Recent developments involving Yoga and Hypertension suggest that practicing yoga regularly can be an “effective intervention” for high blood pressure. More research is needed in order to ultimately decide how and why yoga affects blood circulation in this way. However, what we do know for certain, is that it does appear to have a positive effect!
So, what yoga poses, or exercises are best when it comes to improving blood circulation?
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Lotus Position
Although this is not a pose that is really meant to improve circulation, it will help ease you into the rest of the poses that we’ll be introducing today. The Lotus Position, if you don’t already know, is when you sit on the floor — cross-legged.
If you have poor circulation in your legs, then this isn’t a pose that you’re going to want to hold for very long. Instead, just relax, take deep breaths, and hold the pose for a solid 60 seconds.
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Mountain Pose
From your cross-legged position, you need to then stand in what is called the Mountain Pose. For this, all you need to do is stand up straight with both arms at your sides! Again, just like before you need to relax, take 10 deep breaths, and hold this pose.
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Chair Pose
This pose is meant to follow the Mountain Pose. For this, you need to slowly bend at your knees — you don’t have to go too low (just lower yourself down as much as you can comfortably do so.) Then, if you can, try to make it so that the top of your thighs is parallel to the floor and then stretch your arms up (as if you were holding a ball over your head.)
Again, for this, hold your position and take 10 deep breaths.
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Airplane Pose
Following the chair pose, shift your arms to your back (mimicking the bend of an airplane’s wings) and then line your spine to your thighs. Whilst also making sure that you keep your chest up the entire time.
If you’re looking for something more complex, you can slowly interpose between the chair pose (at inhale) and the airplane pose (at exhale) for 10 deep breaths.
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Warrior Pose
After the Airplane pose, you need to slowly rise back to the standing position described in Step 2, and then slowly sweep your arms into the Warrior Pose. For this pose, you need to have one leg lunged forward, arms held up wide on both sides, and your back foot as parallel to the floor as you can get it.
Do this with your right foot lunged and then switch to the left after 10 deep breaths.
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Triangle Pose
Raise yourself a bit higher off the ground for this next wide-legged pose (so that both of your legs are straight rather than bent or parallel to the ground.) Also, rather than having arms raised at opposite sides, you need to have one pointing at the floor and the other pointed at the sky.
Your head should be turned to look up at the hand you have raised at the sky/ceiling. Again, take 10 deep breaths, and then turn your hips to the opposite side.
To end this six-pose routine, you can relax into the Savasana pose. Which is to simply rest flat on your back — arms at your sides. You can stay on this pose for as long as you like, just make sure to take deep breaths and relax.
REFERENCES
- Hagins, Marshall, et al. “Effectiveness of Yoga for Hypertension: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : ECAM, Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3679769/.