 Attacking Hypertension with Meditation
The line of separation between the body, mind and spirit are so obscure that in some ways, there is no separation. What affects one part of who we are affects all of who we are. Hypertension is a good example. Because hypertension is directly related to our blood pressure, it is possible to have a direct effect on hypertension by controlling stress and our reactions to stress using meditation.
The medical studies showing the ability of meditation to control stress and hypertension have been impressive. But we should not be surprised that meditation can have such an influence over our physical state. On the surface, it might seem like meditation is primarily a mental exercise. But in practice, the combination of quieting the body through posture, learning to control the breathing as well as calming the mind make meditation as close to a perfect blend of body, mind and spirit as we can find.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute have done a number of studies on the effects of meditation on high blood pressure or hypertension. The results were overwhelmingly supportive that meditation is one of the best natural ways to bring down blood pressure and to do so without medications. While treating hypertension with meditation may not please the drug companies, it pleases doctors who understand that medication with the associated costs and side effects is never a desirable answer to a problem like hypertension. Meditation can be used without cost, at any time and with no fear of overdose. The patient never needs a refill and there is no worry about using meditation in conjunction with other treatments.
The meditation techniques that work in treating hypertension need not be complicated. But they incorporate some of the key principles of meditation that have dozens of positive effects on the mind and body of the person doing the meditation. If the patient simply sits in a comfortable position and slows and stabilizes his or her breathing followed by a period of time focusing the mind on a simple repeated phrase or word (the mantra), the impact on hypertension has been observed to begin immediately.
One such study on the effects of meditation on hypertension was reported in Hypertension magazine. They found that systolic blood pressure dropped by more than 10 points and that the diastolic blood pressure fell by over 6 points in patients who were using meditation as a treatment for hypertension. If the patient repeats the meditation exercise in 20-minute sessions several times a day, the hypertension can be controlled and the effects of high blood pressure drastically minimized in the life of the patient.
Obviously, meditation does not remove the causes of stress. But by putting the patient who suffers with hypertension into a relaxed physical, emotional and mental state, he or she can cope with life's demands much more effectively. If you suffer with hypertension, you can begin to learn and utilize the power of meditation immediately, without prescription or concern that it will interact badly with your existing hypertension medication.
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