Mindfulness for a Healthy Heart

Our cardiology director, Dr Nitesh Nerlekar, recently told us that his number one tip for looking after his heart health was practicing mindfulness. He believes that meditating has helped alleviate his stress burdens and clear his mind, which has resulted in better outcomes in all areas of his life such as motivation to exercise, eat well, and feel fulfilled.

Practicing mindfulness may not be the first thing that comes to mind when people think of heart health, instead thinking of cardio-based exercise and good diets as key to cardiovascular maintenance. But according to Harvard Medical School, 10 minutes a day of meditation can help reduce your heart rate, lower blood pressure, and reduce adrenal and cortisol hormones (which are associated with stress), which can significantly reduce your risk of cardiac arrest or stroke.

Below are our top 3 tips for getting started with meditation and mindfulness:

1. Deep breathing : Simply breathe deeply, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Try to direct all of your focus onto your breath. If you are struggling to clear your mind of thoughts, try to think about where you can feel your breath, maybe that’s on your upper lip, or on your nostrils, or even the rising and falling of your chest.
2. Download a guided meditation app : If you can’t stay focussed without a little help, try out a meditation app, such as Headspace or Calm: Sleep & Meditation, which provide guided meditation sessions of varying lengths to help you keep on track. It can also be a great way to keep you accountable for your practice.
3. Yoga or gentle stretching : A slightly more physical approach to meditation is to try yoga or gentle stretching. Allowing your body to move slowly in sync with your breath can help you feel more present and relaxed throughout your entire body, and the coordination aspect can distract you from busy thoughts of the day. Try a yoga class at your local gym, or practice at home with YouTube sessions such as Yoga with Adrienne.

Together, let’s learn to practice resetting and recharging to take care of our heart health.