By Faye Martins
Can Yoga help in the fight against heart
disease? The American Heart Association recommends at least two hours and
thirty minutes of “moderate intensity aerobic physical activity” per week. Unfortunately, traditional Yoga’s stretching,
breathing, and meditation don’t meet those specifications, but that doesn’t
mean Yoga can’t help.
According to M. Mala Cunningham, the
counseling psychologist who founded Cardiac Yoga, the ancient healing art
definitely improves physical, mental, and emotional health. Together with a
healthy lifestyle, Cunningham thinks Yoga may actually help to reverse or
prevent heart disease. At the very
least, it benefits cardiac function.
How Yoga Prevents Heart Disease
· Prevention
We know that Yoga affects the nervous
system in ways that benefit physical health. It strengthens the immune system,
lowers blood pressure, and improves circulation. Studies show that people who
continue the practice for at least three months receive long-term benefits. Cholesterol
and insulin levels go down, muscles grow stronger, and people feel happier and
healthier overall.
· Reversal
Stress is a big factor in heart disease,
but people who have heart problems also experience anxiety and depression
related to chronic health conditions. Both
disorders are common and respond quickly to Yoga. People also sleep better and have more
energy, factors that make it easier to keep up healthier lifestyles, such as
diet and connecting with friends.
The Scientific Evidence
· Meditation
and Heart Attacks
Small studies have shown that
Transcendental Meditation, which was introduced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1960s, has the
ability to reduce the risk of heart disease.
When tested by researchers at the Center for Natural Medicine and
Prevention in Iowa and the Medical College of Wisconsin, patients in the group
who practiced Yoga for several years had almost half the risk of heart attacks
as the group who did not practice Yoga.
· Electrocardiograms and
Yoga
At the Indian Institute of Technology, in India,
researchers compared electrocardiograms of 42 healthy Yoga practitioners with
42 healthy non-Yoga practitioners. Ages ranged from 18 to 48. They found that
“autonomic parasympathetic vagal control,” was stronger in those who practiced
Yoga training, a factor that leads to healthier hearts.
· Atrial
Fibrillation
Scientists at the University of Kansas
Hospital studied a group of 49 patients with atrial fibrillation, or irregular
heart beat. Subjects who practiced Yoga three times a week for three months
reduced their episodes of irregular heart rhythm by approximately 50 percent.
Yoga participants also had fewer problems with depression and anxiety.
Although it doesn’t treat the body in the same way that high impact aerobic exercise does, Yoga is definitely good for the heart. On top of that,
it complements other exercises and reduces the risk of injuries.
© Copyright 2013 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
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