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What Yoga Poses Will Immediately Lower Your Blood Pressure


Submitted by Kevin Pederson on January 15, 2010
Hypertension is considered the silent killer. This is because a lot of people don’t know they have it until they start having problems. Some people have symptoms but don’t realize how serious they can be until they suffer cardiac or renal damage. Some people don’t have any symptoms that warn them that something is wrong.

Some symptoms of hypertension include:
•  Mild or pounding headaches
•  Blurred vision
• Ringing in the ears
• Problems with the kidneys.

If left untreated, these symptoms can lead to heart attacks, strokes, or paralysis.
Along with a good diet, yoga can be used to help lower blood pressure. Before you start a yoga regimen, you need to consult your doctor to make sure of your current state of health. He or she can help you decide how much and how soon you can add to your yoga regimen without hurting yourself.
Yoga is broken down into various asanas or postures. These can be further be broken down into asanas that can be used to lower blood pressure. These asanas include: inverted postures, forward bends, sitting, and supine postures.

• Forward bends help you relax and normalize circulation to the brain. They also help to calm the sympathetic nervous system.
• Sitting asanas can include Baddhakonasana and Virasana. The poses are meant to relieve tension in your body and help you breathe without any difficulty.
• Baddhakonasana is also used as a supine pose. These poses calm your nerves by relaxing the abdominal region and then the entire body.
• Inversion asanas can include Viparita Karanti and Halasana. Inversions are used to revitalize the nerves. With practice you can get control over your lungs and diaphragm.

Here are some poses to get you started:

• Sukhasana or the easy pose
• The camel pose or Ushtrasana
• Shoulder stretches
• Standing spread leg forward fold
• Corpse pose or the Shavasana
• Bidalasana or the cat pose
• Nadi shodhana (a breathing exercise)
• Ardha Matsyendrasana or half spinal twist
• Pavanamuktasana or wind relieving pose (yes, it helps eliminate gas in the digestive system)
• Double leg raises
• Meditation poses
• Anuloma Viloma or Alternate nostril breathing technique

Yoga can benefit the body in several ways. Not only can you lower your blood pressure but you can focus your mind, lose weight, increase energy, build your immunity, develop better sleeping habits, better memory, and improve your mood. Remember that yoga by itself is not going to give you the most benefits. You must eat a well balanced diet and drink plenty of fluids too.
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