Heart Health Awareness Month - Yoga's Answer to Stress
News Peg
February is a month for the heart. A month in which we find Valentines Day - the day for romance, couple nights, Cupid and heart-shaped cookies.
But February is also recognized as a month of the heart for another reason - Heart Disease Awareness Month.
In fact, 31% of deaths every year worldwide are associated with heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.
Over 75% of these cardiovascular disease deaths occur in middle or low income families.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world, according to the World Health Organization, with about 18 million deaths in the world due to the disease.
That is 31% of deaths every year worldwide associated with heart disease.
According to the CDC, one person died every 36 seconds in the United States due to heart disease. 655,000 Americans die of the disease every year, which is one in every four deaths.
Stress - A Major Factor
While the cause of a heart attack or even cardiovascular disease varies according to each individual’s diagnosis, managing stress is commonly stated to lower chances of a second heart attack.
According to Johns Hopkins cardiologist Michael Blaha, M.D., M.P.H., stress increases the risk of serious heart problems if not handled correctly.
In fact a John Hopkins Medicine study found that women who had gone through two or more divorces had a similar risk of heart problems that smoker or diabetic would have. The same study found men with multiple divorces to have a higher risk of a heart attack.
Research found that people stressed about losing their job are 20% more likely to have a heart disease.
Stress can increase the inflammation in one’s body potentially increasing higher blood pressure. And as a result, this increases the chances of a heart attack or heart disease.
Indirectly, stress can lead to less sleep, less exercise, obesity, worsening mental health, and unhealthy lifestyle choices. These can also result in heart disease risks.
The Poison
According to the American Psychological Association, the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly been a huge source of stress for Americans. One third of Americans are living in extreme stress, and 50% of Americans say that the stress has increased in the last five years.
66% of Americans say the state of the nation is a source of the stress. Majority of Americans call the healthcare system a cause of stress in their life.
Six out of every ten Gen-Z adults report a high level of stress, the highest amongst any age-group.
The number is 5.6 amongst millennials.
The Root of the Poison - Yoga’s Answer
If stress is a potential root of adults facing heart disease, then the question certainly rises - what is the root cause of stress?
Where does stress come from? Not in a medical or biological sense. Let’s think about it at an intrinsic, self-reflective and subjective level.
Why do we stress? Does stress happen to us or do we stress?
According to the Yoga Sutras, the ancient scripture on yoga culture and philosophy, there are nine types of interruptions in our lives that cause mental blockage and disruption. These are - illness, fatigue, doubt, carelessness, laziness, overindulgence, overconfidence, inability to concentrate and instability.
And while these disruptions prevent us from performing at our best or achieving a happier life, Patanjali, the sage and author of the Yoga Sutras, says these disruptions lead to a form of suffering. He also points out the symptoms of these disruptions in our life.
The symptoms are mental discomfort, negative thinking, anxiety and irregular breathing.
This diagnosis by the sage can be summarized in one word - STRESS.
When stressed, we feel mentally drained or uneasy. When stressed, we begin to think negatively about ourselves and frustrated about the future. When stressed, we get nervous and anxious. And when stressed, we certainly see our heart pounding and our breath becoming irregular - a common symptom of increasing blood pressure as well.
Thus, in a sense, a Patanjalian diagnosis of stress and heart disease teaches us that the root of this poison is mental disruption or uncontrolled bombardment of thoughts, desires and fears in our minds.
Why may we stress? Because we let our minds think lowly of ourselves. Why may we stress? Because we let our self-worth be decided by how the world thinks of us or how many zeros make up our salaries. Why may we stress? Because we let fear of the future and memory of the past decide our present. Why may we stress? Because we let sensations decide our goals not our genuine emotions and intellect.
The great American philosopher and psychologist, William James, famously said - “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”
The Solution Within Us
Stress in yoga can be prevented simply by learning to calm the fluctuations in our mind. By learning to be mindful of the thoughts that come into our consciousness, we learn to choose what thoughts will help us grow and stay positive.
When we focus and concentrate on the positive intake of thoughts, company or friends, exercise and breathing, food and consumption, our mind naturally finds calmness.
By recognizing that our self-worth and identity lies not in the accumulation, social media facade, fame, body or ego, but in something much deeper within ourselves that cannot be hindered, stress and its friends cannot find room in our minds.
In fact, an International Journal of Yoga study found that practicing yoga for three months can lower cortisol levels and perceived stress.
Yes, this is absolutely easier said than done! In fact, even after doing a great session of meditation or yoga, a single email or text message can create stress.
But yet again, it’s at that point that one is tested. It’s at that point, one must question: “who is creating this stress? And is that stress needed?”
And it’s at that point, one must understand that this stress is not only hurting me during this singular moment - but it can potentially hurt the health of my heart.