Today high BP or hypertension is a serious problem. Are you worried about your rising blood pressure levels? If yes, then leave worry because today we are going to tell some yogasanas to control your hypertension which is very beneficial for you. Changing lifestyle and wrong eating habits have made the youth a victim of many diseases in today’s time.
Nowadays diseases or health conditions which were rarely seen earlier are seen in people of any age. We would like to tell people who have high blood pressure that there are some natural ways to reduce high blood pressure. These methods also include some exercises. You can get a lot of relief from the problem of hypertension by exercising.
Yoga is a very beneficial therapy to control and reduce your high blood pressure naturally. If you choose the right postures of yoga, then this yoga helps in healing the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for curing high blood pressure. Let’s discuss step by step.
What is Hypertension?
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a common condition nowadays. It is a condition in which the force of the blood is too high in your arteries. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood away from your heart to supply your tissues with oxygen and nutrients.
Hypertension Types:-
There are 2 types of hypertension-
Primary hypertension- It is also called essential hypertension. It usually takes several years for this type of hemorrhage to develop. It is a result of your lifestyle, environment, and how your body changes with age.
Secondary hypertension- This is when a health problem or medication is causing your high blood pressure. Things that cause secondary hypertension include:
- Kidney problems.
- Sleep apnea.
- Thyroid or adrenal gland problems.
- Some medicines.
Causes of High Blood Pressure:-
Common factors that cause high blood pressure include-
- A diet is rich in salt, fat, and cholesterol.
- Chronic conditions such as kidney and hormone problems, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
- Family history, especially if your parents or other close relatives have high blood pressure.
- Lack of physical activity.
- Old age (the older you are, the more likely you are to have high blood pressure).
- Being overweight or obese.
- Certain contraceptive drugs and other medicines.
- The stress.
- Using tobacco or drinking too much alcohol.
How can yoga help you combat high blood pressure?
Yoga involves using deep breathing techniques in sync with certain postures or body movements. Focusing on your inhalation and exhalation through yoga helps to control your breathing patterns which encourages relaxation and reduce stress. Yoga works as a complete fitness regime.
The various asanas of yoga work on both the internal and external areas of your body, thereby increasing strength, flexibility, and stamina. It can also be as soft or hard as you want to depend on your body’s needs and capabilities. By doing yoga asanas and pranayama there is proper blood circulation in both your mind and body. It controls the hormones of your body, due to which the enzymes of your body are balanced. By which your mind becomes calm. You feel stress-free with yoga.
Today it is important to keep the blood pressure under control without fear of suffering from stroke or cardiac problems. Taking a brisk walk and practicing yoga and pranayama can help you reduce high blood pressure.
Let us discuss some yoga asanas and pranayama which balance your body so that you can get rid of serious problems like hypertension.
Balasana-
Balasana or Child’s Pose is a special asana of yoga science. The word Baal is a Sanskrit word that means child. Whereas asana means to sit. In this way, the collective meaning of these two words is child-like sitting posture.
In Balasana, your body comes in the same position as it is in the mother’s womb. The condition in which the child waits for 9 months to be born while in the mother’s womb. While doing Balasana, the yogi takes the body in the same position.
Child’s pose is most beneficial for hypertensive patients. This asana is a very easy asana, it gives you relief from various factors that contribute to high blood pressure. Balasana reduces stress and improves blood circulation throughout the body. Controlled breathing while doing this asana promotes calmness and reduces tension from the neck and shoulders.
Step-by-step procedure to do Balasana-
- First of all, sit on your knees on the yoga mat.
- Now touch both your ankles and ankles together.
- Slowly spread your knees out as far as you can.
- Take a deep breath and lean forward.
- Now take your stomach between both the thighs and exhale.
- Now widen the sacrum at the back of the waist.
- Now while contracting the hip, try to pull it towards the navel.
- Try to lift your head slightly behind the neck.
- Bring your hands to the front and keep them in front of you.
- Keep both your hands in line with the knees.
- Now try to touch both the shoulders with the floor.
- The stretch of your shoulders should be felt across the back from the shoulder blades.
- Remain in this position for 30 seconds to a few minutes.
Precautions-
- If you find it difficult to bend in Balasana, you can keep a pillow on the floor.
- Do not practice Balasana if you are suffering from diarrhea or knee injury.
- In the beginning, do Balasana only under the supervision of a yoga trainer.
- Before starting the practice of Balasana, you must consult a doctor.
Setubandhasana-
Setu bandhasana is also known as Bridge Pose is one of the most famous yoga asanas for maintaining blood pressure. The word Setu Bandhasana comes from the Sanskrit words ‘Setu’ meaning bridge, ‘Bandha’ meaning lock, and ‘Asana’ meaning posture.
This is one of the simple yoga asanas which can be practiced by even a novice. Setubandhasana or Bridge Pose helps in keeping one’s blood pressure under control and calms the mind as well as this asana improves the digestive system. This asana is also a great asana to reduce belly fat and improve flexibility in the lower back and spine.
