Yoga to Control Hypertension: 5 Best Asanas for Reducing High Blood Pressure

The human life has become very hectic today due to busy and erratic schedules of today’s life. Due to this, a person cannot concentrate on his health which affects the normal functioning of body. This hectic pace of life also affects the blood pressure of the body resulting in hypertension. Yoga can be very beneficial in controlling hypertension; especially the breathing techniques of yoga are very effective in controlling hypertension. Yoga asanas not only provide an aid to control the blood pressure, but also help in controlling the mind and making a person feel energetic always.

The blood pressure in the body is the force applied by the blood against the walls of blood vessels. Hypertension is caused when this blood pressure becomes higher than 140/90 mmHg. This shows that the pressure becomes 140 mmHg when heart is pumping blood to whole body and reaches 90 mm Hg when heart relaxes and is refilling with blood.

The major causes of hypertension are ultimately the changing life style, stress; and also diet rich in salt is one of the major factors of this disease.

Routinely performed yoga asanas makes the body fit and fine. By performing yoga regularly, the body becomes resistant to diseases and remains free from day to day stress. The body remains healthier and fresh always. Each person gets benefit from yoga asanas if they take proper training and follow the proper routine in yoga. Similarly, yoga helps in controlling or even preventing hypertension. Some of the major benefits and ways in which yoga helps in reducing high blood pressure are:

• Doing regular yoga helps in controlling the blood pressure by keeping your heart function proper.
• Yoga helps in relieving symptoms of depression and also in reducing anxiety, which indirectly prevents the blood pressure to flare up.
• Yoga strengthens the mind and gives positive energy to be active keeping your body healthy and your blood pressure reduced.
• There are Yoga asanas, which improves immunity and concentration which help in controlling blood pressure.
• Yoga is also beneficial in controlling anger, which is one of the main reasons for sudden increase in blood pressure.
• Lastly, yoga reduces problem of strokes and heart attacks, which come as a result of hypertension.

Asanas reduce high blood pressure to much extent and maintains the good functioning of the heart. The best five Asanas to reduce blood pressure are as follows:

In this yoga asana, the posture resembles a dog bending forward, so this name has been assigned. This yoga asana can be performed by any person and of any age and is one of the best asanas to reduce high blood pressure.

• Bring the body on your fours.
• Breathe in such a way that the hips lift up and keep the knees and elbows straight.
• Keep the hands apart and make the toes point straight.
• Press the hands into the ground and touch the ears to inner arms.
• Now take long deep breaths and look towards the navel.
• Exhale the air out and bend the knees and relax.

• This yoga asana makes the body feel energetic and rejuvenates it, which helps in controlling hypertension.
• Adho Mukha Svanasana strengthens the body parts like arms, legs, feet etc.
• Adho Mukha Svanasana also strengthens the chest’s muscles, increasing the capacity of lungs and controls high blood pressure.
• Adho Mukha Svanasana also helps in shaping the muscles.
• Adho Mukha Svanasana keeps the mind fresh and calm, which also helps in reducing your high blood pressure.

In this yoga asana, the posture becomes steady like palm tree and so it is named as uttana tadasana. This is one of the best asanas to reduce and control high blood pressure.

• Lie down on your back.
• Join the feet so that the toes touch each other.
• Put your palms to the sides of the body.
• Take deep breath and raise hands over head.
• Stretch the toes downwards.
• Stretch the body completely and then repeatedly inhale and exhale.

• Uttana Tadasana yoga pose develops a sense of balance in the body, which in turn helps in reducing and controlling high blood pressure.
• The organs and muscles are brought in a proper posture with the help of Uttana Tadasana yoga pose.
• Uttana Tadasana yoga pose also increases the height of children.
• Due to stretching of complete body, the spinal cords loosen with the help of Uttana Tadasana yoga pose.
• Uttana Tadasana yoga asana increases the concentration power.

The final yoga posture for controlling and reducing high blood pressure looks like a triangle, so it has been given this name, Triangular posture.

• Firstly, stand straight and keep a distance of 3 feet between both legs.
• Extend the arms parallel to the floor and then inhale.
• Now, bend the right arm to the left side and exhale.
• Now repeat the same with left arm and perform three to four rounds.

• The spinal nerves get a good shape with the help of Trikonasana or Triangular Posture which aid in blood pressure control.
• This yoga asana makes the muscles loose and makes the joints flexible. Extend the arms and then inhale.
• Trikonasana or Triangular Posture also reduces the extra body fat, which in turn helps in reducing hypertension.

This yoga pose is dedicated to lord Shiva and thus named after one of his song veer bhadra.

• Stand straight with legs aligned to the feet.
• Inhale and then exhale, take a step forward with your right leg and bend the right knee. Keep the left leg straight.
• Again inhale and lift arms above head.
• Stretch fingers towards the sky. Repeat the same twice.

• The yoga asana increases the chest size.
• Virabhadrasana (Warrior Pose) makes the shoulders strong.
• Virabhadrasana (Warrior Pose) reduces the fat and thus helps in reducing blood pressure.

This yoga pose resembles a cobra and so is the name of the asana.

• Lie on the stomach with toes touching each other.
• Keep the hands to the front of shoulder and raise the trunk.
• Move the neck backward like a cobra and breathe in.
• Release the pose after a minute or two and repeat again.

• Bhujangasana yoga pose increases flexibility in spinal cords.
• Bhujangasana yoga pose helps to overcome asthma.
• Bhujangasana yoga pose increases the kidney function and in this way reduces blood pressure.

Practising the yoga asanas correctly and regularly helps in reducing high blood pressure (hypertension). However, do check with your physician if you can start yoga and consult a yoga specialist before starting these yoga asanas to learn the correct way of doing them for getting the utmost benefit for your health.

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