Yoga is an age-old discipline that entails various Asanas for developing physical flexibility, building muscle strength. Many breathing techniques and meditation to assist better health. Regular Yoga also enhances heart health through improved blood flow and circulation by lower risk of hypertension, stroke, and heart disease. Regular Yoga can help lower your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose levels, and heart rate. Whether you are a heart patient or not, if you spare about 30 to 45 minute for Yoga plus 30-minute for walk every day will deliver you outstanding results. By following these simple eight Yoga Asanas and eating fresh vegetables and fruits, you will be able to reverse your heat diseases easily.  Please read on as we share specific yoga poses A) Warm up exercises, B) Yoga Asanas, C) Pranayama, and D) Meditation that might help improve your cardiovascular health.

What are the best Yoga asanas that will improve your heart health?

In the first 5 to 8 minutes do head to toes movements as warm up exercises to increase blood flow and raise your body temperature, and thereby you can maximize your cardio routine even more.

A. Warmup exercises: (1) Stand up in Namaskar Mudra with normal breathing and repeat all the exercises 2 to 3 times. (2) Eye Exercises: Look up and down, then look right and left, and rotate your eyes balls clock and anti-clock wise. Massage your eyes by rubbing your second and third fingers just gently rotate your warm fingers around your closed eyes. Rub your both palms and close your eye area with little pressure. (3) Ear Exercises: Pull your ears, up, middle and down, then do massage with one finger around your ear area, and rub your both palms close your ear area with little pressure. (4) Face Exercises: Rub your two palms and gently massage your entre face and neck area. (5) Neck Exercises: Stretch your neck right and left, then touch your shoulders with your ears on both sides, and move your neck back and forth. Lastly, rotate your neck clock and anti-clock wise. (6) Shoulder Exercises: Pull up and down your shoulders, and then rotate your shoulders close and ant-clockwise. Make a triangle of your hands and rotate them clock and anti-clock wise, then wide open and close your hands while breathing properly. (7) Abdomen Exercises: Holding your tummy, breathe-in (tummy goes out) and breathe-out (tummy goes in). This exercise can be done by bending as well. (8) Waist exercises: Rise both hands and bend on your right and then left side, then do Ardha Chakrasan – hold your hand straight and move to your right and left. (9) Thigh Exercises: Place your hands on your waist, go down by bending your knees forward, and then stand up straight and repeat it. (10) Leg Exercises: Lift one leg little up and move it backward and forward. (11) Knee exercises: Bend and hold both knees with your both hands and move forward and backward, and then move clock and anti-clock wise. (12) Ankle exercises Life your one leg and move your feet upward and downward, then move your feet to right and left side. Finally rotate your feet clock and anti-clock wise. (12) Toes and heels exercises: Walk on your toes and heels back and forth for 2 to 3 times.

B) Yoga Asanas: Do these Yoga Asanas early morning every day after your morning routines with empty stomach. Wear loose dress and do these heart safe Asanas for 2 to 3 times each in 8 to 10 minutes.

1) Padahastasana – Start standing in Namaskar Mudra. Raise your both hands up and then bend to touch your feet.

2) Trikonasana – Stretch your both hands and bend one side to touch your feet and repeat the same for the other side for 2 to 3 times.

3) Shashankasana –This pose depicts the rounded spine of the rabbit. Shashankasana involves intense forward bending. 

4) Vakrasana - Vakrasana is a flexible yoga where twisting is observed in the spinal region and is known as seated twist yoga pose. Keep breathing while doing this yoga asana.

5) Pada Uttanapadasana – Raise your one leg 45 degree angle and hold it there for few seconds and repeat it for the other leg. Then raise your both legs for about 45 degree angle and repeat the same for few times.

6) Merudandasana - Also called Spinal Column Pose  which requires intense stretch, and strength. Place your one foot on the top of another foot and hands under your head and twist your body

7) Bhujangasana – It is like a snake pose. Raise your head while taking breathe and bring it down while breathing out. Your legs always touch the ground.

8) Salavasana – Also called the locust pose. Lie on your stomach, arms by your side, your forehead or your chin on the mat. Lengthen your lower back by gently pressing your pubic bone into the floor, and pull your navel in towards the spine as you exhale. Engage your leg muscles.

C) Anuloma and Viloma: It is a Nadi Shodhana exercise or a form of alternate nostril breathing designed to calm the body and mind. Close the right nostril and next inhale through the right nostril. And exhale through left nostril. This is one round of Anuloma-Viloma pranayama repeat for another four rounds for 3 to 4 minute as this Yoga helps in getting lots of oxygen to lungs and heart and your body gets ready for meditation.

D) Meditation: is good for heart patients as it is linked to lowering heart rate, cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure and thereby reducing your risk of heart diseases. It can also produce alpha waves in brain.

For doing meditation, sit in Sukhasana and hold your both hands in a mudra pose and keep your spine straight. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, allowing your body to relax and your mind to settle. Focus on your breath, the sensation of air flowing in and out of your nostrils. When your mind starts to wander, gently bring your attention back to your breath, using it as an anchor to the present moment. No instructions go from brain to mind or mind or mind to body. Continue practicing mindfulness meditation for at least 4 to 5 minutes daily, and gradually you increase the duration.