Drop Your Pressure Yoga

     High blood pressure (hypertension) can be the result of many contributing factors.  Our risk for this condition increases with family history, age, smoking, obesity, some medications, heart, kidney, and vascular disease. We often do not know why we have developed high blood pressure.  However, there are some things that will help to reduce the blood pressure as well as effects.  These include limiting salt intake, adequate potassium, magnesium, and calcium intake, stopping smoking, reducing intake of saturated fat and cholesterol, weight loss if overweight, limiting alcohol intake, and increasing aerobic activity (30-45 minutes most days of the week) If you have diabetes or high cholesterol you especially need to take steps to control high blood pressure as your risk of developing complications is higher.   

     You may experience “white coat hypertension” or spikes in blood pressure when you are experiencing stressful situations.  During these episodes the sympathetic nervous system shifts into overdrive, causing the body to respond by elevating the blood pressure often more than is necessary.  Of course there are extreme situations when this “fight or flight” response may be useful.  However, in the rapid pace of today’s lifestyle we often find ourselves in constant alert, resulting in chronically higher than normal levels of cortisol.  Chronically high levels of cortisol have been linked to physical problems such as insulin resistance, weight gain, heart disease, congestive heart failure, impaired immunity, and high blood pressure. 

    The result is a relative imbalance between the sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (more calming) nervous systems.  The heart rate and blood pressure rise as a protective defense.  The problem is that most of the time this protective defense is not needed, stressing our cardiovascular system.

      Complex communications occur between the nerves connecting the lungs, heart, and diaphragm and the brain.  These are autonomic functions that occur without out thinking, to either increase or decrease the heart rate and blood pressure.  We can alter these autonomic functions by using skeletal motor muscle to change the pattern of our breathing.  Through conscious control of the respirations we access the autonomic nervous system that controls sympathetic versus parasympathetic response. Evidence of this connection is the fact that as we take long deep exhalations the heart rate slows. Full and complete breathing and extended inhalation and exhalation can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and calm the physical body, reducing heart rate and blood pressure.  Quiet full breathing signals to the brain that the body is receiving enough oxygen and stimulates autonomic circuits that slow the heartbeat and reduce blood pressure. 

     Yoga connects exercise and breathing, engaging the mind to focus on the pose and breath.  Through practice you develop awareness of how poses affect your breathing, and also of how

breathing affects your poses.  We learn that how we breathe affects our ability to deepen a stretch and relax into it. Yoga teaches you how to release tension from the joints and muscles.  This has a very calming effect on the mind.  Yoga also teaches us how to be in the present moment, becoming aware of sensations and thoughts.  We learn to be where we are with thoughts and feelings, reacting less with fear, anxiety and anger.  Instead of reacting in those ways we proactively draw the attention back to the breath and sensation of the pose.

     There are several styles of yoga, and any of them may be engaged to healthful benefit if you have high blood pressure.  You may choose a more active style such as power yoga or ashtanga to develop strength and some aerobic benefit. There are other styles of yoga such as restorative and deep stretching that may be more suited to you if you need to engage in a less strenuous way, and focus on more time stretching and calming the body.  Generally, with all yoga practices, some poses will be more stimulating to the nervous system such as strong or deep backbends.  Forward folds and gentle twists will be more calming and grounding, and may be more suitable if you have very high blood pressure. With high blood pressure, you should avoid holding your breath or other very strong poses that seem to make it difficult to breath.  The key to a safe practice is that you feel comfortable and can breathe easily. Your health care provider should be consulted about the style of yoga you would like to practice if you have high blood pressure.  Check with your provider about if poses that have the head below the heart are safe for you, as the blood pressure to the head and upper body are increased in these poses. These would include headstand, shoulderstand, standing forward fold and down dog. 

   Yoga can be adapted to any physical condition and ability.  Your practice should be individualized to meet your needs and should be enjoyable.  Always remember that “less is more” when you go to practice yoga, and that “more” may not be what you need.  Just settle, breath, ease, and enjoy the vacation that yoga will provide.