Yoga for headaches. The best yoga exercises for headaches: feel relief and return to your normal rhythm of life! Yoga for tension headaches

Today, the world's leading experts classify migraine as an incurable disease and are constantly searching for ways and tools to provide maximum relief during attacks. For these purposes, both traditional medicinal methods and trends in alternative medicine, for example, yoga, are used.

Does yoga help with migraines?

Yoga is a set of practices, techniques and exercises used in the cultures of Buddhism and Hinduism to achieve spiritual, physical and psychological harmony. Special sets of exercises help relieve fatigue, get out of depression, learn to respond adequately to stressful situations, and also restore physical health through muscular, respiratory or conscious action. In the case of stress and improper functioning of metabolic processes, they are a common cause of the development of pain syndrome in an adult.

The effect of yoga on the course of migraine during attack and remission is observed by leading practitioners in the field of neurology, conducting appropriate testing and research. For example, the effectiveness of yoga was noted after research at the Wake Forest Medical Center in South Carolina.

The experiment involved 90 people suffering from frequent migraine attacks. The patients were divided into two groups. Those in the first group were prescribed traditional drug therapy. Patients from the second group were prescribed yoga lessons with a set of exercises aimed at suppressing stress and restoring the emotional background. The main lesson was conducted once a week, while patients were given 45 minutes a day for independent meditation, 5 times a week.

After 8 weeks, the first results were assessed. Thus, people who regularly attended yoga classes and meditated showed improvements in mood and brain activity, a reduction in the duration and intensity of attacks, while the interval between them increased significantly.

Yoga can improve the condition of a person suffering from migraines, increase their physical and mental activity, and also increase their resistance to stress. However, at the stage of research and experimentation, it is recommended to conduct practical exercises under the supervision of the attending doctor, and to achieve greater effectiveness, supplement them with complex drug treatment.

Basic yoga poses for treating migraines

It is necessary to approach yoga classes with the proper attitude, since it is this factor that determines the effectiveness of such practices in the treatment of migraines. At the preparatory stage, you should completely relax, distance yourself from everyday problems and worries.

The main yoga poses that allow you to get rid of migraine pain directly concern those parts of the body that in one way or another provoke the development of pain. These include the neck, spinal region, shoulder girdle and forearms.

Is something bothering you? Illness or life situation?

Neck warm-up

1. Sit on a chair or in the lotus position, with your arms relaxed along your body.
2. With your right hand, reach your left ear from above and slowly tilt your head to the right side. In this case, you need to carefully carry out pressing movements with your hand, and resist yourself with your head.
3. After a minute, you should change position and perform a similar tilt of the head to the left.

When performing this exercise, it is important to apply a comfortable force to avoid straining the neck muscles.

Dog Pose (Dolphin)

1. Kneel down with your knees hip-width apart. Place your hands on the floor, placing your wrists shoulder-width apart.
2. Next, lean your elbows on the floor, arch your back, while lifting your thighs up.
3. Make sure your feet are parallel and your heels touch the floor.
4. Lower your head between your shoulders, relaxing your neck muscles and looking toward your feet.
5. Fix the pose and take 2-3 deep breaths.

Exercise helps to get rid of overstrain of the muscles of the forearms and headaches as a result.

Camel Pose

1. Kneel down, bend back, rest your palms on your feet.
2. The back should be arched as much as possible, the buttocks tense, and the hips should be perpendicular to the floor.

The pose helps relieve tension in the spine, open the vertebral arteries and prevent the occurrence of cervical migraine attacks.

Breathing exercises

Breathing exercises through vital energy have a positive effect on overall well-being, promote better blood supply to the brain, normalize the nervous system, relieve fatigue and prevent migraine attacks as a result.

Cleansing energy channels

1. Sit in a comfortable position, straighten your back and relax.
2. Close the nostril on the right with your thumb, inhale slowly with your left nostril for 4 counts, then exhale twice as slowly for the 8th count.
3. Carry out similar manipulations with the right nostril, after closing the left one.
4. The time to perform each manipulation is 2 minutes.

To achieve results, you need to close your eyes and completely relax your facial muscles.

Cold breath

1. Take a “Turkish” pose with your legs crossed.
2. Inhale through your slightly open mouth, while you need to roll your tongue into a tube, pass air through it, draw it into yourself and hold it for a while.
3. Exhale through your nose, keeping your mouth closed.