Step-by-step procedure to do Setu Bandhasana-
- First of all, you sit with both your legs spread in front.
- Now slowly lie down completely on your back.
- Bend your knees keeping your feet and hips at a distance.
- Keep your arms on either side or palms facing down.
- Take a deep breath and slowly lift your back off the floor.
- Keep raising your back till you feel that your chin is touching the chest.
- You should keep in mind that both the thighs are parallel to each other.
- Now press your palms against the floor and raise your back along with the torso.
- Once you are stable, stay in this position for a few seconds.
- Now you are in the position of Setubandhasana
Precautions-
- People who have neck and shoulder injuries and who have spine problems should not do this asana.
- You should practice this asana under the supervision of a trained yoga instructor.
Adho Mukha Svanasana
The Adho Mukha Svanasana posture is like bowing down to a dog. This asana is an easy asana and anyone can do it. This asana brings a lot of energy to your body system and rejuvenates the body. It elongates the spine, rejuvenates the abdominal muscles and lung capacity. Adho mukha svanasana is primarily meant to increase blood circulation which helps in stabilizing our heart and reducing high blood pressure.
Step-by-step procedure to do Adho Mukha Svanasana-
- You lie down on your stomach first. After this, while inhaling, lift the body on your feet and hands and make a table-like shape.
- While exhaling, slowly raise the hips upwards. Keep your elbows and knees tight.
- During the practice of this asana, the shoulders and hands should be in one line and the feet should be in the line of the hips. Make sure that your ankles are on the outside.
- Now press your hands down towards the ground and try to stretch the neck.
- In this position, you stay for a few seconds and after that keep the knees on the ground and come back again in the table-like position.
Precautions-
Do not practice this asana if you have any of these problems. like,
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- A detached retina
- A dislocated shoulder
- Weak eye capillaries
Bhujangasana-
Bhujangasana is also known as Cobra Pose is a reclining posture for strengthening the spinal column and intense stretching of the shoulders, abdomen, thorax, and lungs. It is generally known as an alternative asana to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Dog Pose). This asana is performed in one cycle of asanas in Surya Namaskar. Bhujangasana lifts your chest, which increases your blood flow as well as affects your heart. Hence it also helps in removing stress and fatigue by removing negative emotions
Step-by-step procedure to do Bhujangasana-
- First of all, lie down on the stomach on the yoga mat, now keep the hands on either side of the head and rest the forehead on the ground.
- You keep your legs taut and keep some distance between them.
- Now bring your palms in line with your shoulders. Then, while inhaling deeply, try to raise the body up to the navel by applying pressure towards the ground with your hands.
- First of all, lift the head, then the chest, and finally the navel part.
- Stay in this position and try to look towards the sky and stay in this position for some time.
- Keep the weight of your body equally on both hands and keep breathing normally.
- Now slowly exhale and come to your starting position.
- In this way, you will complete one cycle of this yoga.
- You can complete three to five cycles of this yoga according to your capacity.
Precautions-
- Don’t keep your body rigid.
- Pregnant women should not practice it.
- Don’t force yourself too much to practice it.
Anulom -Vilom Pranayama-
It is a popular breathing practice associated with traditional yoga that is used to calm the mind and body We can do this exercise through deep breathing and exhaling alternately between the right and left nostrils with the help of our fingers. Today blood circulation is vital for maintaining body parts and a stable mind. Pranayama maintains the blood pressure and purifies the nerves throughout the body. It also cures diseases related to BP like heart blockage and diabetes.
Step-by-step procedure to do Anulom Vilom–
- You can sit in any meditation posture.
- Now relax your body with a few deep breaths.
- Adopt the nasal posture in your right hand and keep the left palm on the left knee in the posture of knowledge.
- You place the ring and little fingers on the left nostril and bend the middle and index finger. You place the right thumb on the right nostril.
- You breathe in through the left nostril, then close the left nostril small and release the ring finger and thumb from the right nostril and exhale through the right nostril.
- After this, inhale through the right nostril.
- At the end of your inhalation, close the right nostril and open the left nostril and exhale from it.
- This whole process is one round of Nadisodhana or Anulom -Vilom Pranayama.
- You repeat for 5 to 9 rounds.
Precautions-
- You should practice only under the guidance of an experienced teacher.
Beginners should practice pranayama by taking breaks in between and should avoid holding their breath.
In the end- About 26 percent of the world’s population is suffering from high blood pressure. Today’s lifestyle, excessive sodium intake, obesity, stress, smoking are the main reasons for this. Most people take medicines when suffering from high blood pressure, natural remedies are a good option to avoid its side effects for a long time and keep blood pressure under control.
Yoga not only calms the nerves but also helps in relieving stress and naturally controls the increased blood pressure. Some such simple yoga poses have been mentioned above, which will not only help you in preventing high blood pressure, and by doing them regularly, you will also be able to control blood pressure.
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Stay happy
Keep doing Yoga.
