Yoga and Mindfulness for Headaches
Headaches are the worst. And they usually show up at exactly the wrong time. Even though there are so many types and tons of causes, headaches have one thing in common - they are unpleasant, extremely painful and can be down-right debilitating. Thankfully the practice of mindfulness and yoga can help. Whether it’s a specific movement or pose, simply breathing or practicing meditation, the practice of staying present allows you to reduce stress and tension in your body and mind, become more aware of what might be triggering your headaches (so that you can avoid those things in the future) and build resilience to life’s challenges so that you can handle difficult situations with more awareness, calmness and ease.
Mindfulness for Headaches
Although I’ve only had a few in my lifetime, I know it can feel absolutely impossible to focus on anything but the extreme pain of a migraine. Even with just a regular headache, it can be hard to not focus on the pain itself, which can actually make it worse.
As I shared in the blog, “How to Reduce Your Anxiety by Simply Breathing”, you are both a being of energy and a being of awareness. Your subtle body is made up of channels called nadis. Just like your physical veins and arteries are channels for your blood, the nadis transport the flow of energy, or prana, in your body. At the same time you have the awareness to directly know and perceive, to feel, or to be cognizant of events - your awareness is the state of being conscious of something. And the connection between energy and awareness is that wherever you focus, your energy flows!
So, when you struggle with a headache, you are most likely focused on the painful sensations in your head, neck and face. And since energy follows awareness, your energy goes to those painful spots and potentially makes them feel more painful. Ouch!
A meditation you can try is to bring your awareness to any other part of your body that is not feeling pain. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and then bring your awareness to a part of your body, like your palms or the tips of your fingers, and notice how they feel. They might feel neutral or even pleasant. Use this area of your body as an anchor for your awareness during the meditation. When your mind wanders back to the pain of your headache, or to a thought or feeling, kindly guide your awareness back to your neutral or pleasant anchor again and again. This might create just a little bit of space for you to feel more calm and at ease.
Head Wrap Technique
A unique technique designed specifically for headaches, you might want to try wrapping your head while either resting or while practicing the below restorative postures. This will calm down your nervous system while maintaining pressure on the muscles of your forehead, as well as your temples and sinuses, to provide relief. It also screens out the light, which can be a contributing factor to headaches. The head wrap technique also draws awareness to what your eyes are doing, helping you to discover if they are hard and tense or soft and at ease.
Although a proper elastic bandage is lovely, any large ace bandage will work just as well.
Roll the bandage up into a tight roll, and start with the free end against the base of your skull. Wind the bandage clockwise around your head, either just your forehead or both your forehead, eyes and ears. Be sure to wrap loosely yet with compression. Tuck the loose ends in to secure it (no pins please and avoid tucking it in at the back of your head so you can easily lie down) and pull down one layer gently over the eyes.
Whenever you need to see, to change positions or arrange a prop, slide the bandage up slightly off your eyes. Then when you’re ready to do another pose, slip it back down over your eyes.
Restorative Yoga Practice for Headaches
Take at least 5-10 minutes in each of the below postures to fully release and relax.
Legs Up the Wall
Set up for this pose by bringing a bolster or a stack of blankets folded into long, thin rectangles parallel to the wall and approximately 6 inches away from it.
To come into the pose, sit on one end of the bolster with your side near the fall and then turn toward the wall to swing your legs overhead and onto the wall. Keeping your pelvis on the bolster, rest your head and shoulders to the floor and reach your arms by your sides, with your palm face up. Breathe here for 5 or more minutes to fully relax.
Supported Bound Angle Pose
Set up for this pose by placing a bolster the long way on your mat to support your torso. Add a folded blanket or small pillow at the top to rest your head. To come into the pose, sit a few inches in front of the bolster (not on it) and bring the souls of your feet together. Here you can loop a strap around your low back, over the thighs and under the feet or place blocks underneath your knees for support. Slowly lie back over the bolster.
Tip: If you feel like you are falling backwards, put a block under the bolster to lift it up slightly away from the floor.
Supported Child’s Pose
Set up for this pose by placing a bolster the long way on your mat to support the front of your torso. Add a folded blanket or small pillow at the top if needed for your head. To come into the pose, sit on your heels, bring your big toes together and widen your knees to the sides. Gently slide the bolster between your thighs and then slowly lay forward over the bolster. Turn your head to one side and let your arms rest to the sides of the bolster, like you are hugging it.
Tip: If you feel like you are falling forward, place a folded blanket over the bolster to bring the height up so that your head and spine are in line with your hips.
Supported Relaxation Pose
Set up this pose by opening a folded blanket and rolling just one end once for next support. Place your bolster perpendicular to your legs. To come into the pose, sit between the bolster and the blanket and drape your legs over the bolsters, with your heels touching the floor. Gently lie back so that the rolled part of the blanket rests on your neck and your head rests on the blanket. Gently bring your shoulders underneath you a bit to lift your heart. Let your arms go out to your sides, palms up. Completely let go and rest.
I wish I had the power to make your headaches disappear. But hopefully some of the above techniques can help relieve some of the pain and pressure you experience so that you can get through it with a little more ease and peace. If you are also interested in trying a body scan meditation to bring your awareness to other neutral or pleasant parts of your body, you can download my 10-minute body scan meditation right here.