Cardiac yoga is a system of stress management

Stress management

Stress management is the alteration of stress and especially chronic stress often for the purpose of improving everyday functioning.Stress produces numerous symptoms which vary according to persons, situations, and severity. These can include physical health decline as well as depression. According...

 and health promotion

Health promotion

Health promotion has been defined by the World Health Organization's 2005 Bangkok Charter for Health Promotion in a Globalized World as "the process of enabling people to increase control over their health and its determinants, and thereby improve their health"...

 designed specifically to focus on the needs of a heart patient. Cardiac yoga is basically artery gentle yoga

Yoga

Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...

 exercises tailored to the special needs of people who have various cardiac problems, live with a cardiac condition or recover from cardiac diseases. Cardiac yoga allows for the participant to stay seated while learning the different movements, and eventually working their way up to a full yoga routine.

Cardiac Yoga is listed as a trademark of founder and director, M. Mala Cunningham, Ph.D.

Among the cardiovascular problems that cardiac yoga is aimed to relieve are coronary artery disease, hypertension

Hypertension

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a cardiac chronic medical condition in which the systemic arterial blood pressure is elevated. What that means is that the heart is having to work harder than it should to pump the blood around the body. Blood pressure involves two measurements, systolic and...

, myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...

, bypass surgery

Coronary artery bypass surgery

Coronary artery bypass surgery, also coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and colloquially heart bypass or bypass surgery is a surgical procedure performed to relieve angina and reduce the risk of death from coronary artery disease...

, and many others. Cardiac yoga is recommended to the medically stable patients.

Cardiac yoga focuses mainly on breathing practices, stress reduction, stretching, relaxation, and body awareness techniques. While exercising, patients use mats, pillows, chairs and other accessories to ensure general comfort and correct positioning. The aim is to improve lung capacity, reduce stress, strengthen tired muscles and inspire healing. It also assists with emotional adjustment.
A Yale University of Medicine study done in 2004 showed that patients who did yoga three times a week could lower their blood pressure and resting heart rate, which in turn can help to lower the risk of heart problems.
Another study done by a researcher in Czech Republic, Dr Wolfgang Mayer-Berger conducted a study on male cardiac-rehab patients that had been diagnosed with hypertension previous to the study. The participants took part in the three week program, which consisted of half an hour of “cardiac yoga”, for five days per week. The results showed declines in systolic blood pressure as well as the patients who participated in the “cardiac yoga” continued on with the exercise after the three weeks were complete.
Cardiac yoga is aimed at helping cardiovascular patients to develop an exercising routine that can be done at home to further promote a healthy lifestyle. Patients learn deep relaxation, stretching and breathing techniques, work with their imagination, and observe a healthy diet. Cardiac yoga concentrates on positive attitude and supports the mind, the spirit and the body of a cardiovascular patient.

The actual type of yoga that cardiac yoga can be connected with could be Hatha Yoga. It aims to achieve balance between the body and the mind, incorporating breathing exercises as well as meditation. It is often used for healing the body in a natural way, rather than using western medications. Hatha yoga

Hatha yoga

Hatha yoga , also called hatha vidya , is a system of yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a Hindu sage of 15th century India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika....

uses physical poses called asanas, which would be modified slightly in cardiac yoga, which aim to improve the health of the body. The word asanas is Sanskrit for “seat” which is what cardiac yoga aims to focus on. Rather than forcing the body to use focus on multiple aspects, it focuses on breathing techniques as well as flexibility and specific areas of the body.

An example of cardiac yoga would be doing the sun salutation pose while sitting on a chair, and after practice and improved strength the person may begin to use the back of the chair to support themselves and eventually, by gaining confidence and strength they may be able to complete the pose standing without support.