Unfortunately, studies show cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, even with the advances in prevention and cardiovascular disease treatment.
In today’s world, everyone is overstressed, eating less healthy foods, and sleeps less for their minds are on their problems. Yet, rolling around in bed with the same thoughts going through our minds like running on a hamster wheel, we can’t seem to shut them off.
When we are overwhelmed with stress and anxiety for long periods, stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline run through our bloodstream at high levels. This state puts us in a prolonged fight or flight response and creates havoc on our bodies and minds. As a result, we are causing illness and disease. Research repeatedly shows that 90% of all conditions and diseases are physically, mentally, and emotionally stress-related.
Meditation Can Help!
Meditation has long-standing effects on the brain, reported in neurophysiological and neuroanatomical studies. These positive effects on the brain provided some biological plausibility. Therefore, beneficial consequences on the physiological state and cardiovascular risk.
Meditation can lower your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, oxygen consumption, adrenaline levels, and cortisol levels, a hormone released in response to stress.
Numerous research studies report the benefits of meditation for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
The American Heart Association scientific statement systematically reviewed the data on the potential benefits of meditation on cardiovascular risk. “Neurophysiological and neuroanatomical studies demonstrate that meditation can have long-standing effects on the brain, providing some biological plausibility, which benefits the physiological state and cardiovascular risk.” Studies on the impact of meditation on cardiovascular risk have included those investigating the physiological response to stress, smoking cessation, blood pressure reduction, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, endothelial function, inducible myocardial ischemia, and primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Meditation studies on cardiovascular risk included a physiological response to stress and smoking cessation—reduction in blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Meditation is a low-risk, low-cost intervention for cardiovascular disease treatment. Individuals who are interested in the modification to their lifestyle could benefit from positive results.
Why do People Practice Mindfulness Meditation?
In a 2012 U.S. survey, 1.9 percent of 34,525 adults reported practicing mindfulness meditation in the past 12 months. Among those responders who practiced mindfulness meditation exclusively, 73 percent said meditating for general wellness and disease prevention. Most (approximately 92 percent) reported meditating to relax or reduce stress. In more than half of the responses, a desire for better sleep was a reason for practicing mindfulness meditation.
Yoga Also Benefits Cardiovascular Disease
In other cardiovascular disease studies, participants added Yoga to their treatment plan. Physical postures (asana), breathing exercises (pranayama), with meditation (dhyana) are used as a component of comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation.
Studies reveal Yoga positively affects systemic inflammation, stress, cardiac autonomic nervous system, and traditional emerging cardiovascular risk factors.
Conclusions demonstrate Yoga has positive effects that directly influence the central nervous system. Yoga in specific studies of the cardiovascular disease shows the effects go beyond traditional CV risk factors. Positive results are favorable in emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses. Yoga increases HR variability and vagal output, decreasing sympathetic nervous system arousal. The bidirectional flow of the vagus nerve may be responsible for this positive effect of the body-mind connection. The vagus nerve runs from the brain to the abdominal area.
Tai Chi’s Health Benefits for Cardiovascular Disease Treatment
Earlier research has shown that practicing tai chi may help moderate blood pressure. It’s also proved helpful for people with heart failure, who tend to be tired and weak due to the heart’s diminished pumping ability. The slow movements involve both the upper and lower body, which safely strengthens the heart and major muscle groups without undue strain.
Tai chi’s primary benefit may be encouraging people reluctant to exercise to move more. The practice also emphasizes breathing, focused attention, and visualization. All of those factors seem to help lower stress — something doctors increasingly realize plays a crucial role in preventing heart disease. Still, as Dr. Aragam points out, people recovering from a heart attack would likely also benefit from other components of cardiac rehab, such as diet coaching and medication management (for some, help to quit smoking). In the future, says Dr. Aragam, doctors may be able to tailor cardiac rehab to meet each person’s specific needs and preferences — especially for people who are reluctant to participate in a comprehensive program.
What are meditation and mindfulness?
Meditation has a history that goes back thousands of years, and many meditative techniques began in Eastern traditions. The term “meditation” refers to various practices focusing on mind and body integration, calming the mind, and enhancing overall well-being. Some types of meditation involve maintaining a mental focus on a particular sensation, such as breathing, a sound, a visual image, a mantra, or a repeated word or phrase. Other forms of meditation include the practice of mindfulness, which involves maintaining attention or awareness of the present moment without making judgments.
Programs that teach meditation or mindfulness may combine the practices with other activities. For example, mindfulness-based stress reduction is a program that teaches mindful meditation. Still, it also includes discussion sessions and strategies to help people apply what they have learned to stressful experiences. Likewise, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy integrates mindfulness practices with aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy.
Meditation Course for Beginners
Would you like to learn more about meditation and how you can start today?
Click the link below for more information on a meditation course for beginners! To Your Well-being, much love, Lesa
Disclosure: Bear in mind that the button link above in this post is an affiliate link, and if you make a purchase, I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Keep in mind that I link this company and its products because of their quality and the positive impact on people’s lives, not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is entirely up to you.
Article: Meditation For Beginners
https://1111newme.com/2020/09/20/meditation-for-beginners/
Source:
Meditation and Cardiovascular Risk ReductionA Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association J Am Heart Assoc. 2017 Oct; 6(10): e002218.Published online 2017 Sep 28. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.117.002218
Meditation offers significant heart benefits https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/meditation-offers-significant-heart-benefits
Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention 39(3):1 DOI: 10.1097/HCR.0000000000000372