Considering Yoga for Heart Disease Lori Taft Sours, PhD, CYT August 2014
According to the Centers for Disease Control[1], heart disease is the leading cause of death in this country, for both men and women. Factors that affect heart health include poor circulation, chronic stress, high blood pressure, and clogged arteries.
As Dr. Baxter Bell notes in “About Yoga for Heart Health,”[2] good circulation is a key to heart health, and yoga can contribute to our circulatory health. When we are doing a series of yoga poses, we are contracting and relaxing most of the skeletal muscles. These movements have a pumping effect on the veins and arteries, helping the heart to move blood. Also, inverted poses, such as “Legs up the Wall,” use gravity to aid circulation. In addition, there are related conditions that affect circulation, such as chronic stress, high blood pressure, and clogged arteries. It is well-known that yoga techniques, including asana practice as well as pranayama, relaxation, and meditation, can shift the nervous system from a “fight or flight” mode to a “rest and digest” mode. This can lower the levels of stress hormones in the body, as well as relax the smooth muscle layer of the blood vessels, which takes pressure off the heart and also reduces blood pressure.[3] High blood pressure affects up to one in six people in the Western world, according to Dr. Timothy McCall[4]. He notes that many people with high blood pressure are not even aware of it. Yet it is a dangerous condition that can damage the body over time, and can contribute to heart attack. High blood pressure can have many causes, including genetic propensity, weight, and diet. Lifestyle can be a major factor in high blood pressure, as lifestyle choices affect diet, exercise, and stress levels.
There is scientific evidence supporting the idea that yoga can reduce blood pressure. In 1973, Dr. Chandra Patel[5] reported the results of a study which looked at yoga as a treatment for high blood pressure. She compared two groups of subjects, one of which engaged in “general relaxation” (i.e, sitting on the couch) and the other in Savasana. The group who did Savasana showed a significant drop in blood pressure after three months of practice. A 12-month follow-up study indicated that, “Statistically significant reductions in blood-pressure (B.P.) and antihypertensive drug requirements were satisfactorily maintained in the treatment group.” [6] As Dr. Timothy McCall reports, a more recent study published in 2000 compared three groups with high blood pressure: a control group, a group that was prescribed drugs, and a group that did yoga (including active poses, pranayama, Savasana, and meditation). The blood pressures of the yoga group dropped significantly more than either of the other two groups.[7] The other factor related to heart disease, noted above, is the presence of clogged arteries. Dr. Baxter Bell[8] notes that recent research suggests that clogged arteries, long thought to be related to cholesterol levels, may in fact be due to inflammation in the lining of the blood vessels. He states that relaxation methods such as those found in yoga might also lower inflammation and thus slow down the clogging of arteries, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. It is important to note here that, while yoga can benefit people with heart conditions and high blood pressure, there are also precautions that must be taken. Any asana that puts the head below the heart, such as inversions, could be potentially dangerous. However, if high blood pressure is controlled through medication, these dangers could be somewhat mitigated. Dr. Roger Cole, research scientist and Iyengar Yoga teacher, notes that, “standard medical advice for people whose blood pressure is controlled on medication is to engage in exercise and other healthy activities that a person with normal blood pressure would do. Therefore, it seems reasonable that you can safely introduce inversions if you do so gradually. In fact, inversions trigger several reflexes that temporarily reduce blood pressure, so theoretically, regular practice may enhance treatment of your high blood pressure. Note, however, that people whose high blood pressure is not under control should bring the pressure down first by other means before practicing inversions.”[9] Taking these precautions into consideration, many asanas can benefit people with hypertension. Michael Scheinbaum, in an article in YogaUOnline,[10] notes that: “Genereally [sic] speaking, asanas that do not invert the body are beneficial for people with high blood pressure. Calming restorative yoga asanas are particularly useful for reducing stress and lowering blood pressure naturally, as are intensive stretching poses like leg stretches and hip openers. Favor yoga asanas that put the spine in a horizontal position, which allows the heart to slow down, as it takes less effort to pump the blood to the brain. Sitting positions and lying asanas like Baddhakonasana, Virasana, and Upavista Konasana are very useful for people with high blood pressure.
Mild inversions can be introduced gradually: A great alternative to Viparita Karani, for example, with similar relaxing and calming effects, is supported Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose) done on bolsters. Bridge pose is energizing for the kidneys and hence soothes the system, lowering high blood pressure. While the head is slightly below the heart in this pose, supported Bridge Pose is generally considered to be acceptable for students with high blood pressure. Similarly, Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog) is a mildly inverted posture, which is considered acceptable; it lifts the heart only a little above the head and does not elevate the legs, increasing pressure in the head very little. “
[4] McCall, Timothy. Yoga as Medicine. New York: Bantam Books, 2007. Print.
[5] Patel, Chandra. "Yoga and bio-feedback in the management of hypertension." The Lancet 302.7837 (1973): 1053-55. Ebscohost. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
[6] Patel, Chandra. "12-month follow-up of Yoga and bio-feedback in the management of hypertension." The Lancet 305.7898 (1975): 62-64. Ebscohost. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
[9] Cole, Roger. "High Blood Pressure and Inversions." Yoga Journal. Yoga Journal, n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. <http://www.yogajournal.com/highbloodpressure>.
[10] Scheinbaum, Michael A. "Best Yoga Asanas for High Blood Pressure." YogaU. Ed. Eva N. Smith. Yoga U, n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. <http://yogauonline.com/yogatherapy/yoga-for-heart-disease/yoga-for-heart-disease-practice/263112409-best-yoga-asanas-for-hi>.