Does Meditation Lower Blood Pressure

How To Start Meditating

You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment or money or time to give meditation a try. Even five minutes a day, guided by any number of apps available as free downloads, can help novices get started, Dr. Krittanawong says.

Try 5 to 10 minutes a day to start, but be consistent, Krittanawong advises. Any meditation or mindfulness would help reduce stress and anxiety, particularly in the COVID-19 era.

Introduction: Meditation Techniques As Treatments For Elevated Blood Pressure

According to worldwide estimates, hypertension affects approximately 1 billion people, resulting in 7.1 million attributed deaths per year . In the United States, nearly half of all adults have blood pressure , expressed in terms of systolic over diastolic blood pressure , in the prehypertensive or hypertensive range . As one of the most widespread, least controlled diseases around the world, hypertension poses a threat to adults from all cultures and lifestyles. Factors such as improved treatment, pharmacologic interventions, preventative measures, and lifestyle changes have contributed to a 60% decrease in age-adjusted death rates from stroke and a 50% decrease in age-adjusted death rates from coronary heart disease in the United States since 1972. However, despite these improvements, BP control among American adults still remains suboptimal. For example, two-thirds of hypertensive individuals are not being controlled to recommended BP levels. Furthermore, approximately 30% of American adults are unaware of their hypertension, and over 40% of those with hypertension are not receiving treatment .

What Apps Can Help To Perform Meditation For High Blood Pressure

It takes time and constant practice to learn how to meditate. It is better to start from guided meditations as you can relax and just follow directions from your instructor. There are plenty of meditation apps available from Apple AppStore or Google Play. Meditation apps to lower blood pressure have the following benefits:

• it is easier to stay focussed following a voice of instructor
• meditation apps usually include a reminder to encourage regular use
• meditation apps often include additional tools to lower anxiety and BP

One example is a very popular relaxation app Calm, available from Apple AppStore and Google Play. It includes meditations and many other natural tools for relaxation, i.e. sleep stories.

Another popular meditation app is Headspace. Its functionality is quite similar to Calm but its graphic components are bright and the app includes more humour.

BreathNow is a meditation app for high blood pressure. In addition to meditations and breathing exercises it includes instructional videos with other relaxation techniques: yoga, qigong, acupressure etc. The unique feature of BreathNow is the heart rate monitor within the app to measure objectively what calming techniques work best for you.

BreathNow breathing and meditation app for high blood pressure is based on years of my personal experience of fighting and winning against anxiety and high blood pressure with natural tools. Please try it and let me know how it works for you.

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Hypertension Expert From Massachusetts General Hospital Prescribes Meditation

Randy Zusman, director of the hypertension program at Massachusetts General Hospital, spent much of his career following the traditional route of writing medication prescriptions for patients with high blood pressure.

However, after taking part in a three-month study, he began prescribing meditation to his patients as well as recommending lifestyle changes.

In this study, patients treated for high blood pressure with medication were also enrolled in a relaxation response training program. These particular patients were taking medicine and following recommendations prior to the study, but their blood pressure was still sky high.

The results from the study showed that around 40 out of 60 patients taking part in the meditation program had reduced blood pressure levels and were able to change the dosage of some of their medications.

Once again, research showed that meditation and relaxation programs do result in lower blood pressure.

Researchers Find That Meditation Truly Does Have A Positive Effect On Blood Pressure

A recent study found that participants were 48% less likely to have a heart attack or stroke if they practiced meditation.2 The study looked at results over a five-year period. Such a simple daily action sitting quietly led to pretty dramatic results!

Likewise, the National Institutes of Health funded a number of studies;about how effective meditation is on high blood pressure.3 The American Heart Association chimes in on this, too.;They recommend adding meditation as a complement to traditional health management. Taking a few minutes to relax each day could help you lower your risks of cardiovascular disease, reports the organization.4

Similarly, Dr. Robert Schneider, author of;Total Heart Health, is another supporter;of meditation. He sees meditative practice as a;counter to the stresses of modern life. His call to action;is Meditation, not medication!5

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The Science Behind Meditation And Blood Pressure

Transcendental meditation may be effective for controlling blood pressure, according to a 2008 analysis of nine clinical trials. Investigators concluded that practicing transcendental meditation may have the potential to reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure by approximately 4.7 and 3.2 mm Hg, respectively.

It should be noted that an earlier research review sized up five clinical trials and found a lack of good-quality studies to support the use of transcendental meditation for the management of blood pressure.

Can Meditating Reduce Blood Pressure

Transcendental Meditation involves sitting comfortably and closing the eyes for 20 minutes, twice a day, to achieve a quality of rest in the mind and body. A new study suggests the technique stimulates genes that produce telomerase an enzyme linked with reduced blood pressure and mortality.

The new study is published in the journal PLOS One.

Previous studies have reported benefits linked to meditation; Medical News Today recently covered a study that suggested mindfulness meditation reduces pain.

And another study published earlier this year suggested meditation can reduce brain aging.

