Open Your Heart to Yoga - Yoga for Heart Diseases

In Medical terminology, Coronary Heart/arterial Disease, CAD, is defined as a condition when accumulation of plaques (semi solid emulsion of LDP and calcium) in the arteries constricts them and as a result oxygen supply to the heart gets restricted and heart muscles become weak. With this restricted passage for oxygen rich blood, heart needs to pump more, further straining itself.

Before we discuss further how yoga can help to cure for heart disease, and what is the yoga poses for heart health, let us examine the causes and symptoms of the disease and how yoga does wonder prevent disease and gives better health.

Causes and Symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
The main culprit is the atherosclerosis, a medical condition when plaque gets accumulated inside coronary arteries and results in their hardening. The other contributors are Hypertension, smoking, and high cholesterol (LDL) and CAD develops over a long time. Since it is a long process, people miss the symptoms till they are around 50 years of age. Chest pain (angina), short breaths characterize CAD. Unfortunately for some people, heart attack could be the first sign of CAD.

Who Are Affected By CAD?
As the researches show, Men and women are equally prone to be affected by CAD. But usually the danger sign for men is after age 45 and for women after 55 years of age (post menopause). Statistics show 50% of men and 63% of women of over 50 years, die from heart attack due to CAD.

Those who have a family history are at risk even at young age.

Coronary Artery Disease Risk Factors
Smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, bad cholesterol above 240 mg/dL (LDL) are the risk factors. Heredity is also a major risk.

How Does Yoga Help In Combating This Disease?
A study, published in Journal of The Association of Physicians of India (JAPI), establishes that yoga has tremendous benefits in curing heart disease. Study was on angiographic ally proven CAD patients, of whom 71 formed the study group and 42 the control group. And the results proved that the serum total cholesterol levels had reduced by 23.3%, disease had regressed in 43.7% and progression was arrested in another 46.5% of the patients. The anxiety levels of patients dropped significantly and serum cholesterol, LDL and triglyceride levels were reduced to great extents with the help of Controlled yoga combining calming and stimulating measures.

Yoga Poses for Heart Health
Yoga for heart disease has been popular since ages. Of late, it is getting better coinage following concerted studies which have shown how symptoms of coronary artery disease have been reduced.

Kapalabhati Breathing
Kapalabhati breathing, popularly known as pranayama technique. Kapalabhati involves breathing along with controlling the movements of the diaphragm (a membrane separating abdomen from chest) consciously. The breathe control is through breathing in rapid succession. This results in holding air in the lungs for few seconds’ thereby increasing oxygen absorption in the lungs in a short time. Each and every tissue in the entire respiratory system gets benefited. This ensures richer blood to reach cardiovascular muscles regardless of its quantity, thus removing the major complaint.

Yoga Mountain Pose
Tadasana, an indispensable part of all standing yoga postures is performed in standing position. Touch your heels and big toes to each other. Ensure to balance the weight evenly on metatarsals (bones in foot) and toes spread. Stiffen and pull-up calf muscles, knee caps, thighs and hips. Take stomach in; expand chest, neck and spine. Release fingers, drop hands straight and keep them stiff.

Yoga Asanas to cure Heart Disease
There are types of poses you can practice offered by yoga for heart disease cure as follows:

Warrior Pose
Begin from the mountain pose and jump change to fully stretched legs and arms (horizontal) sideways. Rotate outwards right foot by 900 and left foot by 700. Bend the right knee till thigh becomes parallel to ground keeping the plane of the body unaltered. Breathe in a few times and return to tadasana and repeat this for the next half of the body.

Triangle Pose
Stand straight and keep your feet spread slightly wider than shoulder. Lift both arms and bend towards right, hold right ankle with right hand without twisting the body. Hold it there for 30 seconds. The triangle is the shape formed by your trunk now.

Tree Pose
Vrukshasana. Proceed from tadasana to rest your left foot on the root of right thigh and lift hands up straight till they touch palm to palm. Hold the position till 20 seconds.

Lotus Pose Yoga
Improvement over the classic cross-legged squatting. Make sure to rest both your feet on the opposite thighs with soles facing up. You may want to pull your feet initially. It is a classic position for pranayama with chinmudra.

Can Yoga Cure CAD?
Studies similar to Journal of The Association of Physicians of India (JAPI) have shown tremendous benefits in CAD patients and the symptoms and conditions have improved contrary to the poor performance of modern medicine. Just yet, this doesn't suggest that yoga cures CAD, however.

Yoga and Heart Attacks
Dr. Satish Sivasankaran recently conducted a study on the effects of yoga in preventing coronary artery disease. The initial study on the ways to get rid of chronic stresses such as CAD, with the help of yoga, indicated improvements in the conditions of epithelial cells that line our arteries from inside. Dr. Satish has studied 33 persons (10 had cardiovascular diseases) of average 55 years. Parameters like body mass, heart rates, blood pressure and cholesterol and blood sugar levels were checked including epithelial linings before and after the study. The study lasted for 6 weeks with 3 sessions of 90 minutes each in every week. Sessions were on yoga and meditation. Significant improvements, across the group, for example reductions in hypertension, body mass and pulse rate were reported by Dr. Satish. Specifically those with previous CAD history also showed improvements in the functioning of endothelial cells.

