Yoga for the heart: strength, stillness and circulation

My name is Sanjay Gupta. I'm a cardiologist in York. So today I wanted to do a vlog on yoga for heart health. Yoga is one of those rare practices that nurtures both body and soul and its impact on cardiovascular well-being is supported by growing scientific evidence. This video is entitled yoga for the heart strength stillness and circulation. So we often think of heart health in terms of pills procedures and high-tech scans but there is a quieter path to healing too. One which is rooted in breath balance and gentle movement and that path is yoga. Yoga isn't just stretching it's a mind-body discipline that weaves together postures called asanas, breathing techniques pranayama and deep relaxation and meditation. And when practiced regularly yoga can lower blood pressure, improve heart rate variability, reduce stress hormones like cortisol, improve endothelial function which is essentially saying improve the health of your blood vessels, lower inflammation and cholesterol and perhaps most powerfully calm the nervous system. What does the science say? Well in 2014 there was a meta-analysis in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology that found that yoga significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol levels. In patients with atrial fibrillation regular yoga practice has been shown to reduce the number and severity of atrial fibrillation episodes improving quality of life and decreasing anxiety. The study was called yoga my heart so if you want to look that up type in yoga my heart study. Yoga also helps balance the autonomic nervous system shifting us away from flight and fight towards rest and digest and the rest and digest state is critical for healing. One of yoga's most healing gifts is the breath. So in conditions with like POTS, anxiety, palpitations, high blood pressure breathing can become shallow and erratic and that can fuel symptoms. But pranayama which are yogic breathing techniques will encourage slower deeper breathing, they improve oxygenation, stimulate the vagus nerve which slows the heart down and soothes the nervous system. Even 10 minutes of mindful breathing each day can lower resting heart rate and blood pressure. So you don't have to twist yourself into a pretzel, you don't have to chant or burn incense just start with a few gentle stretches, five quiet breaths, a moment of stillness and you will find that your heart will thank you. Yoga is not about the pose it is about the presence. In a world full of stress yoga offers sanctuary, a place where the heart can slow, the breath can deepen and the soul can exhale. Whether you're healing from illness or simply seeking peace, yoga welcomes you and in that quiet the heart learns how to heal. I would love to hear your thoughts on yoga. If you do it please write to me and tell me how it has helped you and maybe someone else may read it and be inspired to do it too. Thank you once again and I just want to show you this is my backyard. So I'm very fortunate I live in a farm and so this is my backyard and I am treated to a glorious sunset every day. And this little barn here, so we're very fortunate that we have this little barn and there are a lot of deer that live in this field. So once in a while the deer will come and give birth to their little babies in this barn. So it's absolutely lovely and it is a sanctuary and it's wonderful. So once again thank you so much all the best.