Yoga For Headaches

by Carolyn Weatherson

     Headaches can be caused by many different things.  The most common types of headaches are tension headaches and migraine headaches.  These can be triggered by physical, hormonal, lifestyle, dietary, environmental and emotional factors.  Get to know your triggers.  Perhaps you have tension in your neck and shoulders, or are sensitive to odours and perfumes.  Maybe insomnia is playing a role or you could be sensitive to food additives.  Depression, stress, fluorescent lighting, alcohol, menstruation, menopause, certain medications, changes in caffeine consumption and air pollution are just a few examples of what could be contributing to a headache.

     Yoga is an effective way to prevent tension headaches.  You can use a wide range of asanas to relieve tension in the face, neck, shoulders and back.  A gentle pranayama practice will train you to breathe deeply and slowly and the meditative aspects of your practice will help you deal with the stress in your life.  It has been estimated that 75% of tension headaches arise from muscle tension in the back of the neck (semispinalis capitis muscles) which refer pain to the forehead and behind the eyes.  This tension is often created by rounding the shoulders and thoracic spine with the head slumping forward ( classic poor posture from working on the computer).  A yoga practice that focuses on alignment can help a great deal.  You also need to strengthen your core muscles to keep you aligned without creating fatigue.   Try some poses at your desk

       Yoga can also help you when you feel a headache coming on: 

       1.     Lay in savasana with an eye bag or small towel over your eyes.  Perform dirgha pranayama for several minutes.

       2.    Go through a gentle routine, avoiding inversions, and focusing on poses that relieve tension from the neck, shoulders and back while correcting and realigning your posture.  These can include tadasana, eagle arms, neck stretches, shoulder rolls, yoga mudra, sphinx pose, makarasana and marjarasana just to name a few.

     3.  End with several minutes of breath watching meditation in a comfortable cross legged position, then move to savasana with your eye bag.  Stay for as long as you like.

     4.  Drink a large glass of water.