Heart Health & Yoga
Cardiac disease and arteriosclerosis are the largest killers in the affluent sector of world society today. Every year, many millions of people die from the complications of cardiovascular degeneration – including hypertension, chronic heart failure, stroke and kidney disease. In addition many more experience the cardiac strain in the activities of their daily life.
The causes and effects of heart strain are many and complex, involving the nervous system, through which mental and emotional processes influence the cardiac function, and the metabolic, digestive and reproductive systems, which frequently place excessively heavy demands upon the heart.
YOGA BALANCES THE EMOTIONS
Because the emotions play such a fundamental role in the genesis of cardiac diseases, it is not sufficient that a heart patient adopt a low fat diet alone in order to manage his condition. According to yogic science, it is essential for sufferers of cardiac strain or those recovering from cardiac crisis, to recognize their patterns of emotional response and the effects these have upon the heart and mind. This is achieved through the practices of yogic relaxation, yoga Nidra and meditation.
This is because heart patients are often ruled by their emotional states, even though they may appear on the surface to be very calm, cool and collected personalities. Suppressed emotions, which are held deep inside and denied expression for many years are registered as a continuing, excessive heart strain and are found to be major contributing factors in many heart diseases.
By practicing yoga, the individual is gradually liberated from these deep emotional complexes, fears, and inadequacies which are harboured in the subconscious mind. It generate a high level of floating anxiety in daily life. This is a root cause of constant tension and also of constant strain upon the heart.
The yogic practices unburden the heart, leading one to regain a child’s emotions and outlook on life: open, simple and spontaneous. This provides enormous mental and cardiac relief for the heart patient. As relaxation occurs, pent up emotions are liberated and the patient gradually learns to live, think and feel simply and honestly and to express feelings openly.
