Yoga as a Tool to Achieve Cardiovascular Resonance and Improve Heart Rate Variability

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a major global health problem. Perturbations in the tone of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), with decreased parasympathetic activity and enhanced sympathetic activity, are significant contributors towards the emergence of many CVD risk factors like dyslipidemia, hypertension, insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus, and are associated with worse outcomes in those with established CVDs. Heart rate variability (HRV) is the most frequently used clinical measure of cardiac autonomic balance, with optimum HRV indicating good health and well-being. The traditional Indian practice of Yoga has been explored as a means to activate cardiovascular resonance properties, thus enhancing HRV and improving cardiac autonomic balance. In this chapter we discuss the importance of optimum HRV in health and disease, the concept of cardiovascular resonance, and Yoga as a tool to activate cardiovascular resonance and achieve optimum HRV.