Symptoms of tension headaches appear often, making you lose control, angry, tired, significantly affecting the quality of work. Practicing yoga is sought by many people as a means of improving nerve-related problems and curing headaches.
Headache symptoms do not seem to spare anyone, any age or gender. There are many causes of headache symptoms such as work, stressful life, pressure leading to fatigue and dizziness, also due to neck strain, shoulder or back muscle pain… Yoga cures headaches It can be considered a great treatment support method when creating positive changes to the entire body.
How does yoga help with headaches?
Through studies on the benefits that yoga brings, this is considered a very good sport for the treatment of headaches. With exercises that mainly focus on breathing rate, maintaining a steady breathing rate, this is one of the effective methods to control and reduce headaches.
Moreover, regular yoga practice also helps blood circulation to the brain, reducing stress, distraction and helping to relax. Practicing yoga is a safer treatment for health than any other method.
Yoga helps the body to heal itself thanks to the appropriate movements to help circulate the blood circulation system, the qi and blood affect the meridians, acupoints and other parts of the body to help the body be supple and strong.
6 yoga poses for effective headache relief
1. Wide leg bent yoga pose
This is one of the yoga poses that improves blood circulation, relieves headaches quickly, and relaxes the shoulders, neck and back.
Doing
- Step 1: Start in mountain pose. Place your hands on your thighs. 2 feet shoulder width apart and at the same time 2 feet in line and parallel to each other.
- Step 2: Inhale, exhale and bend forward from the thighs, keeping your heels on the floor and your back straight.
- Step 3: Place your hands on the floor about shoulder width apart. 2 straight arms, fingers spread wide, pointing straight ahead.
- Step 4: Point the top of the head to the floor and tilt the sciatica toward the ceiling to stretch the spine. Inhale and exhale while bending your elbows and bringing your chest toward the space between your thighs.
- Step 5: Drop your head and neck to the floor, feel your spine stretch, imagine the back calves of your legs and inner thighs are stretching. Hold the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2.Yoga to cure headaches: Downward dog pose
This is another relaxing version of the downward dog pose. It helps to remove pressure on the hands and wrists by resting the body on the forearms.
Doing
- Step 1: Put your hands on the floor
- Step 2: Inhale and slowly raise your hips, straighten your arms and put force into your hands pressing down on the floor
- Step 3: Then exhale, start stretching your legs so that your legs form an inverted V
- Step 4: Hands shoulder width apart, feet hip-width apart. The whole foot touches the floor
- Step 5: Press your hands firmly into the floor and lengthen your neck. Your ears should touch your hands, your face should see your navel
- Step 6: Hold the pose for 1 to 3 minutes, then bend your legs back to the prepared position and repeat 4-5 times.
3. Pose against head grip
This is a great forward bend if your headache is caused by a shoulder strain.
Doing
- Step 1: Sit on the mat so that your legs are parallel to the floor, hip-width apart.
- Step 2: Cross your palms together, behind your body, leaning forward, creating a variation of the child’s pose.
- Step 3: Hold if you feel comfortable or raise your hips so that you rest on top of your head.
- Step 4: Lower your arms as low as possible to feel your chest, shoulders and back neck stretch. Hold for 5 breaths or more.
4.Yoga to cure headaches: Yoga poses for growing bananas
This movement helps strengthen the back and abdomen muscles, effectively reducing back pain. In addition, the banana growing posture also has the effect of reducing stress, reducing headaches, circulating blood circulation and anti-aging effectively.
Doing
- Step 1: Kneel and put your elbows on the floor. Hands parallel, elbows shoulder distance apart.
- Step 2: Place the top of your head on the floor. Pay attention that your hands are firmly attached to the back of your head, do not bring your hands down past the nape of your neck. Slowly raise your knees and buttocks while straightening your legs. At this point, the knees are facing the ceiling, heels close to the buttocks.
- Step 3: Raise your foot about 20cm above the floor, pay attention to balance, then raise the other foot and use your head and hands to maintain the state.
- Step 4: To protect the spine, should lift each leg one by one, hold each leg for 1-2 breaths and then switch legs. Repeat this movement 2-3 times.
5. Child Pose
If you are suffering from headaches caused by back pain radiating to the spine, you just need a few minutes to relax with this yoga movement.
Doing
- Step 1: Lie on your back on the exercise mat, relax your body in the most comfortable state
- Step 2: Keeping the knees bent upward to create a 90-degree angle, grab the outer thighs or edge of the legs with both hands and at the same time pull the heels toward the ceiling.
- Step 3: You can slowly roll from side to side to increase the stretch for your hips, lower back and gently relax your mind in the most comfortable state.
- Step 4: Hold the pose from 45 seconds to 1 minute. Then lower your legs and slowly return to the starting position.
6. Foot movement against the wall
This restorative yoga pose will help the body spread the most peaceful feeling of comfort, limiting and significantly reducing the symptoms of tension headaches.
Doing
- Step 1: You only need a flat surface and a wall, you can even practice right in your bed.
- Step 2: Lie straight, legs raised so that from the buttocks to the heels are pressed against the wall. When you get used to it, raise your butt so that the waist is pressed against the wall, the more effective it is.
- Step 3: Hold this pose for 10-15 minutes. Lie still and breathe deeply, focusing your mind on your breath.
- Step 4: When starting out, if you find it difficult to press your feet against the wall, put a pillow at the waist for support, so it will be easier.
- Step 5: Close your eyes and focus on breathing properly and slowly. Do about 5-10 minutes, practice as many times a day as possible.
- Step 6: When lowering your legs, pay attention to bend your legs, bend your knees, bend your body and head up in the position of hugging your knees, then relax and lie on your side for a while before sitting up.
Reference source
Yoga for Migraines_ Does It Work https://www.healthline.com/ Accessed February 18, 2020
6 Yoga Poses to Soothe Headaches https://www.doyou.com/ Accessed February 18, 2020
John Alen was born in 1971 and is a doctor in the healthcare and psychology fields with many years of experience. He is currently working at easyhealthylive.com, a leading health and psychology blog. Having studied at Y1 National Medical University named after IM Sechenov, John Alen is using his knowledge and experience to help improve the physical and mental health of people in the United States.