High blood pressure is a mysterious condition. If you were to ask a traditional doctor what causes high blood pressure, he/she could come up with many different types of answers.
He/she will most likely claim it’s because of plaque buildup or hardening of the arteries. Genetic reasons will no doubt be mentioned.
If pushed even further, you’ll hear reasons like:
- Smoking
- Being overweight or obese
- Lack of physical activity
- Too much salt in the diet
- Too much alcohol consumption (more than 1 to 2 drinks per day)
- Stress
- Older age
- Family history of high blood pressure
- Chronic kidney disease
- Adrenal and thyroid disorders
However, the most honest answer would be, “I don’t know.”
This is because all the above reasons have never been proven in studies to be anything more than small or medium contributing factors.
The real cause of high blood pressure lies in an organ that is hardly ever mentioned in connection to high blood pressure.
In today’s feature article, I’m going to reveal this organ and how to manage it in a simple way to drop your blood pressure on the spot… permanently!
First of all, let me qualify that I’m not claiming you’re crazy. This article has nothing to do with mental illnesses or insanity.
Remember that I had high blood pressure myself and I consider myself quite sane.
The reason I say this is that doctors tend to brush off clients they can’t treat by saying something like “it’s all in your head” or “this is just your imagination.”
Fibromyalgia, for example, was and still is, ignored by the vast majority of the medical profession as “all in your head.” However, now they can better diagnose it and are finding out it’s actually a real disease with real physical causes. Something natural health researchers have known for a long time.
Fortunately, high blood pressure is easily measured so no doctor would say it’s your imagination. And it’s also easy to imagine how high blood pressure can build up with hardening of the arteries and plaque build up.
But wait. Maybe I shouldn’t be so quick to say “fortunately.” Maybe it is all in your head. Just in a slightly different way than this phrase is most often used.
You see, what most traditional medical professionals fail to take into account is that blood pressure is managed by your brain. Your brain sends out thousands of messages throughout the day to either lower or raise your blood pressure.
If you’re running after the bus your brain sends out messages to raise your blood pressure temporarily. When you’re resting in bed your brain sends a message to lower your blood pressure.
Your brain may tell the heart to pump harder or slower, the kidneys to increase or decrease blood liquid (water), the arteries to widen or narrow and apply many, many other tools that your body uses throughout the day to monitor your blood pressure depending on activities.
Blood pressure medications “mess around” with different parts of the blood pressure monitoring system in a very isolated way. This creates complete disharmony in the body, and causes several serious side effects. It may even cause blood pressure to rise with age.
When you have hypertension (resting blood pressure over 120/80), your brain is not doing its job of monitoring your blood pressure.
Or is it?
Yes, plaque build-up that narrows the arteries obviously causes more pressure. But with the tools the brain has, it could easily tell the kidneys to dump blood fluid, the heart to pump slower and apply greater flexibility in widening the arteries. This is what many blood pressure medications do.
The human body is not like a car engine where if one thing isn’t working functionally everything breaks down. Humans can take a beating to one or more organs and still survive a long time. We have a tremendous amount of flexibility when it comes to adapting.
And it’s exactly this adaptive strategy that can backfire.
You see, the brain adapts to new situations by creating what it considers new norms for itself. For instance, you may lose the use of your dominant hand, as with the case of a stroke. Your non-dominant hand then takes over, because you need to still function. With practice, you are able to write your signature, brush your teeth, and do everything your dominant hand used to do. You now have a new dominance.
People with chronic pain adapt to it as normal. Yes, you feel the pain constantly but you’ll still laugh and joke and move around throughout the day. If another person was all of a sudden burdened with this kind of pain he/she would lie down screaming on the spot. But it’s become normal for the person with chronic pain.
The same goes for simple things like living in cold and hot weather climates, or places where it rains all the time (or never), in addition to eating different types of diets, etc. The human brain adapts to all these extremes and makes them normal.
Blood pressure works in similar ways. Usually, it’s something that raises blood pressure for a period of time. Stress at work, lack of sleep, long periods of physical strain, etc.
Often this may be something we don’t notice. Studies have shown that people who live close to traffic noise, even those who have lived with this noise all their lives, have increased stress hormones. This raises blood pressure, which may become chronic.
Bad diet, obesity, diseases or any other type of physical, emotional, sensual or mental stress can begin the process of making the blood pressure go up.
The higher blood pressure now becomes the new ‘normal’ for the brain. It actually considers it healthy to keep this higher level of blood pressure going.
And since the higher blood pressure begins damaging the arteries, this again raises blood pressure. The brain adapts to the new blood pressure level and a dangerous cycle has begun.
Recently, neuroscience using advanced brain scan technology has given us the opportunity to learn more about what’s happening in the brain as it adapts to, and learns, new things.
The neurons in the brain literally make new connections every time the brain learns and adapts to new things. This physically alters the brain. So the chronic circle of steadily raising blood pressure is physically nailed down in the neural structure of the brain.
And since the brain now considers blood pressure over 120/80 the norm, it will create cravings for things that keep the blood pressure over this level such as salt and even stressful situations.
