Alpha and Theta meditation have been shown time and time again to be very effective ways to combat hypertension and reduce high blood pressure. Stress is one of the main causes of high blood pressure, and pharmaceutical companies encourage doctors to ignore it. Alpha or Theta meditation is the best way to reduce stress and can make a world of difference in the fight against hypertension.

What is alpha or theta meditation and how can it lower my high blood pressure?

The human brain constantly generates electrical activity. Neurologists monitor this activity on an electroencephalogram (EEG) and classify it into different frequencies or brain waves. While we are awake and engaged in our daily activities, the dominant brain wave is the Beta wave, which has a frequency of 13 to 30 Hertz (cycles per second). When we close our eyes and turn our attention away from the outside world, such as when we go to sleep or take a nap, the dominant frequency in the brain becomes slower but also more powerful. This is where we see the alpha waves (7-13 Hz). When we are deeply relaxed, or have fallen asleep and enter the sleep state known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the brain generates theta waves (3.5-7 Hz), which are even slower and more powerful.

Alpha and Theta states are natural antidotes to stress. When the brain is in these more relaxed states, hormonal imbalances that result from stress, either real or just perceived – are returned to equilibrium. Specifically, when stress triggers the “fight or flight response,” the adrenal glands release epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine, and cortisol. Collectively, these hormones increase heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration while diverting resources from other functions (such as repair or growth) that would take energy away from the body’s necessary action to counter the danger. That mechanism made a lot of sense in a previous evolutionary environment, but now it works against us. Spending less time in the Beta state, which is hospitable to stress, reduces the damage caused by this inappropriate mix of hormones.

Studies Confirm Meditation Lowers Blood Pressure

A 2004 study in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences found that older women who practice meditation regularly have a reduced cortisol response to stress, and the longer the person has been practicing meditation, the greater the reduction. The study authors suggest that the functioning of the endocrine system was improved.

In 2007, the National Institutes of Health published a comprehensive review of various stress reduction techniques, noting that many previous studies had been poorly designed. Compared with other stress reduction methods, such as progressive muscle relaxation and biofeedback, meditation produced the best results in lowering blood pressure, a 5 mm Hg reduction considered “significant” by the authors.

What is the best way to meditate and reduce high blood pressure?

Until recently, meditation was a difficult skill to master, and most people who tried it simply gave up after a few weeks. When your health is at stake, this is very unfortunate, as meditation can really combat hypertension without poisoning your body with chemical concoctions. So is there a way to achieve desired states of mind without struggling with difficult techniques that are unrealistic for most people?