helping in improving the aerobic capacity, it can also help with improving an individual’s endurance, flexibility and decrease heart inflammation.

·       Irregular heartbeats, which often lead to stroke or other cardiac complications can be worked on with Yoga! Research proves that Yoga has the potential that is needed to help people with an abnormal heart rhythm and in reducing their irregular beat episodes.

·       Certain studies even demonstrate how Yoga and exercise routines have the same effect on cardiac patients as brisk walking or biking. Cardiovascular markers for heart diseases have been observed for people doing Yoga and promising results have led to a wide spread belief of Yoga as a physical activity for heart patients.

(Pic courtesy: Wikipedia)

Cardiac patients are often advised on the different routines that their heart can benefit from and hence, it is in the best interest to consult the concerned doctor. Yoga is an art of meditation, exercising and focus on one’s own body and mind. Hence, when it comes to Yoga routines and exercises for health benefits, then it is best to consult a doctor and know about the best suited stretches and exercises beforehand.

More research is needed to prove the benefits of Yoga and its help in curing heart diseases and related abnormalities but current studies are definitely encouraging the art; it is a comparatively cost effective and beneficial to the mind and body indeed now, isn’t it? 

Benefits of Yoga in today’s overstressed world

Life happens to all; humans experience it and notice it when it puts them through certain degree of physical, emotional, and psychological demands. Stress at times is welcomed despite of the challenges it brings, like pregnancy and parenthood and other times not so much, when it is related to career, person or material loss.

It’s not possible to avoid life but have to learn to live through its ‘ebbs’, manage these effectively so that it does not impact the state of mind, health and well being.

The tell-tale signs of stress or the impact stress can be stated as:

·       Spectrum of emotions ranging from depression to extreme anxiety.

·       Personality issues like insecurity/lack of confidence/substance abuse/social withdrawal.

·       Functional symptoms like fatigue.

·       Relationship problems.

All it takes to avoid this unfortunate whirlpool is to have a healthy routine. Permanent changes in an individual’s personality can happen from temporary events if their impression last longer than event itself. Yoga and mindfulness are best daily routine to avoid exactly that from happening. These help in doing emotional cleansing each day and provide with better control over negative thoughts and emotions.

Following few asana are particularly helpful in this regard:

Yoga asana together with Pranayama are amazing techniques to counter stress. Both go hand in hand, Pranayama helps you to control your breath, leading to perfect relaxation and balance of body activities. It liberates us from our age old practice of shallow breathing that we become programmed to since our early years; the more deeply you breathe the more relaxed and liberated you feel.

It works like hypnosis, transforming you, taking you from the world of stress to an altogether astral plane where you go in trance and feel lighter as gold flake. It lifts your soul and cleanses your energies.

Here are 3 Asana that together with Pranayama are good for distressing:

1. Balasana (Child Pose)

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Balasana is the most calming poses of all, with the simple pose resembling the serene posture of a child, it allows an opportunity to breathe fully, stretch to release tension with each breath, improves concentration and shut out unnecessary distractions.

2. Sukhasana (Easy Pose)

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Excellent pose for inner calm, to find lost tranquillity by eliminating anxiety, besides relieving physical and mental exhaustion and tiredness, it works wonder in just few minutes.

3. Uttana Shishosana (Extended Puppy Pose)

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As innocent its name is in English equally potent it is in finding the inner strength by submitting feeling and emotions about thing we cannot control in our life. To practice this one has to try to touch the floor with the nose while starting from Balasana. This pose also relieves symptoms of chronic stress, tension, insomnia, physical stress like chronic back and shoulder tension.

These practices help to channelize life’s frustration and create a stable inner core that can overcome it all. Helps to harness something useful out of it, like electricity; it can kill but if channelized properly, same can bring light to the world.

Best possible way to achieve that is by ‘Yoga’.