New Delhi, Sep 23 The ancient practice of meditation can do more than just relax the mind. Recent studies have revealed that meditation can positively impact heart health by reducing stress and lowering blood pressure and heart rate.
Mindfulness and meditation can benefit overall health, including heart health. The age-old practice uses quiet contemplation, breathing and sustained focus to help let go of stress and feel more calm and peaceful. It can be thought of as a mini-vacation from stress in life.
Psychological stress increases the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system. This causes a release of harmful hormones cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline. These harmful hormones fasten the heart rate, increase cardiac output and narrow the arteries. As meditation induces deep relaxation in the mind and body, the stress subsides, and stability is restored.
How to Make Meditation a Habit?
Once people understand the basics of the practice, the next challenge is making it a habit. Like every other lifestyle change, it takes time to incorporate meditation into everyday life and build it into a routine. Here are some tips:
. Set a daily alarm on the phone or block out time on a digital calendar
. Try an app that reminds it's time to meditate and then record the length of the session
. Start by practising a few minutes every day and increase the time in small amounts until the goal is reached
. Meditation to Connect with the Heart's Energy
Here are some simple steps to connect with the heart's Energy:
. Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes.
. Let go of any thoughts and the world outside.
. Focus the attention on the spiritual heart centre
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