The researchers from this latest study led by Dr. Robert Schneider, director of the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention at the Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, IA say other research into Transcendental Meditation has been linked the practice to lower rates of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and death.

According to the team, stress, lifestyle and telomere dysfunction contribute to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Telomeres are stretches of DNA at the ends of chromosomes that protect our genetic data.

They have often been compared to the plastic tips on shoelaces, protecting chromosome ends from fraying, which would destroy our genetic information. Shortening of telomeres has been linked with aging, cancer and a higher risk of death.

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Stress Management And Meditation

Researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Kent State University, and Rice University in which they discussed how stress-management therapies have been found to successfully reduce blood pressure levels.

Despite this, stress-management treatments have not been widely implemented in the medical field partially due to the lack of healthcare experts who can provide stress management education to patients with high blood pressure.

This is where meditation comes in.

Meditation can be practiced independently and may not have the same mental health stigma associated with stress management techniques. Transcendental meditation is one type that has been widely studied as a type of therapy for high blood pressure.

One study discussed in the paper found that both men and women who underwent transcendental meditation gained significant reductions in blood pressure levels after three months.

Why Meditation Is Worthwhile

These are just a few reputable sources that agree that meditation can lower blood pressure levels among many individuals.

But why would you take part in meditation when your doctor only told you to take your medicine?

If you are able to reduce your blood pressure through meditation and other home remedies, you may eventually require a lower dosage or even be able to stop taking medication altogether, depending on your doctors advice.

Why would you prefer to stop taking medication?

There are many side effects that blood pressure medication brings. You may feel dizzy, drowsy, tired, or nauseous. Other side effects include increased sensitivity to the cold, headaches and weight changes.

Another negative aspect of taking blood pressure medication is the prohibitive cost and once you add visits with a cardiologist and medical tests, the price grows much too high.

As such, taking part in meditation to reduce your blood pressure is a much simpler measure. All youll need to do is look up a video online describing a form of meditation or possibly take a meditation class at your local YMCA.

Then you can find yourself a quiet space, meditate, and watch your blood pressure drop.

About the author :

Trysh Sutton is a wife, mother, attorney, interior decorator, strategic leader and teacher. She runs a website called Pure Path Essential Oils, a naturopathic wellness company that promotes healthy living and healing through the use of essential oils and sustainable living.

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The Blood Pressure Challenge And Mb

When doctors diagnose someone with high blood pressure, they typically recommend more healthful eating, which includes reducing salt intake, as well as regular exercise and weight loss. However, some people may find such permanent lifestyle changes difficult to maintain. Doctors might also prescribe medication to help control blood pressure.

In some people, hypertension has a genetic component, and lifestyle changes do not bring blood pressure down into the normal range.

The MP-BP curriculum incorporates mindfulness to address high blood pressure directly and to help people strengthen their ability to maintain the healthful habits that can keep it under control.

Loucks and his colleagues developed a 10-session program that followed 43 participants with high or elevated blood pressure for 1 year. More than 80% of participants had hypertension, with blood pressure readings of 130 millimeters of mercury systolic over 85 mmHg diastolic or higher. The other people had systolic readings of between 120 mmHg and 130 mmHg, with a diastolic measurement of at least 80 mmHg.

According to Loucks, the program was a deliberately multimodal intervention that taught participants a variety of techniques. These included mindfulness training and explanations of how behaviors can contribute to high blood pressure. They also encouraged the participants to take medications as prescribed by their doctors consistently.

Can Meditation Lower Blood Pressure

Meditation is a form of mental discipline, which deals with body relaxation and breathing techniques. The basic aim of this practice is to reach ones higher levels of consciousness. The basic steps that are involved in meditation are acknowledging the present moment, resisting impulses to act out habitual patterns, and contemplation on ones emotions and thoughts. Meditation is a practice that many people practice not only for spiritual reasons, but because it is shown to have numerous health benefits. For example, one study found that meditation reduces the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease by more than 31%.

This article is for all people interested in understanding how meditation can help us in reducing blood pressure:

1. Enhances Cardiovascular Function

The heart is a muscle that contracts and expands as it pumps blood throughout the body. Involuntary control of the heart is provided by the autonomic nervous system, which has two branches: a parasympathetic nervous system and a sympathetic nervous system. The nerves in both branches regulate heartbeat so it remains at a constant rate, at rest or during physical exercise. During meditation, breathing becomes slower and more relaxed, this sends signals to your body to slow down the heart rate and to lower blood pressure. This will improve circulation thereby increasing demand for blood supply.

2. Improves Circulation

3. Calms the Nervous System

4. Reduces Stress

5. Regulates Resistance

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Meditation To Lower Blood Pressure

It is official: meditation for high blood pressure works. Here is how to start and make fast progress

Hundreds of millions of people across the world who suffer from high blood pressure still consider a hypertension pill as their only solution. Some of them may have heard of the health benefits of meditation but consider this type of healing as strange at best.