It may be too early, but efforts on yoga for heart disease are taking researchers in the right direction. The fact that the symptoms of coronary artery disease have reacted positively should motivate them further.

Back Stretching - Back to Basics

Whenever we talk about health and fitness through yoga, we focus greatly on tone the abs, hips and legs, but rarely any thought comes to our mind that our back and spinal cord also need to be worked on for fitness. The back is responsible for our posture and we need to exercise for fitness of our back.

Spinal Cord
Most of us may not be aware of the fact that the spinal cord is the Information-Superhighway of the body, and connects the brain and the rest of the body by transmitting neuro-chemical messages. We can not do even a simple activity such as lifting our leg if the spinal cord does not act as a transmitter of message.

For having a strong back, it is advised to sit with a straight back as required in most meditation practices. In Yogic physiology, it is seen that the Energy centers – Chakras- of the body are located along the spinal cord. Hence the health of the spine can not be neglected. Our back protects the spinal cord.

Stiffness of the spine is associated with ageing. With a flexible spine, the ageing process slows down.

Muscles of the Back
Human being, the unique member in whole Animal Kingdom who can stand erect, just because of the muscles in different layers in the Back, that work together to keep us erect.

Erector Spinae – This small muscle located deep within the lower back, behind the abdomen is largely responsible for keeping a person standing erect.

Latissimus Dorsi- Popularly called the ‘lats’, these muscles are used to lower the arms and pull the chest upwards.

Trapezius – this muscle running down the back of the neck and between the shoulders, is responsible for the shrugging action. This muscle absorbs most of the stress that an individual experiences. Hence you feel relieved, when this muscle is massaged.

In today’s Yoga routine we have shown a complete exercise for the back. There are 5 natural movements of the spine: Upward Stretch, Sideward Bend, Backward Bend, Forward Bend and Spinal Twist. We have given 1 asana for each movement. There is also one asana shown, which helps to strengthen the lower back muscles. The last asana relaxes your back and helps to calm you. Practice this routine daily, after warming up the body. This can be done whether you practice Yoga or any other form of Fitness routine.

Caution: People suffering from Slipped Disc and other back-related debilities should consult their Doctor and a qualified Yoga therapist before attempting these asanas.

Tadasana

• Stand with your feet shoulder-distance apart.
• Raise your hands along the sides of your body and join your palms above your head.
• Raise your torso upwards.
• Now raise your body upwards, lifting the body on the toes.
• Keep looking at a point to maintain your balance and hold the position for 30 secs. Breathe normally.

Ardha Chandrasana

• Stand with your feet slightly more than shoulder-distance apart.
• Raise your left hand upwards.
• Begin to bend towards the right side, and place your right palm on your right calf.
• Hold the position for 15-30secs. Breathe normally.
• Then repeat on the other side.

Ushtrasana

• Kneel on the floor with your knees shoulder width apart.
• Curl your toes at the back.
• Drop your palms on your heels.
• Inhale and push your stomach and torso outwards.
• Hold the position for 15-30secs. Breathe normally.

Note: If you are unable to reach both your hands, then hold the posture with one hand.

Janusirsana

• Sit straight, with your legs stretched out.
• Bend your right leg and place the foot in the groin.
• Stretch your hands upwards.
• Exhale and bring your hands down towards your toes. Try to interlock your fingers and wrap your hands around your heel.
• Hold the posture for 15-30secs. Breathe normally.
• Then repeat with the other leg.

Ardha Matsyendrasana

• Sit straight, with your legs stretched out.
• Bend your right leg, taking the foot across the left leg. Place the foot on the floor.
• Bend your left hand. Place your left elbow on the outside of your right knee.
• Place your right palm on the floor behind your back.
• Exhale and twist your lower back, and turn your torso to look over your right shoulder.
• Hold the posture for 15-30secs. Breathe normally.
• Then repeat with the other leg.

Bhujangsana variation

• Lie flat on your stomach, with your feet together and your palms on the floor beside your shoulders.
• Press your feet together. Tighten your legs and buttocks for support.
• Inhale and raise your torso upwards by supporting yourself on your palms.
• The lower back muscles contract to hold you in position.
• Hold the posture for 10-30secs. Breathe normally.

Shashankasana

• Kneel down. Interlock the big toes of both feet.
• Keep your feet spread out, with the heels pointing outwards.
• Slowly lower your hips and buttocks down on your feet.
• The buttocks rest on the instep of your feet and not on the heels.
• Now inhale and raise your hands upwards.
• Exhale, and lower your body down on to the floor. Drop your palms on the floor in front of your body.
• Hold the position for 30secs. Breathe normally.
• This posture relaxes the your back as well as your whole being.

Note: Avoid dropping your head down if you have extremely high BP.