Meditation and High Blood Preassure
It wasn’t that long ago that my doctor informed me that suffered from heart disease and high blood pressure. I knew that I dealt with a lot of stress in my life but I always thought that I could handle it. It seems that the stress was handling me instead.
While I had recently celebrated my 50th birthday, I somehow had convinced myself that age was irrelevant. And maybe it would have been if I hadn’t been working myself to the bone for too long. My doctor informed me that if I didn’t do something to turn my health around quickly, I was facing a heart attack or worse still, a stroke.
He encouraged me to try beta blockers. I am somewhat familiar with blood pressure medication in theory and not excited about the potential side effects. I understand that there is a time and place for western medicine. I also know that there are options outside of medication and I was determined to try those options before giving the rest of my life over to medication.
My initial focus was on lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise. I worked on eating the right foods and slowing increasing the amount of walking I was doing. While I felt better in general, the effect on my blood pressure was minimal.
Then I found out about meditation. There was a workshop being held in my neighborhood and I decided to give it a try. I had tried everything else after all. I did some research and read how meditation is proven to improve ones health in a variety of aspects. One of the most important ways in which meditation helps is in relieving stress. That sounded right for me!
I finally found something that really worked! My blood pressure started to decline almost immediately. Initially, it was something of a challenge trying to clear my mind as they say and focus on my breath but I eventually got to a place where it became easier to do. After getting there, it becomes so much easier because it’s a place where you want to return often.
Now I look at my health issues as a blessing in disguise. If I hadn’t had them, I wouldn’t have been forced to change my lifestyle and include things like meditation to my daily routine. Everything I am doing now adds to my quality of life and meditation most of all. Now I really can say that 50 is the new 30 because I finally feel like it’s true!
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