February – A Month for Your Heart

February is American Heart Month.  While I don’t pay a lot of attention to these national months of awareness, this one is of interest to me, and perhaps it is to you as well.
 
Why? Here are some things to know about heart health and heart disease:
 
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. (You might have thought it was cancer – that’s #2.)
 
I’ve taken blood pressure medication and cholesterol-lowering drugs for years. I used to think that I inherited a risk of heart disease, as I looked at how many of my family members have had heart attacks, strokes, and their precursors, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
 
But that is only partially true. It’s much more complicated, as many of the risks come from lifestyle factors.
 
The Centers for Disease Control notes that “Leading risk factors for heart disease and stroke are high blood pressure, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, diabetes, smoking and secondhand smoke exposure, obesity, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity.  (Source: https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/heart-disease-stroke.htm)
 
Another factor leading to heart disease is chronic stress.  The American Heart Association notes:
“Stress may contribute to poor health behaviors linked to increased risk for heart disease and stroke, such as:

• Smoking
• Overeating
• Lack of physical activity
• Unhealthy diet
• Being overweight
• Not taking medications as prescribed”

(https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/stress-and-heart-health)
So chronic stress can actually lead to those risk factors for heart disease.
These are interesting findings, especially when we look at our heart health through a yoga lens.
 
Yoga can benefit our hearts and minds in many ways, including helping us learn to regulate our stress response. Through a slow, mindful practice, we can develop greater awareness of our own responses to stress and more skill in moving into a more balanced state after a stressful experience. 
 
Yoga is a holistic practice that includes postures and movement, conscious breathing, relaxation techniques, and meditation.  It also has ethical components that give us guidelines for how to treat others – and ourselves - with compassion.   Every one of those components can contribute to our heart health.  Engaging in regular practice (even a brief practice!)  can help us learn to self-regulate, reduce our chronic stress load, and improve our well-being.   
 
Yoga is good for your heart.  February is a good month to give yoga a try or renew your commitment to regular practice. 
 
Here’s a free practice for you to try:
 
February 2024 Self-Kindness Bundle
 
Other opportunities if you’re in the Rogue Valley:
 
New chair yoga offering in Jacksonville, Oregon!