Breathing Exercises to Reduce High Blood Pressure

Step No. 1 - Relax. Play gentle music (such as classical or rhythm and blues) and get as comfortable and relaxed as possible.

Step No. 2 - Breathe in sharply, quickly and deeply using the chest and the diaphragm, but keep to a comfortable rate. Allow the tummy to expand as the diaphragm presses downward into the abdominal cavity. You may also choose to breath in slowly, but remember that exhaling should still be twice as long.

Step No. 3 - Breathe out in a slower, more relaxed way. Breathing out should take twice as much time as breathing in. Gradually extend your exhale phase until it's approximately twice the length of your inhale phase. Do not count or use any kind of timekeeper, simply relax and let the air flow out. A short pause between exhale and inhale phases is normal. Do not force the air out sharply because the compression of the chest to expel the air also increases the blood pressure accordingly. Breathe out to dispel as much air from your lungs as possible.

Step No. 4 - Once you are used to this pattern, gradually slow your rate of breathing. Do not slow to a point of discomfort. If you feel any strain at all, you need to back off. Remember, you must stay relaxed to get the benefits.

Step No. 5 - Continue for 15 minutes. Repeat 4 or 5 times a week.

The breathing rate must be adjusted voluntarily. Our tendency is to not breathe enough volume and to not breathe at a high enough rate. Breathing exercises are required many times a day to break the old breathing patters. Practice technique regularly. If one practises the technique once every hour, over time your breathing pattern should automatically change as you become accustomed to breathing properly.

Also watch these videos.

Breathing Exercises to Lower Blood Pressure (This video demonstrates the technique. It is advisable to download this video and view them few times.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEfP37J91Us

Reducing Blood Pressure with Breathing (This video clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of breathing for hypertension)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5fzM9dUTSA