Exercise helps relieve stress and mental fatigue.

The meditation technique gives the most effective results in the fight against migraine pain, as it involves complete physical and psycho-emotional relaxation. After regular meditation, painful pulsations in the head disappear, your mood improves, and strength and desires for new achievements appear.

To improve blood flow through the vessels and arteries of the spine, neck and head, you must regularly perform the following exercise:

• Take the “Turkish” or “lotus” pose.
• Raise your arms up with a slight tilt forward, while the palms with the inside should be directed towards each other.
• Close your eyes and mentally imagine the hairline located above the frontal part of your head.
• Concentrate on pleasant impressions and relaxation, while distancing yourself from unpleasant impressions and experiences.
• You need to stay in this position for 10 minutes or more.

Emergency measures

If the peak of a migraine attack has been reached, the following technique can be used as an emergency measure to relieve pain:

• Turn off the lights, avoid exposure to loud noises and calm down.
• Concentrate your thoughts on painful sensations in order to try to redirect them to other parts of the body, for which, while lying on the bed, sharply raise your legs to a vertical position. Also, to contrast and change the sensations, you can apply a cold, soft or heavy object to the soles of your feet.

The described measures will allow you to divert attention from headaches and switch it to sensations in the legs, thereby reducing pain.

Migraine prevention

In addition to basic preventive measures aimed at reducing the number and intensity of migraine attacks, yoga teachers recommend practicing three additional pain prevention methods. These include:

• rinsing the nasal cavity with an aqueous solution;
• cleansing the digestive system of waste and toxins;
• relaxation through meditation until a feeling of complete prostration in the real world.

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Regular yoga practice when susceptible to migraine attacks helps to significantly reduce the intensity of unpleasant sensations during pain attacks, increase the inter-attack period and significantly improve the psycho-emotional background.

Yoga for headaches is one of the effective methods to get rid of unpleasant sensations and normalize your health. Next, we will analyze the main stages of meditation and various techniques to prevent the development of pain.

Stages of pain elimination

Due to constant stress and poor climate, the human body experiences enormous stress, which can cause:

• headache;
• blood pressure surges;
• weakness;
• nausea;
• dizziness.

In our article we will tell you how to get rid of headaches. In reality, the nature of the pain is always different, as is the location of its localization. Due to the wide variety of types of illness, there are also many causes for its occurrence. The main factors for the development of headaches include the following:

• disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system;
• sedentary lifestyle;
• rachiocampsis;
• systematic nervous shocks;
• sleep disturbance;
• wrong diet.

According to the teachings of Iyengar, yoga and the Lotus pose can relieve a person from suffering. The main thing in this method is to take a comfortable position, keep your back straight and relax. The teaching allows you to stay in this position for a long time, regularly changing the position of your legs.

The most common factors in the development of the disease include migraine and stressful situations. They interfere with the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system, which causes shortness of breath, which provokes the development of hypoxia.

Features of identifying and eliminating headaches:

1. First of all, you need to conduct research (svadhyaya), where analysis and collection of information about the disease takes place.
2. By performing asanas, pranayama and meditation, you can determine what will be useful, will not bring results, or, on the contrary, will have a negative effect.
3. There is no point in choosing technology automatically. Options that helped at the very beginning may become ineffective by the end.

Sometimes, a headache becomes a blessing and forces a person to change his habits.

Correct breathing and postures

Yoga for headaches primarily involves breathing exercises. They are needed to normalize the patient’s condition as a whole. This exercise calms the nervous system and normalizes blood flow. You can eliminate headaches using the Nadi Shodhana and Shitali techniques.

Nadi Shodhana

The technique helps cleanse energy channels. Sit on a chair with a straight back. Straighten your back. Closing one nostril, inhale smoothly and deeply through the other, and then exhale twice as calmly. Carry out similar actions with the first nostril. Carry out the exercise until the illness leaves you.

As a result of these workouts, the sinuses are cleared, and the brain is fed with oxygen. Due to this, the meditator feels healthy and feels relief, and painful sensations disappear.

Sheetali

This technique helps reduce fever, which is the most common cause of headaches.