If this all sounds very complicated it’s because it is. We’ve only recently begun to dip our toes into the marvels of the brain.
The good news is that I discovered how to reverse this process long before I had any idea what caused it. And I actually discovered this long before several scientific studies on high blood pressure were published that supported my findings.
What you do is give your brain what I call a Focused Break. This kind of reboots your brain and brings the blood-pressure-norm down to a healthy level. There are several ways to do this, but the best practice is to use specific mind/body exercises.
Many people experience their blood pressure go down the very first time they use these exercises. But that’s not enough. You must stick to them to gain permanent results.
If you are skeptical, you may question ‘permanent results.’
But it’s actually true. For a long time I never dared to claim this even if I had witnessed this with several clients who did the exercises for a while and then stopped. It wasn’t until I began studying research on brain function that I began understanding how these kinds of exercises could possibly produce permanent results.
You see, since the brain’s neurons have created pathways that consider high blood pressure normal, we must break up those pathways and produce new ones that consider lower blood pressure normal so that your brain will aim to keep your blood pressure down.
Once you’ve restored your brain to consider blood pressure under 120/80 normal, it will guide the rest of your body to keep your resting blood pressure under this level using heart rate, artery flexibility, kidneys and more.
Several studies on mind/body exercises, conducted by some of the most respected institutes in the world, have proven that not only can mind/body exercises help people lower their blood pressure and get them off their medications, the results are permanent.
Even more impressive, once the blood pressure is down using these types of exercises, the arteries begin softening again. This shows that the effects of restoring the brain to new norms transfers to the rest of the body.
I wrote an article few months back detailing four major studies on these types of exercises. If you missed it, you can find this article here…
The only problem with these studies is the scientists were not experts in mind/body exercises. They therefore used very basic, traditional exercises.
The exercises I used to lower my blood pressure and teach my clients are advanced mind/body exercises specifically designed and tested to lower blood pressure. They are very simple to use, take as little as 9 minutes and work wonders for those who try them.
You can learn more about these simple blood pressure exercises here…
I think we’re at the beginning of a new era in health and medicine. Our brains are the most important organ we have and the headquarters of our body. No longer is it going to be an insult to say “it’s all in your head” because through our mind, we may be able to cure the most complicated diseases.
Please share your opinion in the comment section below.
I totally agree with what you say in this article! I think I’m living proof that what you say about the brain creating a new norm. Two examples. I’m diabetic and I have high blood pressure. If my blood sugars gets below 100, I begin to get the shakes. My system is so used to having high sugar levels, anything below 100 is ‘not normal’. And with my blood pressure; one night I started getting dizzy as if my blood pressure had dropped or something. I checked my blood pressure and it was normal, 117/79 but my body’s not used to readings that low, so I experienced low blood pressure symptoms. So I totally agree with everything you say in this article!
Great article, I was recently watching a documentary about weight gain saying exactly the same thing about the brain adapting to the body being overweight. Hence some people try to lose the weight but end up back where they were before as the brain considers the overweight state to be normal. So def something in this.
I totally agree with the article and what the people commented above.
I used to have the lower BP now it sits higher and I do not feel good if it is lower. Geezzz
Now I understand how this happened with my Dad when he was alive. His body or brain was trying to adapt to a new normal.
This is what it also does with chronic illness. I constantly have a new normal to adjust to.
So now, let’s learn how to do this with the brain!
You’re maybe right, but my experience is when I keep myself busy doing something, say walking around the backyard and lifting anything i could, I feel great. But when I am just sitting in front of the TV or lying in the sofa watching movies, I feel something different sort of my blood pressure is high.
i am reading every article you published and thank you so much for educating
me in your healthnews.
Neuralplasticity is the new era of medicine to which you refer. I’m so very glad you are spreading these cutting edge reports. Mind/body techniques have been around for centuries in the form of meditation world-wide.
With the advent of brain imaging, there is now proof for those who need the traditional confirmations before they allow themselves to explore or believe treatments that do not involve pharmaceuticals.
Chronic stress along with the 24/7 mindset are detrimental to our bodies. Your focused break exercises a great way for novices to prove to themselves the truth about the true causes of disease.
Excellent article!
What comments you have about L-argenine? it helps to lower the blood, pressure among other things.
how can i do this isometric exercises, to painful for my hands, i am olderand my bloodpressure tends to spike with anxiety, can you suggest something, please.
i am 72yrs and what you say is correct….Nowadays I feel dizzy when I walk inside the house,,,which was earlier when I used to walk over an incline….Doctors says it is in my head…and everything is normal….now also doctors say the same thing if they cannot diagonase prop;erly….If any one has this above problem….please let me know…and the mediciines taken ….Is it a heart problem…..even 2d echo is okay and thalomide test ok but stsress test is positive….thanks in anticipation….pcrao..
thank you very much tell me easy way without pills how to loss the weight.
Now my blood pressure is normal. please tell me easiest way to loose the weight.
