Yoga Teacher Training Forum » Tag: prevent Migraine attacks

Yoga Teacher Training Forum » Tag: prevent Migraine attacks - Recent Posts http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/forum/tags.php?tag=prevent-migraine-attacks Yoga Teacher Training Discussion Group en-US Sun, 19 May 2013 06:57:22 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/forum/search.php laparadis on "Yoga for Headaches" http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/forum/topic.php?id=7#post-5214 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 02:41:29 +0000 laparadis 5214@http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/forum/ Yoga is an ancient philosophy, science, health maintenance system, and a way of life. Yoga is often associated with ancient Indian thought. Its global appeal and practice is universal, widespread, and timeless. Yoga’s popularity is, in large, due to its many benefits such as toning muscles, increasing flexibility, gaining peace of mind through meditation, and even fighting off illness. Outside of India, Hatha yoga is the front runner of all forms of Yoga. Hatha yoga incorporates every branch or “limb” of Patanjali’s yoga, even though it is often mistakenly referred to as exercise or physical movement. Hatha Yoga’s physical side is practiced through slow stretches or poses (asanas), meditation, and breathing or relaxation procedures (pranayama). This type of Yoga focuses on clearing the mind in preparation for more intense meditation. One of the many benefits that comes with practicing Hatha Yoga for headaches is prevention. About 65 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches, and approximately 20% of the US budget goes to fund over-the-counter painkillers. One theory for migraines and headaches states that the intense pain is a result of stress and muscular tension causing blood vessels in the brain to widen and dilate, thus causing increased blood flow. Also, arteries leading to the brain tighten due to the increased muscle tension, which would cause pressure in the head. Hatha Yoga is an ideal way to relieve the pain of severe headaches because it emphasizes balance between opposing forces, relaxing the mind, and purifying the body through slow poses. It relieves tension in the head, neck, shoulders and entire body, which lessens anxiety. Hatha literally means “sun” and “moon,” and has a greater meaning of bringing balance to opposing forces. Hatha Yoga is a style which can be therapeutic through the practice of postures, purifying the body, meditation, balance, and training the mind. This goes hand-in-hand with relieving the different muscle and vascular tensions involved in a headache. There are a large number of Hatha Yoga poses that can relieve headache pain. As a general rule, only poses or asanas that do not require the head to sink lower than the level of the heart should be practiced. Helpful poses include but are not limited to Cow Pose, Cobra Pose, Reclining Pose, Table Pose, and Corpse Pose. While asanas can be performed at any time, the standard recommendation is that Yoga sessions should be practiced three times a week to gain all of its physical and mental benefits. sangeetha on "Yoga for Headaches" http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/forum/topic.php?id=7#post-5165 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:36:47 +0000 sangeetha 5165@http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/forum/ Migraines are caused by stress, dieting, insufficient sleep, allergic reactions amongst other causes. The symptoms include headaches, nausea, pain and sensitivity to sound and light and they can make the victim's life unbearable. Apart from medication, there are other natural ways to handle this condition. Some of the physical therapy routines can reduce the occurrence or effects of migraines. For instance, yoga positions to relive the migraines are easy. They relax the nerves and relieve the pangs. Practically, using the thumbs, a person needs to massage the cheeks in clockwise movement. It does not involve force, just enough to loosen up the nerves. As the procedure goes on, the person will feel a comforting movement under the skin as the nerves start to loosen up. The person should avoid moving the head and instead have the hands going round the cheeks. This should be done for four minutes while inhaling and exhaling deeply. The aim of this technique is to lessen pressure and enhance transfer of oxygen through the blood vessels. A person should sit in a comfortable pose so that the whole body benefits from this technique. In addition, since the mind is also tense because of the migraines, yoga positions can minimize this. The mind needs to be relaxed and the pressure points soothed so that the blood vessels can calm down. The person should put the palm of the right hand on the forehead with the bottom part a few inches from the nose. He or she should push the palm up and down gently while breathing in and out deeply. This cools the nerves around the forehead. If the condition persists, the person should put one hand on the head and massage it gently. This should be done round and round the front part of the head until the person feels the tension clearing up. However, it is important to remember that yoga positions should not replace the taking of medication. Yoga may alleviate the pain but it does not cure the condition. There is another routine that can help to cleanse the air passage. This will help transfer sufficient air in and out of the lungs. However, a person should be careful not to deprave the lungs or to cause an overload. This method is called Kapalabhati. The person should breathe normally twice. Next, the person should breath in and then out until the stomach pushes outward. This should be done 20 times while elongating the breathing out routine throughout. The next step involves inhaling, exhaling, inhaling completely and holding the breath for some seconds. This depends with the duration a person can hold the breath. This technique allows the lungs to supply air to organs that may be lacking it due to the expanding of some blood vessels. All these techniques should be done in an airy room to enhance the healing process. jindi on "Yoga for Headaches" http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/forum/topic.php?id=7#post-4924 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:48:03 +0000 jindi 4924@http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/forum/ Yoga For Headache Relief - 3 Easy Poses To Conquer Headaches Forever By Jennifer Bradshaw Do you suffer from headaches on an almost daily basis? Perhaps you are taking medications to relieve the pain but you find it just isn't working. Would you like to find out how to alleviate headaches naturally without relying on pain killers all the time? It may surprise you to find out that you can practice yoga for headache relief and start feeling better right away. Don't worry if you aren't very flexible right now-the