Prana basically means life force or vitality, that, that gives us life or that which enters the body. Prana and the breath is not the same thing. However, prana is facilitated by the inhale and the exhale. Prana has a number of functions. Prana is divided into different forms each with it’s own function and area of the body. These different energy currents are called Vayus or wind/movements; I will explain the Vayus in my next blog. Prana affects our complete state of being.

A healthy person has just the right amount of prana, however, it is not just about how much prana we have, but how we use it. Prana exist on the inside of the body and around the body. To little or to much prana can have a number of effects on the body, for example, say a person has to little prana, the person will appear to be slow and sluggish, have trouble concentrating and maybe even find it hard to get out of bed every day. However a person with to much prana will find it hard to relax, have high levels of stress and may find it difficult to sleep at night.

The following are forms of Prana and how we are able to obtain prana:

Lifestyle
Food
Relationships
Our work
Senses
Knowledge
Exercises
Positive thoughts
Being in the presence of Prana filled people.
Sleep
Rest
An over all balance in life.

In order to maintain Prana in the body we must include the above mentioned, healthy eating, healthy lifestyle, rest, we also need to include stuff like yoga, pranayama, and meditation. Prana moves round the body through the breath, that’s why practices like yoga are vital for prana. We also need to be conscious of what our thoughts are, are they positive or negative? If you take sometime to think about your lifestyle, take a step back, observe how you interact with people around you and yourself, try not to be around negative people.  Have a routine, after all we are creature’s habit, however, ask yourself, are these habits good for me? With just a little thought and lots of yoga, you will have the correct amount of prana in no time. You will soon find your quality of life improve and each day will become less effort, you will be looking and feeling great!   Namaste

Blood pressure refers to the pressure of blood in the arteries, it is very important to have the correct amount of blood pressure in the arteries, if your blood pressure becomes to high it is knowen as Hypertension. Hypertension (high blood pressure) can lead to diseases like Stroke, Heart attack, Coronary Artery Disease or Kidney infection. If your blood pressure reachers as high as 140/90, then it is more then likely that hypertension is present. If untreated hypertension can be fatal

There are two types of high blood pressure, Primary Hypertension and Secondary Hypertension. Some of the causes of Hypertension are, stress, heredity, obesity, smoking and alcohol or poor diet. High blood pressure tends to effect adults in their later stages of life, however Hypertension may also affect young adults as well. There is medication available to treat high blood pressure, however for most part there are side effects, most not very pleasant.

Lifestyle choices like Yoga can be very beneficial for Hypertension. When it comes to choosing yoga for Hypertension, think carefully about what type of yoga class you go to, as choosing the wrong class will end up being a very bad experience and could be armful. My personal thoughts for yoga and Hypertension are private classes. Private classes are the safest and most effective way to treat Hypertension in yoga. A lot more individual attention is required with the student. The yoga teacher needs to be able to keep an eye on the student and often check in with how the student is doing and feeling. By doing private, one-on-one yoga classes, the yoga teacher will get to know the student and their lifestyle, in return the yoga instructor is able to plan a practice suited to the students lifestyle and Hypertension. What’s most important when practicing yoga for Hypertension is the breath, a longer more even flow of breath with a focuss on the exhale will help dramatically with Hypertension and it’s effects. Another important thing to remember is, leave out all inversions, inversions can be very dangerous for Hypertension, the head should never go below the hips. Depending on how severe the high blood pressure is, this also means leaving out asana like downward dog (Adho-mukha-svanasana) The following are some asana’s (poses) I have put together when practicing yoga for Hypertension. Please take note that this is a general guide and if you plan to practice yoga regularly then an experienced yoga teacher that has some idea of your condition and your lifestyle must plan your yoga practice.

Asana’s (poses) like Uttanasana (standing forward bend) can be done, however they must be modified, as to not allow the head to go below the waist/hips, a great way to aid with this is, by using a chair, when bending forward just allow the arms to rest on either the back of the chair or on the seat area, this will not allow the head to go below the hips, using a wall can also be great for this Asana. Prasarita-Padottanasana (wide leg forward bend) can also be used in this way. Other Asana’s, such as Janu-Shirshasana (head to knee pose) Paschimatanasana (forward back stretch pose) Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Spinal Twist) Uddhiyana-Marjaryasana (cat pose) Upanasana (Wind Relieving Pose) are also great for Hypertension. Always include a good rest at the end of any practice; give your self a good 5 min rest. Bring a focuss to your breath, and the rise and fall of the belly with each breath, you may even like to count your breath, which will help slow it down. Pranayama (Controlled breathing) is always good to finish with, something like, Anuloma Viloma; Anuloma Viloma is also called the Alternate Nostril Breathing Technique. In this Breathing Technique,  you create what is called a mudra, you do this by starting with a fist, you then extend the last two fingers and the thumb, block off one side of the nose with the thumb and rest the other two fingers on the other side of the nose, then just Alternate from side to side, you inhale through one nostril, retain the breath, and exhale through the other nostril, only retain the breath for a comfortable period, start small and work your way up, stop if it ever becomes uncomfortable. Just remember to never rush your practice, allow yourself plenty of time. Enjoy, Namaste.