You are right — it’s a retraining of the brain! I had pressure of about 140/90 all my life; then I started a few exercises and in particular, a 4-7-8 breath practice. In to the count of 4, hold to a count of 7, then breathing out to a count of 8. After a month or so I had my BP checked while at a doctor’s office and it was 114/83. Boy, was I surprised. It stayed that way until I “freaked out” again and it shot up. But now I know how to cure it. Thanks for all your good articles on this. They are most helpful.
Very good article doctor on blood pressure thanks for sharing. I agree with you 100%.
I would even narrow it down a little more and say pitutiary gland (probably spelled wrong) … it makes sense.
A BP of 160/100 was normal for me when I was first seen by a doctor. I was 45 yo then. They prescribed medications but it seems I got more hbp symptoms than ever. I became hypochondriac and with the slightest sign, I take Catapres and could not leave the house without a tablet or two. I thought about what would happen if I don’t have any of it, then I would be dependent on medicine all my life? I clinch each time a doctor says that I am a walking time bomb; Anytime a stroke can kill me or debilitate me if i don’t maintain taking meds. Anyway, I was introduced to TM when I was 18 years old and have been practicing it regularly when I turned forty. I started meditating when tired or stressed in the bus, in the office or at school. Learned other forms of meditation to get more benefits. I am meds free since 7 years ago. I can also redirect my mind if angry or disappointed. Of course its not always perfect bcoz of mood swings but i can control it.So i get to take care of the other organs of my body by not taking synthetic drugs. Thanks for enlightening our readers.
Best article.Thats why said, sound mind is a sound body.
Your blood pressure excercises really work. They really lowered my blood pressure. Now I take 1/4th of Azor 5/40 instead of half a tablet. My goal is to eliminate the medicine. Thanks for your research and findings. My next goal is not to take Lipitor, if I can, for reducing cholestorol.
try taking Berber Caps, six per day, 3 in a.m. and 3 in p.m. Available through Thorne Research for high cholesterol. Works great. A natural remedy. My doctors can’t believe the results. I had to switch as I had a bad reaction to BP meds from pharmacies.
M.A.Samad
Please check the web for the LONG listing of possible side effects to taking any statin drug. They keep adding more and more every day from amnesia, muscle destruction to diabetes.
Then decide if you are willing to continue taking Lipitor.
If you still want to continue, at least add a hefty dose of CoQ10, ubiquinol form, every day.
very nice article..i really want to try this 9 minute exercise where can i get information how it is being done.thank you
Great Article. Wish you’d published it earlier
Yes l totally agree with your article.i have practice it and find out it works .
This article is informative,convincing and useful.Keep this in your head.
Thanks for such an informative article.I am 100%agree with you.I think no one knows it which part ,organ ,tissue ,cell is not linked with each other or which is important for performing the body functions.Allah knows better .He is the One & Only Onein all.
I have tried it myself and my blood pressure when I wake up is 95/55 and it has been so for four years now never changed.
For everything is one reason only! That is a fundamental of logic. When someone gives you more than one reason is laying or does not know. I love those reasons; which most of them does not make sense. The author didn’t mention the real reason: “GLUTEN”. Many researches proved than decades ego. However; high blood pressure is milking caw for “doctors”. And pharmaceutics industry
White Coat Hypertension explained, not just an urban myth but a real phenomenon, something that was poo pooed by a doctor friend of mine a long time ago, he said it’s “ALL IN YOUR HEAD”.
Unfortunately he doesn’t read interesting articles like this, closed mind syndrome, typical of modern day medico’s, well some…..medico’s ?
Over a period of 12 months in 2004 I was hit with chronic stomach pains and each time called a doctor out who gave me an injection. Each time the pain got worse and I felt my body was trying to tell me something was wrong, and that the injections weren’t the answer. The 4th attack rendered me unconscious and I bled from the back end. My BP was 50/45 and my brain had sent all the blood to the pain area and away from my brain. I had a 14mm pollop inside my bowel as it had been growing my body had been warning me. I now listen to my body/brain with anything not feeling right.
Dear All
Just prayed as real Mouslems doing five time a day..
Dr.Saad
Dear PC Rao,
As far as I understand about 50% of people over 70 have some degree of dizziness from time to time. The exercises might help, but don’t be too worried about it.
Terry Wilcox; I would say, get another doctor, however, you likely do not have that option. Your check-up doctor sounds like my Primary Care Physician. He keeps looking for something other than what I tell him is causing a lot of my stress! My BP goes up the week I am supposed to see my PCP! It does not go down, until days or a week later! I can’t find a PCP in my area who can take care of all my needs, and I do not want to go to still another doctor for something I have had a medication for years which handles the problem, and the PCP I want to see will not bother with these types of meds, even though he is my 1st choice for a new PCP. I have little choice but to go ahead with this change; but, next week, I have to see my PCP again, and convince him I will not take the new med he has chosen, for a problem which is not a major problem, to me! He admitted, he had the same problem, and I think he has adopted a “transference” to me, his patient! That is scary! I am a retired LPC Good Luck, Mr.Wilcox, you are on top of the matter! Great work, Christian, however, this solution could be said to be the only cause of anything wrong with a person’s health, almost!