Migraines and Yoga

Did you know that with a few minutes and the right poses, yoga can help relieve your migraine pain? Yup, that’s right! Yesterday, while suffering from a constant jackhammer drilling away at the sidewalks in my mind, I decided to put the benefits of yoga to the test.

After creating a calm and centered environment I was ready to see if this would actually work. With a yoga book in hand and the essence of peppermint essential oil burning in the air, I found a few poses that would eventually save the day. The first position I tried was downward facing dog (adho mukha savasana). In this position, the shoulders and spine are opening up allowing the tension in your neck area to slowly fade away. Adding this to my afternoon flow really provided some relief and for the first time that day, some clarity!

Next, I added in a standing forward bend pose (uttanasana pose). In this position, you’re bent over touching your toes (or in my case mid shin!). Hanging your head forward allows the blood to flow to your head relieving migraine pain.

Another great position is the bridge pose (setu bandhasana). This position opens the shoulder area and another great pose for calming the mind. While in this position, I could feel the release of tension in my shoulders as I found a rhythmic flow in my breathing.

To complete this set of migraine relief poses was the ever so simple child’s pose (shishuasana). In this pose I found that kneeling forward with arms stretched out and head on the mat is where my mind relaxed the most. Having these poses incorporated into my flow provided immense relief and send that jackhammering pain on its way!

Have you ever used yoga for migraine relief? If so, what are your favorite poses to do?