There is no dearth of diseases in today’s time and age considering the multiple demands and complexities of modern life make it almost impossible for one to lead a healthy lifestyle. No wonder the ancient practice of Yoga is becoming more popular with each passing day and being trusted as an adjunct therapy even by allopathy doctors who suggest their patients to do Yogasanas and pranayamas to get better.

High blood pressure or hypertension is among the leading lifestyle diseases which is becoming common in people of all age groups. One of the reasons for BP is stress which is a risk factor for a plethora of other chronic diseases too. Yoga helps you de-stress, relax, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system which helps you release tensions and also helps the body to heal on its own.

According to a 2019 study by MayoClinic, overweight and middle-aged adults with high blood pressure who did yoga for an hour about five times a week for 13 weeks had significant improvement in their blood pressure readings. The improvements were even better when breathing techniques and meditation were included as part of the routine.

High blood pressure is considered a silent killer and not without a reason. With no visible symptoms, unmanaged hypertension can slowly and surely damage your crucial organs like heart, brain and kidney.

Even when your condition is diagnosed, managing blood pressure is a tricky business and many a time despite taking regular medications, your BP levels just don’t read normal. For uninitiated, blood pressure is actually the pressure of blood pushing against your arteries’ walls. Arteries perform an important function of carrying blood from your heart to other parts of your body. When this pressure is too high consistently, you need medication to control it in order for it to function properly and perform its job well.

As it hardly shows any symptoms in the initial stage, it is difficult to diagnose the condition. This is the reason doctors advise to go for regular BP check-up in case one is suffering from any other chronic disease. There’s a way to read your blood pressure even at home. All you need is a sphygmomanometer that gives you two readings. The first (systolic) number is the pressure in blood vessels when your heart contracts or beats and the second (diastolic) number is the pressure in the vessels when your heart rests between beats. A normal blood pressure level is less than 120/80. mmHg.

less than 120/80. mmHg.
If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, apart from the diet modification and medication, you can try some simple yogasanas, pranayamas and meditation techniques that could not only help lower your blood pressure readings but also steer you towards a healthy lifestyle. Notably, various yogasanas prevent diseases in the first place and slows down progression of the diseases in case it has been detected.