World Heart Day 2024: The Benefits Of Mindfulness Meditation For Heart Health

World Heart Day is observed annually on September 29 to raise awareness about cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and promote precautions for maintaining heart health. Established in 2000 by the World Heart Federation (WHF), this day aims to unite people globally in the fight against heart disease, which claims the lives of around 17 million individuals each year.Mindfulness meditation has received much attention for its positive impact on a healthy heart, especially about stress and overall cardiovascular disease. In light of approaching World Heart Day, it is pertinent to find out how mindfulness practices can help improve heart health.

Impact on Stress and Anxiety

The first advantage of mindfulness meditation is that it assists in minimising stress and anxiety. Daily stress triggers the “fight or flight” response in the body, and; hence, high levels of adrenaline cause a rise in heart rate and increased blood pressure. The usual practice of mindfulness meditation has the capacity to reduce the aforementioned effects by reducing the heart rate and blood pressure and also lowering cortisol levels, a hormone associated with stress.

Physiological Changes

Regular meditation practice can lead to several physiological changes that benefit heart health.

• Harvard Medical School research has presented the fact that those who apply mindfulness meditation have reductions in heart rate and blood pressure, which results in decreased cardiovascular danger.
• Some mindfulness practices may reduce the concentration of pro-inflammatory molecules that are associated with cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis.
• Some studies show that meditation can stimulate the process of neuroplasticity and thereby buffer specific types of stress and even improve the capability for effective emotional regulation. This can very much contribute to improved ways on how to handle stress when this is experienced, thus a vital factor in the health of the heart.

Types of Meditation Beneficial for Heart Health

There are various forms of meditation that can be beneficial for heart health:

1. Mindfulness Meditation:Emphasise mindfulness and allow thoughts without criticism. It frequently embraces breath awareness and can be done everywhere.
2. Transcendental Meditation:Refers to the process of chanting a particular mantra to calm the brain. This technique is normally done for 20 minutes twice a day.
3. Guided Meditation:Relies on an image or verbal directions of a teacher or recording to distract the participants from external influences.
4. Body Scan Meditation:This technique involves mentally scanning the body for areas of tension and consciously relaxing them. It can help reduce stress.
5. Breath Awareness Meditation:Focussing on the breath helps promote relaxation. This practice can lower heart rate and maintain blood pressure.