Meanwhile, it has been known for centuries that mindfulness practices, like meditation and slow breathing exercises, help to calm down and relax. Over the last few decades scientists have found a strong link between the calming mind and its positive impact on the body. Certain mindfulness practices that help calm the mind can also lower blood pressure.

More and more researchers are workingto better understand how positive mental changes affect the cardiovascular system. At the same time studying meditation has proved challenging. The key challenge is that very few of these studies include a good control treatment to compare with meditation.

According to an American Heart Association scientific statement, finally some studies show that meditation can lower blood pressure .

According to one of the randomized control studies, a group of subjects who underwent an 8 week meditation training program showed statistically lower blood pressure readings as compared to the control group .

The American Heart Association Recommends Meditation

Still, the study results offer fresh evidence in support of 2017 guidelines from the American Heart Association that endorse meditation to help lower the risk of heart disease; as long as people do it in addition to proven methods for boosting heart health like drugs to lower cholesterol or blood pressure and lifestyle changes like improved eating and exercise habits.

The AHA guidelines suggest that many common forms of meditation have heart benefits, including:

• Samatha Calming the mind through concentration on your breath, an object, or an image
• Vipassana Emphasizes awareness of breath and tuning in to air as it passes in and out of the nose
• Mindful meditation Techniques that create awareness through focused attention, observation, and acceptance of things without judgment
• Zen meditation Focus on awareness of breath and seated posture, with observation of thoughts and experiences in the mind and environment
• Raja yoga A combination of breathing techniques, mantras, and meditation focused on chakras
• Loving-kindness Sending kindness to yourself, to a friend or loved one, to a stranger or neutral person in your life, to someone who is difficult, and to the universe
• Transcendental Meditation Meditation based on a personalized mantra to help focus your mind inward
• Relaxation response Awareness through tracking breath or repetition of words or phrases, or prayer

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How To Perform A Meditation For High Blood Pressure

• Sit in a quiet place where no one can disturb you and close your eyes
• Relax your muscles and silently repeat a word or sound of your choosing over and over.
• You may also focus on the air coming in and out your nostrils as you breathe slowly
• When thoughts interfere , let them come and go and return to your practice

For an example of a guided 6 min meditation to lower blood pressure please check this video

Can You Really Lower Your Blood Pressure With Meditation

Taking control of your blood pressure is as much about your mind, as it is about your body.;Sounds funny, but its true! On one hand, you need to set;your mind to making changes in your daily life. That incudes your habits, diet, and all. But moreover, you can make big changes by just;how you think. Easing your;mind and reducing your anxiety;can help in big ways with your overall health. And;it can support your blood pressure levels in particular.

One easy way to work on this is through;meditation practice. Sure, youre thinking to yourself,;Seriously, meditation for blood pressure?! But the studies are in! A few quiet minutes each day;really does make;a difference. This is;why it work, and how to get started

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Meditation Can Lower Blood Pressure Study Shows

Date:

University of Kentucky

Summary:

Transcendental meditation is an effective treatment for controlling high blood pressure with the added benefit of bypassing possible side effects and hazards of anti-hypertension drugs, according to a new meta-analysis. The meta-analysis evaluated nine randomized, controlled trials using transcendental meditation as a primary intervention for hypertensive patients. The practice of transcendental meditation was associated with approximate reductions of 4.7 mm systolic blood pressure and 3.2 mm diastolic blood pressure.

Transcendental Meditation is an effective treatment for controlling high blood pressure with the added benefit of bypassing possible side effects and hazards of anti-hypertension drugs, according to a new meta-analysis conducted at the University of Kentucky.

The meta-analysis evaluated nine randomized, controlled trials using Transcendental Meditation as a primary intervention for hypertensive patients. The practice of Transcendental Meditation was associated with approximate reductions of 4.7 mm systolic blood pressure and 3.2 mm diastolic blood pressure.

“Adding Transcendental Medication is about equivalent to adding a second antihypertension agent to one’s current regimen only safer and less troublesome,” Anderson said.

The study appears in the March issue of the American Journal of Hypertension.

Story Source:

Yes Meditation Can Help Lower Your Blood Pressure

Meditation provides many health benefits that are still being uncovered by research, but did you know it can lower your blood pressure? Find out how meditation can have this effect on your body and how to do it.

Michael RobideauonAugust 4, 2020

There are many benefits of a regular meditation practicebetter sleep and improved ability to handle stress are often cited by longtime practitioners. But multiple studies have also shown that meditation can produce reductions in blood pressure, even in people with hypertension.

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Using Meditation For High Blood Pressure

Meditation can work alongside conventional treatments for high blood pressure and pharmacology.;

According to Dr Randy Zusman at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and Bostons Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, meditation helps with the formation of nitric oxide, a compound that causes blood vessels to open, thus reducing blood pressure.

Plus, meditation increases conscious awareness, which enables us to make lifestyle changes. For instance, quitting smoking, quitting drinking, and enjoying a healthy diet. It does this by increasing self-awareness and reducing cravings. Hence, mindfulness helps with high blood pressure both directly and indirectly.