Tuesday February 17, 2015 7:33 PM UPDATED: Tuesday February 17, 2015 7:54 PM

Lower stress, cardiovascular disease risk by meditating.

Taking a few minutes to relax each day could help you lower your risks of cardiovascular disease.

Meditation is a practice often using deep breathing, quiet contemplation or sustained focus on something benign, such as a color, phrase or sound that helps you let go of stress and feel peaceful and maintain a relaxed state of mind.

Think of it as a 20- or 30-minute vacation from the stress in your life, said Richard A. Stein, professor of medicine and director of the exercise and nutrition program at New York Universitys Center for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease.

Stress is your bodys natural alarm system. It releases a hormone called adrenaline that causes your breathing to quicken, and your heart rate and blood pressure to rise.

But that fight or flight response can take a toll on your body if its sustained over a long time.When we were cavemen, that adrenaline helped us be ready if a tiger was going to attack, Dr. Stein said. Today, all the tigers are in our heads.

For people with cardiovascular disease, meditation provides a technique for reducing stress and focusing on things they can do to be healthier, Dr. Stein said. Meditation is a way of allowing you to come to balance in your life, Dr. Stein said. It can also help you to sleep better, which is a very important restorative part of physical health.

Recent studies have offered promising results about the impact of meditation in reducing blood pressure. A 2012 study showed African-Americans with heart disease who practiced Transcendental Meditation regularly were 48 percent less likely to have a heart attack or stroke or die compared with African-Americans who attended a health education class over more than five years.

Find the Method That Works for You There are countless types of meditation, so its important to find an approach that you feel comfortable with, Dr. Stein said.

Read more:
Meditation And Heart Health