Could Meditation Lessen Your Risk of Heart Disease?
According to recent research and experts, it is believed that meditation can help you with improving the health of your heart and by preventing different diseases. Meditation is believed to be a great solution to some of the factors which can lead up to these heart diseases, which include stress, anxiety, depression, a poor sleeping pattern and quality, and high blood pressure. Meditation has also helped people in quitting smoking. And the best part about it is that meditation has no side effects and it’s a low-cost option as well.
So what is meditation, and how does it help?
You can meditate by going to a class being offered at your local community center or a yoga studio, or you could simply do it yourself at home by watching an online video.
This practice involves a quiet atmosphere and your complete focused attention. You’re required to sit comfortably with your eyes closed; you then have to direct your consciousness to either your breathing or towards an object or a word or phrase. This is also known as a mantra. Mindfulness meditation allows you to focus on the present moment, whereas transcendental meditation allows you to transcend your thoughts.
What’s good for the mind also happens to be good for the heart
The practice of meditation not only helps in calming the mind but also plays a role in reducing the risk of heart disease.
It helps in improving a number of factors linked with heart diseases. Apart from that, it helps in improving improve how the heart functions. Meanwhile, regularly practicing can enhance your lifestyle and can motivate you to follow and maintain heart-healthy behaviors, such as following a proper diet, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly.
There are different types of meditation exercises that you can perform in order to relax the mind, soul and even the heart. Here are some of the different meditation practices that you can include in your daily routine.
Moving meditation exercises
Meditation doesn’t necessarily consist of only exercises that require you to sit and stay still. Mind-body exercises, including yoga and tai chi, are similar to meditation in a way that both emphasize slower movements, controlled breathing, and focus. Apart from these, exercises that include steady and repetitive movements are also a form of meditation as long as you are focusing your mind on the task at hand. These exercises include riding a bike, swimming laps, walking, etc.
Focused Meditation
This form of meditation requires you to work with any one of your five senses in order to relax your body. You can work up from the feet, tensing, and then relaxing each of your body parts, do a body scan to reduce your stress level and to get better sleep.
With this type of meditation, you can also incorporate mala beads. The beads move when you move or say a word or pray. All you have to do is to follow the beads and create a rhythm with your thoughts.
Transcendental Meditation
This practice allows you to transcend your thoughts. It allows you to use a specific phrase or a mantra or even use a particular sound for clearing your mind and managing your thoughts.
Mindfulness Meditation
This form of meditation allows you to be aware of the present moment. With this training, you mainly focus on your breath. Follow your breathing pattern, inhale gently and then exhale, making sure that all of your attention on your breath. If you notice your mind wandering off, then gently remind yourself to start concentrating on your breath once again. And as time passes, it gets easier to do so.
Now while meditating, you’re sitting comfortably with your eyes closed and are focusing on your breathing, creating a mental image, or repeatedly thinking of a single positive word or even a phrase. Your goal is to keep your mind focused on what is happening in the present moment and keeping yourself distracted from any stressful thoughts. Once your mind becomes calm, so will your body.
How does meditation help the heart?
Meditation supports the heart in many ways; it can allow you to cope with your stress better and even helps in lowering high blood pressure.
According to research, meditation can have a positive effect on the measure of the heart’s health, also known as heart rate variability (HRV). The HRV lets you know how fast your heart is able to make changes between each heartbeat. A high HRV is a sign of a healthier heart. People with low HRV have a higher risk of heart attack or stroke, including people who do not suffer from any cardiovascular disease. And with the help of regular meditation, you can raise your HRV. Studies also show that meditation can help in lowering blood pressure as well.
How and what you can do:
Now understand that it will take you time to learn meditation and to become confident about your abilities. It is recommended that you start off small and easy and allow yourself the time and space to progress at your own speed. Devote just five minutes a few days each week to meditating, and then slowly and gradually increase both the time and the frequency until you are able to do it daily for at least 20 minutes.
Design yourself a schedule that will help you in establishing a routine. Also, design your schedule such that you meditate at the same time each day. And if you are likely to forget your set time, then it is better to do your meditation after a regular activity such as after you’ve brushed your teeth. For some people, meditating in a group is a lot more helpful, so you can join a yoga class or your local community center, or if you’re comfortable meditating alone, then simply watch an online video.
Conclusion:
Now while you are incorporating meditation in your daily routine, it is still important that you seek medical help as well. If you’re suffering from any cardiovascular disease, then it is crucial that you visit a cardiovascular specialist and get yourself treated to prevent any severe damage to the heart. For people living in South Florida, South Florida CardioVascular Specialist is the place to turn to. Our professional cardiologists will not only guide you during the entire process but will also help you in deciding which option would be better and will also keep you posted about what’s next to come.
