subject: Relieving Hypertension Through Meditation [print this page] Perhaps one of the most common diseases in the world is hypertension, or high blood pressure. A primary risk factor for heart attack and stroke, among others, it is a condition wherein there is considerable increase of arterial blood pressure, which puts a strain on the heart as the organ is required to pump blood twice as hard as its typical rate.
Meditation, which is often associated with treatment of emotional distresses, can be effective in alleviating this condition.
Hypertension and Stress
Normally, stress is a mechanism that prepares an individual for an onslaught of unpleasant situations. Indications that a person is under stress include faster breathing and heartbeat and tenser muscles. Once the difficult situation is over, the body then goes back to a relaxed state.
However, continuous exposure to stress can trigger diseases. Although there are the good kinds of stress (eustress), those that drive us to do more and enhance our faculties, most of us often experience the harmful kinds (distress). Both types may be physically demanding, but distress could lead to anxiety, depression, or other harmful mental and emotional conditions that manifest physically as chronic diseases, like hypertension.
Hypertension and Meditation
While taking medications can be effective in alleviating hypertension, practicing meditation can be a helpful complementary therapy.
Effective in relieving stress, which is a primary trigger for hypertension, yoga and other forms of meditation employ techniques that enable the body to loosen up, and the mind to relax. In meditation, an important principle is controlling ones focus. The techniques used to achieve this may vary, but common to all is conscious deep breathing. Some types, like yoga, also utilize body positions and poses that remove pressure from the muscles and other parts of the body. These methods have different origins, but mainly from spiritual traditions.
One type of meditation known to have proven effects in lessening hypertension is transcendental meditation (TM). TM is a form of mantra meditation, where a sound, or mantra, that is meant to invoke some form of inner peace is repeatedly produced while you sit comfortably for a few minutes. For this type of meditation, you need to learn the correct practice from a qualified TM teacher until the practice becomes natural to you.
Most people do not take hypertension seriously because when it occurs, sometimes the symptoms dont seem to be that alarming. But in fact, hypertension is a life-threatening condition. Although there are many medicines available to relieve hypertension, preventing health problems from developing is still the best treatment.
