Meditation has
long been considered a healthy lifestyle practice, many people swear
by its ability to reduce daily stress, and improve all around health.
Among many of meditation's uses, meditation for heart health has
long been practiced, and believed by many to be a strong supplement
to modern medicines.
Recently the American Heart Association
(AHA) has reviewed dozens of studies on how meditation impacts heart
health. This report supports the ideas that many have long believed
may be true regarding the healing effects of meditation. With more
than $200 billion spent annually on heart disease it would certainly
serve humanity well to find inexpensive, healthy, and readily
available alternatives to the modern medicine.
By helping to avoid stress, and many
other common diseases risk factors, is science finally catching on to
ancient healing properties meditation has held all along?
Meditation for Heart
Health: A Statement by the AHA-
In the Journal
of the American Heart Association a scientific statement was released
on September 28
th, 2017 entitled “Meditation and
Cardiovascular Risk Reduction: A Scientific Statement From the
American Heart Association”. In their release the AHA, for the
first time, has issued a statement in regards to meditation, and
heart health. The experts at the AHA have reviewed dozens of studies
which were conducted on meditation. The studies reviewed covered
eight forms of meditation and theirs effects on heart disease risk
factors, and the recovery of those that had suffered heart disease,
such as heart attacks. The risk factors studied included stress,
smoking, high blood pressure and atherosclerosis.
The breaking review set forth by the
AHA is an innovative scientific review, that incorporates long held
beliefs about meditation's healthful benefits, with a modern
scientific, fact based view. The AHA's new finding may be a window
into an entirely new field of medical developments when it comes to
improving the health of the heart that can may help people in all
walks of life.
The Conclusions of the Review-
For many years
it has been speculated that mediation for heart health may be a
possible alternative to modern standardized medicines, and the new
findings by the AHA show support for this ideology. Dr. Glenn Levine
Chair of the American College of Cardiology task force on clinical
practice guidelines, says that the studies have shown encouraging
results. Dr. Levine also suggests that the data is not yet
conclusive enough for a justified recommendation for the treatment of
meditation for heart disease. For now, he suggests that mediation for
heart health can be considered as a supplemental to the standard
treatments available. Though the results were promising, Dr.
Levine's group still encourages existing treatments other than
meditation for heart disease, such as losing eight, quitting smoking
and lowering cholesterol.
“Our
clear message is that meditation may be a reasonable (additional)
intervention, but we specifically do not want people to rely on
meditation or other such adjunctive interventions in place of proven
therapies,” States Dr. Levine, “Meditation should be considered
as a potential lifestyle modification, but should not be used to
replace standard and proven treatments such as smoking cessation,
blood pressure control and treatment of high cholesterol levels,”
Levine continued.
Most of the
studies conducted that were included in this report were of
relatively small groups, most without relative control groups. Many
of the studies covered the effects of meditation on reducing several
of the factors common in heart disease, such as meditation and lower
blood pressure. Both of these factors are widely suggestive as risk
factors in heart disease, despite the small groups and lack of
controls in the studies, the studies do suggest that meditation at
the very least reduces stress and blood pressure, which are both
considered strong risk factors in general heart disease.
Addressing stress
concerns can reduce stress hormones which have been linked to higher
risks of hear attack, as well as lowering blood pressure can damper
the risk of general heart disease.
What You Can Take from the Report
Meditation,
can be included as part of your daily heart-healthy strategy, so long
as you understand that the data has not yet conclusively proven that
mediation for heart health has tangible benefits. Though meditation
for heart disease, does not appear to be a cure all, the report put
forth by the AHA certainly suggests that it may have strong benefits
as part of a daily routine, not only by possibly reducing stress, and
lowering blood pressure, but also by encouraging a more mindful,
healthful lifestyle. As with many holistic treatments for disease it
can be very difficult to prove whether meditation for heart health is
effective, or just how effective it may be.
The
AHA and Dr. Levine, state in the report that they believe that people
interested in improving their hearts health should certainly consider
meditation for heart health, so long as they are also including other
“scientifically proven” techniques to reducing risk of heart
disease. Levine says “we are extremely encouraged by the
findings.”, and that more studies will be necessary to definitely
prove the practice of meditation for heart health works.
Meditation to Improve Health and Wellbeing
Meditation, and mindfulness practices
have been long touted by many as a means to all around improved
health, and life well being. These practices come in a variety of
forms including breathing, sustained focus on an image or sound, and
quiet contemplation. Meditation, and mindfulness practices can help
you to feel more calm and to let go of stress. Stress in a way acts
as your bodies alarm system, stress causes adrenaline to be
released into your body which in turn can speed up your heart rate,
raise blood pressure, and cause breathing to become more rapid. These
natural processes are often refereed to as the fight or flight
reaction, which is useful when you need to get away from danger or
fight of an attacker. However, stress can take a toll on your body if
it occurs too often or for long periods at a time. Meditation, and
mindfulness practices help to reduce the occurrence, and duration of
stress which can help prevent diseases that stress can cause.
According to the AHA several
studies suggest a range of healing benefits. The benefits of
meditation appear to include an increased ability to process
information, slowed cognitive effects of aging, reduced inflammation,
supporting the immune system, reduced symptoms of menopause, a
controlled response to pain, and improved sleep.
Types of Meditation or Heart Health.
There are many forms of meditation including compassion or metta,
insight or Vipassana, mantra, relaxation, transcendental, zen
meditation, chi gong, Tai Chi, yoga and many more. Mediation can be
as simple as sitting in a quiet space and focusing on your breathing,
as your mind wanders simply bring your focus back to your breathing.
As you practice you will gradually increase the length of time you
are able to focus on your breathing.
Perhaps the most popular form of meditation is transcendental
meditation. Transcendental mediation was made popular by American
authors Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. This form of
meditation is a practice that allows you to focus inward on yourself,
the technique when practiced allows you to mindful of the thoughts
going through your mind and the sounds from your outside environment,
without directly engaging with the stimulus. Typically done in a
seated position with your eyes closed for 20 minutes, practiced twice
a day.
A third form of meditation called mindfulness meditation can use
and object, sound or thought to focus on. Rather than focusing on no
thought in general like transcendental meditation, you focus on one
though, sound or phrase and maintain your focus a single thing and
maintain that focus.
Each of these forms of meditation appear to reduce stress, and
lower blood pressure, by training you to be more aware of your
thoughts, surroundings, and actions. If done daily meditation can be
very transformative.
In Conclusion
Strong evidence
shows that meditation for heart health as a daily practice can reduce
the risk factors associated with heart disease such as stress and
high blood pressure. Reducing these risk factors for heart disease
through mediation may promote heart health, and reduce the risk of
heart disease. The AHA suggests adding meditation to your daily
routines as an easy, low-cost preventative to heart disease. Though
the AHA in their new report find that meditation for heart health
appears to be effective, they say you should be mindful to continue
using time proven methods of heart disease prevention such as losing
weight, quitting smoking and lowering cholesterol.
Daily
meditation has long been used for reducing stress, and improving
general lifestyle improvements. Now, we are one step closer to having
proof of what has long been speculated about meditation
and improvements to our daily lives and our bodies.
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