There are few things quite as relieving as living with a challenging health condition and finding something that actually helps. In the case of many health conditions - including high blood pressure - that something can often be yoga. High blood pressure is also known as the ‘silent killer’ and effects approximately one billion people worldwide. Many people with mild to moderate hypertension prefer to try lifestyle solutions rather than rely on medications that often come with a slew of unwanted side effects. There are many reasons you may want to consider taking up yoga to help improve your condition if you live with High Blood Pressure. Here are just a few:

1. The Worry Solution. High blood pressure can create a sense of worry. Not only do you have high blood pressure, but then you’re worried about having high blood pressure, which only increases your blood pressure - a potentially vicious cycle! Yoga helps to focus the mind and allow you to experience greater peace of mind, so you can make choices in managing your blood pressure that are genuinely supportive, rather than ruminating on aspects of the condition that worry you.

2. Practising yoga increases your likelihood of making other healthy lifestyle choices, such as the food you eat. When we feel good, we have a tendency to want to do more things to induce feeling this way. Yoga balances the nervous system, induces the relaxation response in the body, and focusses the mind. Consquently, you may find yourself making much calmer choices that actually benefit you in your lifestyle beyond the yoga mat, as a bi-product of the benefits you receive in your practice.

3.Moderate exercise lowers blood pressure and increases overall health. Enjoyable exercise is more likely to be continued than a quick-fix health regime. Yoga has so many other aspects to enjoy besides the movement itself, including relaxation and breathing techniques and community connection, that it is an easy form of healthy movement to integrate into your life. Not all yoga poses are appropriate for high blood pressure, and there are some poses that need to be avoided for high blood pressure, so it’s important to find a teacher who is thoroughly trained. Finding a teacher who is registered with Yoga Australia (YA) is a great way to begin, as YA teachers have all completed a minimum requisite hours of training to become teachers and will be able to guide you safely in the practice. Find the right teacher near you by searching in our directory at YogaHive.