Take the lotus position. Stick out your tongue and roll it into a tube. Inhale through the tube as slowly as with the previous technique. The incoming air must be swallowed and exhaled through the nose.

Preventive practice

Having selected effective yoga exercises for headaches, you need to learn to recognize the symptoms and respond to them in a timely manner. The bent candle pose helps many people. But the main thing here is to promptly identify the first symptoms of pain. These include:

• drowsiness and weakness;
• panic;
• hard breath;
• mood changes.

This position can be uncomfortable, so it can be modified. It is comfortable for some to take a lying position and raise their straightened legs to the wall. Others need lower back support.

Factors in the development of pain can manifest themselves both at the physical and mental levels. For example, with frequent stress, a person not only suffers from headaches, but also cannot concentrate on simple tasks.

If you notice that the discomfort disappears at the moment when the head is thrown back strongly, then use the Shavasana pose. In this case, tilt your head beyond the edge of the pillow or mattress.

If the pain is caused by stressful situations, then it is important to concentrate on relaxing the diaphragm, which contracts when bending.

Relaxation of neck and shoulder muscles

In many cases, the appearance of the disease is caused by overstrain of the neck muscles. There are three simple poses that can help relieve tension:

1. Stretch your neck. Sit on a chair and take a lotus position, and with your right hand, reach the top of your left ear, placing your hand on your head. Then use the same brush to tilt your head. Sit in this position for one minute. Then repeat the same steps, but in the other direction.
2. This technique is called open heart. It is aimed at developing the muscles of the front part. By doing it, your back will relax, so the headache will go away. To perform the technique, sit on your knees so that your heels touch your thighs. From this position, bend back, placing your hands on the floor at a distance of 20 cm from your feet. Throw your head back and lift your chest up. Only your back should bend. Return to the original position.
3. Camel position. Get on your knees, rest your hands on your feet, and bend your body.

Headaches may occur due to shoulder strain. There are several basic positions that will help get rid of pain. The following position will help alleviate the condition during an attack of cephalalgia:

• get on your knees;
• bend over, placing your forehead on the floor;
• hang in this state for 10 seconds;
• put your hands behind your back, straighten them and bend them into a lock, and then slowly lift them up;
• stop in this state;
• move your body forward, raise your hips a little and lean on the part of your forehead that is closer to the top of your head;
• try to touch the floor with your hands;
• do several approaches.

Using this position, you can relieve yourself of soreness that appears due to overstrain of muscle tissue.

Dolphin pose is another way to get rid of illness. Execution principle:

• get on all fours;
• Place your hands shoulder-width apart and bent knees hip-width apart;
• rest your elbows on the floor;
• slowly lift your pelvis without lifting your feet;
• lower your head between your shoulders;
• look at your feet;
• completely relax your neck muscles.

Stay in this position for 6 seconds, and then repeat the manipulation several more times.

Another option is child's pose. Do the following:

• lie on your back and pull your knees to your chest;
• bend your legs at the knees;
• With your hands, without bending, grab your feet and press them towards you.

You should not lift your back, but stretch the muscles while exhaling deeply.

Many people suffering from pain benefit from relaxing their body. One way to carry out the procedure is as follows:

• place the roller against the wall;
• lie on your back so that your pelvis feels comfortable on the bolster;
• lift your legs up onto the wall;
• connect them and hold them;
• raise your arms, palms up, and spread them apart;
• As you exhale, relax your torso.

Lie in this position for 10 minutes.

Yogis practice another way of relaxation:

• one part of the roller should be slightly raised;
• sit so that your lower back is in contact with the raised end;
• lie down slowly on your back;
• place your feet together and spread your knees to the sides;
• lower your hands to the floor, palms up;
• watch your breathing.

To relieve tension, it is enough to stay in this position for 2–3 minutes.

Yoga to eliminate migraines and pain

Migraine is a neurological disorder that causes pain in the head area. Basically, this ailment is localized in one area and lasts from several hours to several days.

Because of this disease, the patient's sensitivity to light and noise increases. Other symptoms include:

• nausea;
• vomit;

Migraine provokes the development of pain, which causes troubles in personal and professional life.

Poses to help relieve migraines

Yoga is a natural weapon against migraines that does not have any negative effects on the human body.

