Meditation helped me control my High Blood Preassure
A few months ago my doctor informed me that I was suffering from heart disease and high blood pressure. I knew something wasn’t right for sometime. I had been suffering from dizzy spells and chest pains but somehow I was excusing it all to heart burn.
Well at the age of 50, my doctor told me that my blood pressure was dangerously high and that I ran the risk of a heart attack or worse (in my mind), a stroke. I knew I needed to do something to change it quickly. What happened to the idea that 50 is the new 30 I wondered out loud? He reminded me that the way I had pushed myself until now, I was more like the new 100. I recognized the sad truth in what he was saying.
The standard approach is to prescribe blood pressure medication or beta blockers. I researched the effects of beta blockers and other typical medications but felt uncomfortable going down that road. I really believed that this was something that had been brought on by my behavior and somehow, by modifying my behavior, I could change it.
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.
As I was reading the local paper one day, I read about a workshop on meditation that was being held at a nearby community center. I had heard about the benefits of meditation both mental and physical and specifically its effective use in helping lower blood pressure. I decided that it was worth a try
I have to say, that results I experienced were amazing. I learned in the workshops that the first stage in learning to meditate is to stop the distractions and try to clear our minds. At first, it was really difficult to clear my mind of those everyday distractions but after a while I got the hang of it and entered into a wonderful place of calmness.
Because of the meditation, I am happy to say that my blood pressure is currently under control. Granted, I needed to take a global approach to tackle my overall health issues but the most important step I took was to begin meditating. I can’t say enough about the overall health benefits of this timeless and simple approach to healthy and conscious living.
