Put yourself in the shoes of your best self, in your prime. You’re trying to manage your family, career, and everything in between. You seem okay, may be a little tense or worn out, but that comes with the package of success, right? Then your doctor frowns at your blood pressure reading during a routine check-up. It should not be this high. This is the initial sign of hypertension, which is sometimes called the “silent killer.”

But don’t worry because in this blog we will learn what hypertension really is and how it occurs. We’ll also explore the science behind yoga’s benefits, guide you through five essential poses that specifically target hypertension, and offer an easy daily schedule you can stick to.

What is Hypertension?

The Silent Killer in Our Midst

Hypertension, often known as high blood pressure, is like an unwanted guest that stays too long. It’s sly and stubborn, and if you let it get the better of you, it may seriously damage your health.

It is when the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries is constantly greater than normal. Over time, this causes damage to your arteries and raises the risk of major health problems including heart attacks and strokes. And because there are typically no symptoms associated with high blood pressure, medical professionals refer to it as a “silent killer.”

How Bad is Hypertension?

A Few Sobering Facts

Over 1.13 billion people across the globe suffer from hypertension, which is the world’s biggest cause of early death, according to the World Health Organisation. If left untreated, it can result in kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, and a number of other deadly diseases. Just 24% of adults have well-controlled hypertension. Uncontrolled high BP is responsible for  62% of cerebrovascular illness and 49% of coronary artery disease.  But before you search for fast solutions or pharmaceutical prescriptions, let’s talk about something that’s been around for a lot longer than your great grandmother’s secret pickle recipe: yoga. That’s right. It’s the age-old method that presses the “reset” button on the stress levels in your body.

How does Yoga help with Hypertension?

The science behind yoga. (Not Just Stretching).

You might have heard people say that yoga is good for stress. But what does that actually mean? One of the main causes of hypertension is stress. When you stress out, your adrenal glands release the fight or flight hormones, causing your heart to accelerate, your blood vessels to constrict, and ultimately, your blood pressure to rise.

This is where yoga enters the scene and tells your body to “relax” and “breathe”. Deep breathing, which is encouraged by the practice, activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is in charge of calming you down. When this system activates, your blood vessels widen, your heart rate decreases, and your blood pressure reduces. Additionally, there is evidence that yoga can help with arterial stiffness, a condition in which your arteries lose some of their flexibility.

Blood can flow more easily through more flexible arteries, which lowers the overall pressure on your blood vessels.And as a cherry on top, yoga helps stabilise the autonomic nervous system which controls involuntary activities that take place in the body like heartbeat and digestion which in turn results in a more steady blood pressure. So, to sum it up, yoga is like the all purpose guide of health hacks!

Yoga for High Blood Pressure

5 Key yoga poses to lower high blood pressure

Now that you’re sold on the science, let’s move on to the fun part– poses! Don’t worry, you don’t have to twist yourself into a human jalebi to see results. So without further ado, here are some of the best yoga  exercises for high BP.

• Sukhasana (Easy Pose) with Deep Breathing
  
  Why It Works: Think of this as “Netflix and Chill” for yoga. Although you’re just sitting in this posture with your legs crossed, don’t undermine its power. Sitting in this posture while paying attention to your breathing improves focus. In addition to improving posture and calming the mind, this lowers tension and anxiety levels.
  
  How to do it: sit down on the ground, cross your legs over one another. Close your eyes and place your palms on your knees in chin mudra. Breathe in and out slowly for ten to fifteen minutes.
  
• Balasana (Child’s Pose)
  
  Why it works: This pose calms you by stretching out your back and hips while deeply relaxing you. This posture also lowers stress hormones and promotes relaxation by activating the parasympathetic nerve system.
  
  How to do it: Sit on your heels and bend down while extending your arms forward until your forehead touches the ground. Stay in this position and take deep breaths for a few minutes.
  
  
• Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)
  
  Why it works: This posture promotes relaxation and reduces tension while improving blood circulation, strength, flexibility and balance. Additionally, it strengthens immunity, alleviates chronic pain, and improves posture.
  
  How to do it: Take a seat facing a wall on the floor. Lay on your side with your head and shoulders lowered to the floor. After that, turn over onto your back and raise your legs up the wall such that your feet are hip-width apart and breathe.
  
• Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
  
  Why it works: This asana helps to simulate the lungs, neck, and spine by providing it with more oxygen. Doing this regularly lowers stress levels and promotes brain relaxation.
  
  How to do it: Extend your arms close to your body with your palms facing down. Using your feet, raise your hips as you inhale, starting the movement from the pubic bone instead of the navel.
  
  
• Shavasana (Corpse Pose)
  
  
  Why it works: The parasympathetic nervous system is stimulated by this asana, which promotes mental and physical relaxation. This lowers stress hormone levels and anxiety and enhances focus and mental clarity.
  
  How to do it: Lie down on your back. Keep your legs hip distance apart. Make sure your hands are next to your body with your palms facing upwards. Close your eyes and breathe. Stay in this position for 10 to 15 minutes.
  
  
  

A Daily Yoga Routine to Manage High BP

 The chill pill plan

This 30 minute routine will leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated in no time.

 Step 1:

To start off with, sit in Sukhasana (Easy Pose).

Meditate quietly and concentrate on taking five long, steady breaths.

Step 2:

Proceed to Child’s Pose, or Balasana.

Breathe deeply while holding the pose for five minutes.

Step 3:

Change into the Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose, or Viparita Karani

Take ten minutes to rest here and let all your tension fade 

Step 4:

Next, perform Setu Bandhasana or (Bridge Pose).

Do it 3 times for 10 counts.

Step 5:

Finish off with Savasana (Corpse Pose).

Take ten minutes to unwind in Shavasana and allow your body to absorb all the benefits.

Feeling overwhelmed by this routine? Don’t stress! Try out our 14 day yoga challenge that will help you ease into your daily routine. It’s perfect for beginners and helps you progress day by day without you having to put in a lot of effort.

Embrace yoga for a happy and healthy life.

There’s more to yoga than merely working out and flaunting your flexibility. It’s a holistic approach that can significantly impact both your physical and mental health. If you are a high BP patient, including the above yoga practices in your daily schedule could definitely be a game-changer.

You have the power to take control of your health and minimise your dependency on prescribed medicines. And Habuild’s expert-led Online Yoga Classes will help you lower your high blood pressure and achieve your goals naturally. With Habuild, you can balance your hormones, reduce stress and improve your well being from home. Make sure to join our 14 day Yoga Challenge to get started with guided sessions and see the difference it can make in just 2 weeks!  So join now and start your wellness journey today!