Yoga for headaches is an ancient technique that combines various poses and breathing meditation. To calm headaches, it is recommended to use the following asanas:

1. Hastapadasana is a position for arms and legs. With its help, the functionality of the nervous system is normalized and blood microcirculation is improved.
2. Setu Bandhasana. Relaxes and calms.
3. Balasana. Relaxes the nervous system.
4. Marjariasana. Improves mental activity and normalizes blood microcirculation.
5. Paschimottanasana - bending towards the legs in a sitting position. Helps cope with stress and relaxes the brain.
6. Adho Mukha Svanasana - downward facing dog. Helps increase blood flow to the brain.
7. Padmasana - lotus. The most popular pose that relaxes the mind.
8. Shavasana - corpse. This position regenerates the body, leading it into a state of deep meditative rest.

Practice and find positions that help you with migraines. To get the most out of your yoga positions, learn and practice them under the guidance of a professional.

Very often, a person resorts to using pills to reduce headaches. But this approach without consulting a doctor is frivolous in relation to your health. In cases where the headache appears as a result of tension in the neck, shoulders, or back, some physical exercises and breathing exercises can help. Unlike drugs, they do not have a harmful effect on the body.

Breathing exercises

Yoga for headaches is the safest and most effective way to get rid of headaches. Performing special exercises is not difficult: they are simple, they can be performed at any place and age.

1. First you need to develop the neck in all directions. The arms are placed freely along the body. Sitting on a chair, you can take a lotus position, and with your right hand reach your left ear on top of your head. Then, under pressure from the same hand, give your head an inclined position, and this exercise should be performed with little resistance. The duration of being in this state is about a minute. Then you need to repeat the same in the other direction. Care should be taken to avoid straining the neck muscles. If you feel pain during training, you should reduce the resistance. When performing a yoga exercise correctly, only muscle tension should be felt.
2. Open heart. This exercise will help work the muscles in the front of your neck. In addition, it has a relaxing effect on the back and strengthens, while relieving tension, on the spine. Thanks to this, headaches will become less severe or disappear altogether.

Starting position: sitting on your knees, thighs touching your heels, feet together. From this pose you need to bend back, resting your palms on the floor 20 cm from your feet. The chest needs to be raised higher, and the head should be thrown back. The buttocks touch the heels, only the back bends. This pose must be held for 35 seconds. Then return to the starting position: first you should raise your head, only then your chest.

1. Camel. Starting position: standing on your knees, you need to rest your palms on your feet and bend your body. Proper execution of this yoga exercise involves observing the following points:

the hip line should be perpendicular to the floor surface;

gluteal muscles are tense, arms are straight;

head thrown back;

The muscles of the entire back are involved in the deflection; muscle tension should be felt from the tailbone to the shoulders.

For the shoulders. Starting position: sitting on your knees, you should tilt your upper body forward and rest your forehead on the floor. It is worth staying in this position for a few seconds, this will allow the muscles of the lower back and spine to stretch.

While in the same position, you need to connect your hands behind your back and slowly twist them at the shoulders as far as possible. The position should be fixed again. Next, you need to raise your hips and move the support point to the top of your head. In this case, the joined hands should be turned out at the shoulders as much as possible.

After holding the pose for a while, return to the starting position. The return to it should be gradual, fixing all intermediate positions. Repeat these movements 3 – 4 more times. If your headache is caused by tense shoulders, this yoga routine will bring relief.

Dolphin. This pose helps to relax the shoulder area and upper back, the tense state of which is often the cause of headaches. First you need to stand on all fours, hands and feet - shoulder-width and hip-width apart, respectively. Next, the emphasis needs to be transferred to the elbows, and the buttocks raised. It is advisable to touch the floor with the entire surface of the feet. The head should be located between the forearms, and the gaze should be directed towards the feet. While in this position, you need to take deep breaths and exhale several times.

Happy child. This pose also has a relaxing effect on the spine and back muscles and relieves headaches. First you need to take a lying position with your back to the floor and relax. The next movement is to grab the feet of the legs raised and bent at the knees. Next, you need to smoothly move your knees slightly apart to the sides towards your chest. When you reach the armpit level, you need to stay in this position for several minutes. To achieve maximum effect, you can sway from side to side. Thanks to this, a positive effect will be exerted on every vertebra.

