| The leading cause of death for both men and women | | | | Heart Disease can be controlled and prevented by |
| in United States according to American Heart | | | | using specific types of Yogic Asanas (Postures). The |
| Association is Coronary Heart Disease, which causes | | | | Chest can be opened up to improve respiration and |
| approximately 1.5 million heart attacks each year. | | | | functioning of the heart by using the upper back- |
| Recently, research has shown that yoga and | | | | bending postures. The side bending yogic postures has |
| meditation have been known to reduce blood | | | | been shown to help remove the physical and |
| pressure, regulate heart rhythm, improve the elasticity | | | | energetic blockages in the heart and chest. In order to |
| of the arteries, lower pulse rate and increases the | | | | promote the functioning of the heart, compression of |
| heart's stroke volume. In short, practicing this ancient art | | | | the heart and lungs a good posture is required and |
| of body/mind wellness is good for the heart. | | | | spine lengthening yogic poses provides just that. |
| The factor that contributes heavily to heart disease is | | | | The preferred yogic asana for relaxation is called the |
| stress. Situations which are highly stressful, increase | | | | Savasana (Corpse Pose). In order to perform this |
| the heart rate and blood pressure. The stress | | | | asana a person lies down quietly on a flat surface on |
| hormones get released during a stressful situation; | | | | his/her back with the arms by his/her side for 10 to 15 |
| extended or recurrent exposure of these hormones | | | | minutes. The concentration is placed on the flow of the |
| can injure the heart and the blood vessels. Yoga | | | | breath. This practice promotes tranquility and rest, |
| promotes a relaxed state of mind and body and is | | | | which is healing to the heart. This yogic posture has |
| also widely known for playing a vital role in reduction of | | | | been known to reduce the blood pressure within a |
| stress hormones, decreasing the heart rate and | | | | matter of weeks. Using inversions can increase the |
| lowering blood pressure. | | | | blood circulation. |
| The way a person breathes strongly influences the | | | | Research has shown that a person performing yoga |
| heart rhythm through the inner connections in the | | | | and meditation at least three times a week has been |
| central nervous system. Pranayama, which is the yogic | | | | shown to reduce their blood pressure, pulse and their |
| name for breathing exercises, encourages taking slow, | | | | overall risk of heart disease. Meditation is well known |
| deep breaths and reciting yogic mantras verbally. Due | | | | for its ability to provide tranquility to the mind and |
| to this method of taking slow, deep breaths the heart | | | | decrease the level of stress. Meditation also reduces |
| rate slows down and more oxygen enters the blood. | | | | emotions like anxiety, hostility and depression, which |
| This in turn induces a calm and well being throughout | | | | are harmful to the heart. The practice of daily |
| the mind and body. The chances of having a heart | | | | meditation has been shown in the studies to reduce |
| attacks and strokes gets greatly reduced because of | | | | the blood pressure and also the amount of fatty |
| this slow steady breath rhythm. | | | | deposits in the arteries. |