poses I'll show you are easy enough for beginners to do. Plus, the more you practice the more limber you'll be and the poses will become easier. So how exactly does yoga help to ease headaches? Most headaches are caused by muscle tension, usually due to stress or bad posture (or more often both). This tension is what constricts the blood flow to the head and causes pain. The pills you may take to relieve your headache help to ease this tension and restore normal blood flow. Certain yoga postures have the same relaxing effect on the body. Inverted poses in which all or part of your body is upside down help to increase blood circulation to the head and neck which helps to relax the muscles and relieve pain. Also, poses that help stretch your back and neck will relieve the tension as well. Lastly, doing yoga will help improve your posture, and when you are standing and sitting straighter you put less strain on your neck and back which means less frequent headaches. You might be wondering now which poses would be the best to try first. There are many poses and it can be quite difficult to figure out which ones are the best for headaches and which can make them worse. I've narrowed the list down to these three: * Downward Facing Dog - Kneel down on your hands and knees, then lift up onto the balls of your feet. You should look like a triangle from the side. Hold for about 10 breaths. * Bridge Pose - Lie on your back with your knees bent upwards. Slowly lift your back up and place your palms under your hips for support. Your body should make a slightly arched diagonal from the knees to the neck. Hold for about 10 breaths or as long as comfortable. * Half Shoulder Stand - Lie on your back, and slowly bring your knees to your chest. Straighten your legs and lift your lower back up, putting your hands under your back for support. Keep your legs stretched out an a 45 degree angle. Hold for 30 breaths then slowly come back down. Don't worry if the poses sound daunting, they actually aren't very complicated. However, if you do have any concerns, be sure to talk with your doctor first before trying them. If you are interested in practicing yoga for headache relief and would like further instructions on these poses as well as pictures and a video of the Half Shoulder Stand, check out my web page here: Yoga For Headache Relief. If you are interested in doing a full yoga practice to get maximum benefits for your mind and body in only 30 minutes, check out this site: <a href="http://www.yogaforhealth101.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.yogaforhealth101.com</a>. It's a great program for beginners and you don't have to be limber or athletic in order to use it! Yogi on "Yoga for Headaches" http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/forum/topic.php?id=7#post-1268 Thu, 08 May 2008 14:21:21 +0000 Yogi 1268@http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/forum/ Yoga and Migraine Migraine affects more than 28 million Americans, and about 75% are women. It is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, mood changes, sensitivity to light and/or sound, tunnel vision or seeing spots, or dizziness. Pain may be felt on one or both sides of the head, at the back of the neck, around the eyes, on the face, or in the sinuses. Triggers for Migraine attack vary for each individual. Among the factors include stress, certain food, weather changes, light, smells or odors, change in sleeping habits, some medications, and hormonal fluctuations. Scientists also think that imbalances in brain chemicals such as serotonin and magnesium may trigger Migraine attack. Fluctuation in estrogen and progesterone also seem to cause Migraine attack in Women. Treatment includes pain relievers, stress reduction, exercise, and avoidance of the factors that trigger the attack such as alcohol, * contraceptive, and smoking. Stress reducing poses can also help in preventing Migraine Yoga Therapy for Migraine generally focuses on the prevention of the occurrence which includes stress reduction and avoidance of the various causes of the attacks. Yoga can also alleviate the headache pain by providing relief to sensory overload and relaxing your mind. The following are the Yoga Poses that can help prevent Migraine attacks. You may also practice the Yoga Session for Tension-Type Headaches at the first sign of Migraine attack or during mild attacks. Remember that you should not practice Yoga during severe attacks:  Kapalabhati Breathing  Mountain Pose  Forward Bend or Hands to Feet (Pada Hastasana)  Warrior Pose  Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)  Tree Pose (Vrksasana)  Lotus Pose (Padmasana)  Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)  Child Pose (Balasana)  Sage Twist (Marichyasana)  Wind Relieving Pose  Fish Pose (Matsyasana)  Leg up the wall  Final Corpse Pose(Savasana) janardhanpv on "Yoga for Headaches" http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/forum/topic.php?id=7#post-188 Thu, 19 Jan 2006 01:48:06 +0000 janardhanpv 188@http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/forum/ I have been a regular practitioner of yoga for the last three years. I used to have headache by evening after a busy work schedule in office. But ever since I have started practicing yoga I never experienced headache caused by tension and work pressure. I believe it is because of practicing yoga and more particularly pranayam (specifically Kapalbhati pranayam is very helpful in relieving headache). Anonymous on "Yoga for Headaches" http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/forum/topic.php?id=7#post-11 Sat, 18 Jun 2005 11:52:11 +0000 Anonymous 11@http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/forum/ Since taking my very first Yoga class, I have found natural relief from most headache pain and have drastically cut back on my use of migraine prescriptions. Most of the problem seems to be my shoulders and upper back were very tight. Headache causes aren't the same for everyone and I was curious about a specific asana prescription. Paul on "Yoga for Headaches" http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/forum/topic.php?id=7#post-10 Sat, 18 Jun 2005 11:50:56 +0000 Paul 10@http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/forum/ This is a subject worthy of a book. Cluster and migraine headaches differ, and the causes of each can be from many different sources. If you are frequently having headaches, you should consult your physician without delay. Some causes for headaches can be too serious to be ignored. Many Yoga students do mention the benefit of less, or no headaches, after practicing Yoga, but Yoga alone is not always successful for treating headaches. Some asanas to try for prevention of headaches are: Legs up the Wall Pose, Bridge, Seated Twists, Eagle, Cat/Cow, and any postures that open up, or stretches, the back. Many times, tension headaches originate from this area. Even Shoulder Shrugs will loosen the upper back muscles.