Relaxation of the body. In addition to special asanas aimed at achieving a specific result, yoga exercises for headaches And includes a restoration complex. It includes poses that are not accompanied by any tension, so there are no restrictions on the number or time.

To perform one of these yoga exercises, you need to sit next to a wall; for comfort, you can put something soft under your buttocks. Legs should be in a vertical position along the wall. The exercise is as follows: you need to spread your legs as wide as possible, but you don’t need to lift your feet off the wall. The duration of stay in this position depends on the individual capabilities of the person. You need to return to the starting position in small steps along the wall, keeping your legs vertical.

Despite the many positive aspects of yoga, exercises to relieve headaches are not available to everyone. Those who have cardiovascular diseases and malignant tumors are not recommended to take the positions described.

If, as a result of examinations, the causes of headaches are not discovered, then the reason for this is a certain lifestyle. In this case, yoga for headaches will help relieve tension, thereby improving your overall condition. As a result of its use, not only will your head feel lighter, but your muscles will also become stronger, your figure will be toned, and your vital energy will return.

There's nothing worse than two pulse points in your temples threatening to ruin your whole day. Whether it's caused by stress, exercise, PMS, or anything else, a migraine can ruin a great mood and productivity in a matter of minutes. If they don’t help, and you don’t have time to sleep, you can try a few asanas that will instantly reduce tension.

1. Padmasana - Lotus Pose

This meditative pose relaxes the mind and clears the head, reducing headaches. Don't be fooled by how easy it looks—gurus call it one of the toughest sitting poses.

• Sit on a flat surface, straighten your spine and stretch your legs forward.
• Bend your right knee and use your hands to cross your leg over your left thigh. Your feet should point upward and your heels should point toward your stomach. Repeat with your left leg.
• With both legs crossed, bring your palms together. Remember to keep your spine straight and your head facing forward. Breathe deeply and hold this pose for another 5 minutes.

2. Utanasana

The standing inverted pose stimulates the nervous system and increases blood circulation, thereby reducing pressure in the head.

• Stand straight on the mat and place your hands on your hips. Exhale, then soften your knees slightly and begin to lean forward.
• Place your hands on the mat near your feet. Your feet should be parallel with your toes pointing forward. Relax your head and take 10 deep breaths.

3. Svanasana

The stretching dog pose is used by yoga professionals to treat frequent headaches.

• Get on all fours. Exhale and slowly lift your hips, straightening your elbows and knees. Your body should form an upside down tick.
• Make sure your arms are level with your shoulders and your legs are aligned with your hips. Fingers should point forward.
• Stretch your neck and make sure your spine remains straight. The gaze should be directed to the navel area. Take 5 deep breaths, then bend your knees and return to the starting position.

4. Paschimotanasana

Another amazing pose for headaches calms your brain and relieves tension from your body.

• Sit upright, stretch your legs forward. Make sure your toes are curled towards you. Inhale and raise your arms above your head.
• Exhale and lean forward. Stretch your arms forward and try to reach as far as possible - but do not create unnecessary tension. Raise your head, lengthening your spine. Take five deep breaths.
• Exhale and try to rest your head on your knees.
• Repeat 5 times, then lay your head down and remain in this position for another 5 minutes.

5. Bandhasana or Bridge Pose

This pose helps bring blood pressure under control and also circulates blood to the head to alleviate symptoms.

• Lie on your back. Bend your knees and place them at shoulder level. Make sure your ankles and knees are in a straight line. Extend your arms along your body, palms down.
• Inhale and lift your back off the floor. Shift your weight to your shoulders and make sure your chin touches your chest.
• Tighten your buttocks. Hold the pose for at least a minute, breathing deeply and slowly.

6. Balasana or Child's Pose

This pose helps stretch your ankles, hips and buttocks, calm the body as a whole and reduce tension. As soon as you stop feeling tired, the migraine will slowly let go of its tenacious hands.

• Sit on your knees with your thumbs touching each other. When you feel comfortable, slightly spread your knees wider.
• Lean forward and try to place your chest between your thighs as you exhale.
• Stretch your tailbone and the base of your neck. Extend your arms forward to knee width and lower your shoulders to the floor. Stay in this pose for another 5 minutes.

7. Savasana

This pose is the end point of any yoga session. A state of rest helps you enter a meditative state and finally get rid of pain.

