Controlling Blood Pressure – A Novel Way

Today’s fast-paced life seems to have put increasing demands on our heart. At least that is what health specialists say. In addition, with more and more people adding up into the hypertensive category, high blood pressure has now become a commonplace ailment. What really causes high blood pressure?

Stress and high blood-pressure

There are hosts of key reasons that can lead to hypertension, and stress is not the least of them. Why and how does stress cause hypertension is now understood by medical experts. When a demanding situation confronts us, our bodies react by releasing stress hormones in the form of cortisol and adrenaline into the blood. These hormones prepare our bodies for a reactive response by shooting up the heart rate and constricting the blood vessels. What results is an increase in blood pressure. However, such a response by the human body is temporary. When the stressful situation eases, the blood pressure comes down. But are our lives free from stressful situations and constant worry? Unfortunately, most of us would answer in an emphatic no. Our daily routine itself has become a quagmire of stress. The day starts with an argument with the spouse, and then it continues with contradiction and discords at the workplace, and by the time you are back home the events of the day haunt you no end. It will be a marvel if we can identify a single anxiety free day. Therefore, it is up to each one of us to chalk out a time slot everyday when we can work ourselves to calm down our body and mind. This is where meditation comes in.

How meditation helps

Continuous streams of restless thoughts frustrate our efforts to relax our mind and body. All meditation techniques teach us to calm our restless mind. The core principle to meditate successfully is to detach our thought from everything outside, cease dependence on all external and draw our thoughts inward. The result is a blissful mental state free from dependence, want, fear, discontent and avarice. Meditation is a self- fulfilling activity. You learn to counsel yourself. With passage of time, you are in control with yourself because you have come to terms with your environment, your friends, colleagues, and loved ones. There is no reason why such a state of composure cannot have a long lasting and a beneficial effect on your whole being, and that includes relief from high blood-pressure.

I am not saying meditation is a panacea of all high blood pressure conditions. Hypertension can be due to any of the various pathological conditions. Your health care provider is the best person to identify these. Nevertheless, if stress is identified as one of the reasons for your high blood pressure, meditation can definitely be of help.