Yoga Techniques for Heart Health

By Sangeetha Saran

The connection between yogic practices and superior heart health has long been established. People who practice yoga training regularly live healthier lives and report fewer debilitating conditions. While in practical terms this superficial explanation is not enough to recommend yogic medicine for heart problems specifically, delving deeper into these benefits provides greater clarity on the subject.

The heart is the hub of the circulatory system. From the heart blood flows blood to and from every major organ in the body. Since hatha yoga directly influences the circulatory system in a beneficial way, certain asanas have a positive impact on the circulatory system.

One asana said to be particularly good for the heart is the Bow pose. In the Bow pose, a person lays prone on the ground and slowly lifts their feet over their head until their hands and feet finally meet. This is an advanced position that is only completed after many hours of practice. During even elementary attempts at this pose, the heart pumps blood fully throughout the body.

Another asana, which helps the heart, is the traditional Downward Facing Dog pose. Gurus as well as beginners know this pose. Less stressful than the Bow pose, Downward Facing Dog still places a considerable amount of energy into the heart and circulatory system.

Upward Facing Dog, the reverse of the downward position, simply completes the alternate half of Downward Facing Dog. Practicing both poses in a regular routine insures that all the necessary muscle groups are worked evenly, and that the benefit to the heart is distributed in a uniform matter.

Yoga poses from the very basic to the most advanced all provide benefits to the heart and circulatory system. As these benefits are cumulative, the gains made from these poses increases over time. Since yogic science is a therapeutic one that can be applied in almost any situation, anyone can attain these benefits.

Modern science makes a distinction between the heart as the center of the circulatory system and the mind as the seat of reason and logic. Yogic science is not as concerned with this distinction. What this means in yogic terms are that asanas designed to have an impact on the physical heart are also capable of affecting the body, intellect, and the emotions.

Conclusion

Current medical practice is coming around to this holistic approach, which has been adhered to by yoga practitioners for many generations. The line between the body and the mind becomes less distinct as medicine matures and begins to accept this as fact. Other forms of exercise also seem as uniquely capable of improving the heart, but jogging may not be the best of choices for skeletal health. Additionally, Yoga training is a healthy lifestyle based upon eating in moderation, avoiding physical self-abuse, reducing stress, and self-discipline.

© Copyright 2013 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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