Blood pressure is a measure of the pressure of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries.  Blood pressure varies throughout the day; it is generally lowest at rest and change according to emotions, activities, and postures. 

Two numbers are used to describe blood pressure: systolic blood pressure (the first or higher number) is measured when the heart beats and diastolic blood pressure (the second or lower number) is measured when the heart relaxes between beats.  Normal blood pressure is below 130/85, and high normal is 130-139/85-89 and above 140/90 is considered hypertension.

High blood pressure can occur at any age and more frequent with aging.  High blood pressure is the result of narrowing of the smaller blood vessels (arterioles) which leads to persistent high arterial blood pressure.  The entire circulatory system is affected, the heart will therefore need to work harder to get the blood flowing. High blood pressure can damage the lining of the arteries, if untreated will lead to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).  This may result in enlargement of heart, stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, disease of the blood vessels in the limbs, particularly the legs, injury to the blood vessels of the brain, and the eyes.

One may not feel any symptoms even with high blood pressure while others may encounter headaches, dizziness, buried vision, chest pain, palpitation, frequent urination at night, limbless in limbs, temporary loss of speech, insomnia, irritable manner, loss of memory and focus.

Hypertension normally categorized in two types, primary and secondary.  Primary hypertension is the most common type and is generally improved by adopting a healthier life style and medication when needed.  Secondary hypertension is the result of a disorder or abnormality of the kidney, adrenal gland or other vital organ and is often treated surgically.  Hypertension may also occur during pregnancy.

If you have high blood pressure problem, you should consult your family doctor.  If medication is prescribed, it should always be taken as directed.  Even if you are feeling better, do not stop taking the medication unless you are advised to do so by your doctor.

The known risk factors for hypertension include high salt intake, excessive smoke and alcohol consumption, obesity, heredity, race, age, and gender.  Although you cannot change all the factors affecting the blood pressure, you can change your lifestyle to improve your blood pressure by changing your diet, be more open and optimistic and doing exercise.

Chinese Wushu, Xingyi Baguazhang “Active” and “Stillness” Practice Methods can at some degrees helps to improve and regulate the problem.  Researches from Shanghai High Blood Pressure Research Institute reported that they treated high blood pressure patients into two groups, one group only treated with medications, and the other group treated with medication and wushu qigong practice.  One year after, result showed the effective rate of controlling high blood pressure for the group only with medications was 64.2%, whereas the group with medication and wushu qigong practice the effective rate was 92.6%.  Two years after, the group with medications only dropped from 64.2% to 63.3%, where the other group the effective rate went up from 92.6% to 94.1%.   This indicates by using medications and doing wushu qigong practice can have a more stable and beneficial effect in controlling high blood pressure problem.

Researches show when do the breathing practice by relaxing the body can help to regulate the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system.  If one system is in disorder, it will lead to malfunction of the internal organs; then problems start to happen.  If the sympathetic nerve is excited, there will be an increase in heartbeat, blood vessels become narrower, increase in blood pressure and slow movement with the intestines whereas if the parasympathetic nerve gets excited, blood vessels expand, lower in blood pressure and heartbeat; and fast movement with the intestines.  Researches also indicate that at the time of inhalation, the excitement in the breathing central nervous system can transmit signal to the sympathetic nervous system whereas at the time of exhalation, the excitement in caused in the breathing central nervous system can transmit signal to the parasympathetic nervous system.

Xingyi Baguazhang Active Practice Method “Walking the Circle” exercises - Depending on your age and sex; one should relax the legs and walk on the circle in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions slowly at a rate of 2 – 3 circles per minutes.  For beginners, they may not used to this form of walking method but try to dominate your mind to focus on relaxing the legs.  Due to continuous turning actions, it enables more oxygen to enter into the lung.  Normally, one needs to walk for about 30 minutes for at least 5 days a week consistently can achieve the benefit.  This form of exercise can reinforce the function of the heart, maintain a clear, broad mind, lower blood pressure; reduce fatty acid in the blood vessels and help with the weight loss.

The “Stillness Practice Method” in Xingyi Baguazhang adopts varies postures in doing the relaxation breathing qigong practice.  One can adopts sitting, standing, sleeping or walking posture in doing the practice according to one physical condition.  There are three phases in the breathing exercise.  For beginners, one needs to relax the whole body and feel the speed of breathing or heartbeat before using domination of mind to perform the breathing exercise.

For people having high blood pressure problem normally adopts sitting method to do the breathing qigong practice.  One needs to start with relaxing from the head gradually down to the shoulder and the upper limbs then relax the chest and the back; thereafter relax down to the legs for one to two times.  After you feel your body is relaxed, do the breathing practice.  When you inhale, relax your head and the four limbs and when you exhale, relax the whole body.  At the beginning stage of the practice, do not focus too hard on the breathing practice, but do it naturally by relaxing the four limbs and the whole body.  You may wish to control your breathing by breath out more evenly and longer or at times, you can control your inhalation a bit faster and slower.   In order to achieve a better healing effect, it is better to practice three times a day and each for about ten to fifteen minutes.

People having high blood pressure, heart or kidney problems can practice the above “Walking the Circle” and “Breathing Qigong Practice” exercise together.  For those with high blood pressure but with no significant complication of heart or kidney problems, they need to seek doctor’s advice or under strict guidance of a well-experienced wushu qigong master to begin with the relaxation qigong practice before moving onto the “Walking the Circle” exercise.  For those who are having more serious high blood pressure problem and encounter with complication of heart or kidney problems, feeling dizzy, headache, nausea, vomit, serious irregular heartbeat, edema or having protein in the urine, they cannot practice “Walking the Circle” exercise.  However, under people guidance, they can perform sitting or sleeping posture qigong practice.  They need to begin with relax the whole body for a period before combining with simple breathing practice. At the time of inhalation, they need to lift up the upper body and when exhale, lower it down.  For beginners, it is better to do the practice three times a day and each for about five to ten minutes.  If they feel better after doing the practice, they can do a few times more according to their physical condition.

Research indicates by doing a slow, rhythmic and relaxing exercise can help to lower blood pressure.  When doing “Walking the Circle” exercise, the heartbeat should be 104 – 120 per minute and it should be back to the rate before the exercise after ten minutes of the practice, otherwise you are walking too fast or lack of sleep.  If this were the case, you should adjust the time or your speed or stop practising for a few days.  At this time, you should practice breathing qigong practice and observe your feeling before deciding your speed and timing of going back to “Walking the Circle” exercise.