The Penn Lifestyle Modification and Blood Pressure Study

Exclusion Criteria

• •Female subjects who are pregnant or post partum \< 3 months
• •Subjects currently taking blood pressure lowering medications or dietary supplements (magnesium, potassium, calcium \> 1200 mg/day, fish oils \> 2000 mg/day, ephedra, hawthorn, forskolin)
• •Non-dominant arm circumference \> 50 cm
• •Subjects with body mass index (BMI) \>= 40.0 or \< 18.5 kg/m2
• •Subjects who have practiced IY in the last 12 months or those who have practiced any form of yoga \> 2 times (2x)/month in the previous 6 months.
• •Subjects who have received an experimental drug, used an experimental medical device within 30 days prior to screening, or who gave a blood donation of greater than or equal to one pint within 8 weeks prior to screening.
• •Subjects with diabetes mellitus
• •Subjects with established cardiovascular disease
• •Subjects with known arrhythmias such as atrial flutter or fibrillation or those with cardiac pacemakers
• •Current users (within the previous 30 days) of any tobacco products
• •History of renal insufficiency based on estimated glomerular filtration rate \< 60 ml/min
• •Women who consume \> 10 alcoholic drinks per week and men who consume \> 15 drinks per week.
• •Subjects with known autonomic neuropathy (e.g: Shy-Drager, orthostatic hypotension)
• •Subjects with known secondary causes of hypertension (renal artery stenosis, pheochromocytoma, coarctation of aorta, hyperaldosteronemia)
• •Regular use of benzodiazepines, anti-psychotic drugs or corticosteroids (\> 1x per month). Stable doses (3 months) of antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors \[SSRIs\] or tricyclic antidepressants \[TCAs\]) will be allowed.
• •Known severe musculoskeletal problems such as spinal stenosis that may limit participation in yoga
• •Subjects who actively practice (\> 2x/month) other mind-body therapy (MBT) such as Qigong, Tai Chi, or meditation.