Reduce High Cholesterol Level with these 5 Yoga Asanas

Yoga is a powerful science that can align the body and mind in a way so as to reduce ailments, increase positive energies, and improve health and wellness. Increased cholesterol levels pose serious risk for heart and may lead to even heart strokes. High cholesterol can increase the risk of heart problems. It is advisable to get good sleep with a good diet to balance the proper cholesterol levels in the body. But, to control high cholesterol levels we need to start doing yoga regularly.

Here are top 5 yoga poses which will help you to control cholesterol levels in body.

1. Chakrasana:

Also known as the half-bow or urdhva dhanurasana, this asana helps in enhancing the vitality of the heart. It helps to stimulate the thyroid and pituitary glands and helps to boost metabolism.

How to do it :

1. Lie flat on the back in the shava-asana.

2. While exhaling bend the knees and bring the feet as close to the buttocks as possible with the soles of the feet flat on the floor.
3. Bend the arms at the elbows and place the palms of the hands flat on the floor directly under each shoulder with the fingers pointing toward the back.
4. While inhaling slowly, begin to raise the head, back and buttocks off the floor while arching the spine.
5. Continue to press downward on the hands and feet while raising the hips and stomach as high as possible. Hold for the duration of the held inhaled breath. When you can't hold the breath comfortable any longer, slowly exhale and return the back to the floor, slide the legs out straight returning to the shava-asana.
6. The chakra-asana is more challenging than most other yoga postures. Don't be discouraged if your unable to accomplish it right away. Even attempting this posture without successful completion holds great benefits.
7. First and foremost is the strength and suppleness it restores to the spine. It strengthens the arms, shoulders and upper back as well and stimulates the cardiovascular system. The chakra-asana has an overall tonic effect for the entire body. As the natural suppleness of the spine is restored after a period of practice you can begin to perfect the form of this asana and thus experience greater benefits.
8. First be certain that the arms are as straight as possible with very little to no bend in the elbows. When you can hold this comfortably, begin breathing through the nostrils while holding the posture and attempt to get a greater arch in the spine by bringing your hands closer to your feet and/or bringing your feet closer to your hands.
9. Finally, you can extend the duration of the chakra-asana by doing several repetitions in sequence without resting in-between. As you return from the posture keep the hands behind the shoulders and the soles of the feet flat on the floor and as soon as the back returns to floor immediately raise it and enter the full posture again.
10. The chakra-asana is either held for the duration of the inhaled breath or between one and three minutes while breathing gently through the nostrils.
11. Repeat it two or three times.

This pose has many benefits for the body. One of them is obviously that you get more flexible through this unusual turn of your body. Read more≫

2. Sarvangasana:

Sarvangasana yoga is one of the best effective poses or asanas to reduce increased cholesterol. With this asana, bad cholesterol can be reduced in the body.

How to do it :

1. Lie flat on the back in the shava-asana.

2. Inhale through the nostrils. Place the palms face-down on the floor. Keeping the hips on the floor, bend the knees and bring them up toward the stomach while exhaling.
3. Inhale slowly through the nostrils, press down on the hands and lift the torso from the waist up off the floor, arching the spine backwards and straightening the arms. Keep the hips on the floor.
4. Inhale, then while exhaling, raise the legs straight up perpendicular to the floor. You may support your hips with your hands or leave the arms flat on the floor, whichever is most comfortable.
5. The legs should be together with the knees straight and toes pointed straight up. Keep the head straight without turning it to either side. The chin should be pressed against the chest.
6. Breath gently through the nostrils while the posture is held.
7. Reverse the steps to return to the shava-asana.

Those who have problems like hernia, thyroid, or heart issues should avoid this asana. Read more≫

3. Paschimottanasana

Paschimottanasana can also prove to be very good for controlling cholesterol levels in body.

How to do it :

1. Sit upright in Sukhasana, keeping the head, neck and spine erect.

2. Stretch your legs straight out in front of you and keep them together.
3. Keep the knees straight.
4. Place the palms on the respective knees.
5. Bend your trunk and head slowly forward and downward from the waist. While doing this, slide forward the hands along the shins and grasp the corresponding big toes with the index finger, middle finger and thumb of each hand without bending the knees.
6. Keep the head between the upper arms and pull the big toes steadily. While doing so, bend further forward, curve the spine and aim your forehead towards the knees.
7. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly.
8. Lower the head down as far as you can towards the knees, drawing in your abdominal muscles gently, still grasping and pulling the big toes and keeping the knees straight.
9. Bend the arms nd rest the elbows gradually on the floor.
10. Using the elbows as levers, rest your forehead on the knees which should not be raised or bent. 11. Exhale completely.
11. Holding out your breath, stay in this posture for a few seconds or as long as you are comfortable.
12. Return slowly and smoothly in the reverse order to the starting position.
13. Freely exhale and inhale until your breathing returns to normal.

Paschimotanasana is a fine stretching exercise for the back of the whole body, from the heels to the top of the spine. Read more≫

4. Vajrasana:

Vajra means diamond and this asana is one of the important ones to reduce cholesterol. This is also one of the yoga forms that can be performed even after eating. This asana also helps in active digestion. It also helps in relieving the stress of muscular cramps, and it improves the circulation of blood to lower cholesterol. Also known as diamond pose, it is a simple sitting pose. In this asana body weight rests on the heels with the calves remaining under the thighs.

How to do it :

1. Sit comfortably in the vajra-asana (thunderbolt pose).

2. Kneel up on your knees until your back, buttocks and thighs are aligned.
3. Extend your left foot foward bending your left knee at about a 90 degree angle.
4. Place the palms of your hands together at the heart in the anjali-mudra.
5. Raise your arms stright up keeping the palms together while bending the head backward and looking up.
6. Slowly bend backward stretching the arms backward and straightening out the right leg. Hold this position for as long as comfortable while breathing gently through the nostrils.
7. Come back to the vajara-asana (thunderbolt pose) then reverse the posture by alternating legs.

You can start doing this pose for 3-4 minutes initially and then increase it to 5-7 minutes. Read more≫

5. Kapalbhati Pranayama:

Kapalbhati Pranayama can prove to be very good in reducing cholesterol. It also controls obesity. To do this, sit up straight and take a long and deep breath, pull the stomach inwards and exhale. Doing it continuously also helps to prevent tiredness. Kapalbhati Pranayama should be avoided during migraine, pregnancy and periods.

This exercise is a traditional internal purification practice, or kriya, that tones and cleanses the respiratory system by encouraging the release of toxins and waste matter. It acts as a tonic for the system, refreshing and rejuvenating the body and mind.

Procedure : Push air forcefully out. Stomach will itself go in.

Duration : Start with 30 times or 1 min. increase upto 5 mins min. upto 10 minutes max.

Kapalbhati pranayama is a miraculous breathing exercise for complete body fitness and it benefits in even those diseases which are impossible to be cured by medicines like diabetes, asthma etc. Read more≫