• Lie down on the mat. Close your eyes and make sure your legs are completely relaxed and your toes point out to the sides. Your arms should be extended along your body and your palms should be facing up.
• Pay attention to every area of ​​your body, starting with your feet. Breathe slowly and deeply. Listen to the body’s response - after 10 minutes, slowly roll to the side and try to analyze the situation before you open your eyes.

Of course, if your headache becomes chronic, yoga and over-the-counter medications may not be the only solution, and it's worth seeing a doctor.

Undoubtedly, sport is the best preventive measure against all diseases. But unfortunately, it will not save you from hereditary genetic diseases. These include migraine, which rarely affects sports enthusiasts, but the disease still occurs, since intense training causes a change in vascular tone. But yoga for migraines is most preferable, as it is absolutely safe and effective.

Some sports also do not cause concern: light running, aerobics, fitness. If there is no connection between migraine and training, then you can play sports, but not very intensely.

Regular but moderate exercise normalizes the autonomic system, increases resistance to stress and increases vascular tone. But if even morning exercises lead to the development of a migraine attack, then you should stop training to avoid severe pain.

By the way, swimming is contraindicated, since due to hyperventilation of the lungs and the position of the head above the surface of the water, tension in the upper body increases and, accordingly, pain manifests itself.

Can migraines be prevented?

To prevent headaches, you need to enter a position that eliminates tension in the forehead area. She must be completely relaxed. This will reduce stress, slow down the pulse and bring the body back to normal.

This is achieved by performing Shavasana (“dead man’s pose”), but in three versions.

• "Forehead on the back of the chair." This relaxes the head area and neck muscles.
• "Palms on the chair." The pose is reminiscent of Downward Facing Dog asana. Place your palms on the seat of the chair and slowly move back so that your arms form one line with your torso. You need to strive to lengthen your neck, which will be the correct execution.
• "Forehead on a stand." Calms the mind. You should get on all fours, resting your heels against the wall. Having accepted the “Downward Facing Dog” asana, the forehead is placed on a stand and the skin is moved towards the chin. Breathing should be free and calm.

Treatment of migraine with an unconventional method

The benefit of yoga for this disease is that it does not just relieve pain, like pills, but eliminates the causes of the disease (tension and frequent stress). As a result, yoga helps against migraines much better than medications.

You can master yoga asanas on your own, but it is better to attend special courses. In any fitness center there are groups of oriental health-improving gymnastics, where they teach techniques to combat various ailments.

A few yoga sessions are certainly not enough to get rid of migraines. Only regular classes in compliance with the recommendations of the instructor, who selects the necessary set of asanas that can achieve effective results.

Complete victory over the disease will be achieved gradually. The first signal of cure will be a reduction in the number of attacks and their intensity. Over time, the pain will go away completely.

What yoga asanas are used for migraines? Several main poses are recommended:

• Vajrasana,
• Supta vajrasana,
• Marjariasana,
• Shashankasana,
• Tadasana,
• Shavasana.

Self-mastery of poses is not advisable. To avoid mistakes, it is better to contact a yoga therapy specialist.
Yoga for headaches has been proven effective. All exercises are designed to eliminate migraine attacks and are an excellent way to prevent the disease.

When practicing yoga, you need to combine asanas with proper breathing. Correct execution of all exercises helps to easily endure pain and reduces the intensity of attacks. But you should avoid poses that put pressure on the diaphragm.

Meditation

Meditation is considered the foundation of yoga. Relaxation will give an effective result in a difficult fight against migraine. Daily meditation will relieve nagging pain, give new strength and increase the thirst for life.

It is advisable to meditate while sitting, in the “lotus position” (who can) or simply in Turkish. Hands are palms up. Closing your eyes, mentally turn your gaze to the middle of your forehead. You need to stay in this position for about 20 minutes. In this state, you should get rid of anxious and restless thoughts.

This relaxation improves blood circulation in the upper body, as a result of which migraines recede.

Urgent Care

An acute attack can only be stopped by gaining complete self-control. You need to eliminate bright light and unpleasant noise, concentrate extremely and redirect the pain. Using this technique helps a lot - lie against a wall with your legs raised or put a distracting object (cold or soft) on your feet. Obsessive attention to the pain in the head moves to the legs and the painful sensations recede.