While meditation has proven to show significant effects in studies (and anything that works to calm the mind has benefits, especially given how many folks minds are running endlessly like a hamster on a wheel), other studies have shown the benefits of simply regulating your breathing.
A simple exercise of sitting upright in a comfortable chair, and taking deep, slow, measured breaths, has shown pretty impressive results for lowering blood pressure.
IIRC, there are even apps available now, to assist with the ideal timing intervals for inhaling and exhaling, that use audio sounds to aid in establishing the rhythms (i.e. don't go below 4 breaths per minute. 5-6 breaths per minute is ideal, breathing in slowly through the nose, and exhaling slowly through the mouth).
When I tested this years ago on myself, with a BP cuff before and after, I think I saw close to a 10-point decrease in BP after. I also found that doing this shortly before bedtime really helped initiate/induce the 'sleepy-time' feeling.
Could be worth a shot for anyone with hypertension or high blood pressure, especially since it doesn't cost anything (years ago, a company sold a $$$ machine. The free/~$9 apps that do pretty much the same thing, that began popping up, pretty much resulted in that product disappearing).
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