Head Space Crusade: Combating Headaches with Yoga

I don’t remember the last time I had a debilitating headache. Or rather, I do. It was quite some time ago, though I used to get them all the time. Even migraines. Many related to my hormones, living through life’s natural cycles of puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. But many developed from bad postural habits, poor diet and unhealthy lifestyle choices, like drinking or eating too much on a work night or not getting enough sleep the night before a big day and then pushing myself through that tough day, headache on the horizon. 

Basically, we can group headaches into two different categories. Primary headaches, which is when the headache is your main condition and hasn’t been brought on by some other ailment or condition within the body. Tension headaches, migraines and cluster headaches are common examples of this type. Secondary headaches arise because of something else going on in the body, like allergies, illness or an accident. There are many different types of headaches spanning these two categories, and there is overlap, ranging from chronic and ongoing to sporadic and episodic, and no matter why you get them, or how often you may get them, the duration and severity vary. 

We’ve all probably experienced at one point in our lives a leading type of primary headaches, the tension headache. With today’s fast paced and demanding world, not to mention the COVID pandemic, this type is tough to avoid. Luckily, there are many natural remedies, like yoga and meditation. Many studies report and plenty of people have experienced the stress-reducing effects of yoga, whether it be vigorous and challenging, like Vinyasa, or more quiet and restorative, like adaptive or gentle yoga. The results are in: Ten million Elvis fans can’t be wrong! As we attentively pace ourselves through pose and movement sequences, as we mindfully construct and hold poses, paired with careful attention to the breath, the tension releasing effects can be incredibly profound and have both immediate and long-term effects. 

Another type of a primary headache is the cluster headache, and though no one is entirely sure how they arise, building up oxygen levels within the blood seems to have great effect on combating this type. They are marked by intense pain behind one eye and are very difficult to endure. They are most prevalent in men. The breath awareness that comes along with a steady yoga practice delivers plenty of fresh, oxygenated blood to the body’s cells and seems to greatly benefit this type. Perhaps try vinyasa sequencing, with plenty of ujjayi breathing to prevent, and resort to restorative gentle sessions with some deep thoracic breathing when they are present. 

Secondary headaches are brought on by a whole host of issues, and can  include everything from illness, allergies, hormones, and accident trauma, to bad lifestyle habits. Yoga gives us plenty of opportunity to respond to any of these types of headaches and when applied wisely to a daily regimen, we can prevent and even remedy most headaches brought on by these issues. 

For instance, if you suffer from allergy-related headaches, since your energy levels may be low, gentle, quiet and restorative poses with a focus on the breath to clear the nasal passages and the respiratory system can go a long way in promoting energy and clearing blockages in the sinus passages. Alternate nostril breathing is one of my favorite ways to cool the body, promote full capacity breathing, all while boosting energy levels, combatting not just rocky breathing but giving me energy and clarity to carry on.

Equally, if you suffer from hormonal headaches, for instance if you are prepubescent, suffer from PMS or are facing a tough menopause, whether or not headaches accompany any nagging symptoms of any of these conditions, yoga can help. Gentle meditative pose sequencing and movement, paired with breathwork, or settling into deeply restorative supported poses may ease both headache pain and other discomforts associated with the condition.

Many headaches occur from over exerting the body from too much physical labor or exercise or even coughing. Yoga has allowed me to pace myself better as I work through my chores or ride my bike, drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated, which ultimately allows me to circumvent this type. Those occasions where I do feel one coming on, I respond with some light gentle yoga low to the ground, like forward folds and Balasana, or Child’s Pose, allowing me to quiet the mind and body.

Yoga also helps to improve mood and build better postural habits. Bad posture can promote primary headaches. Hang your head in sorrow, the shoulders suffer, even the upper and lower back pay a price. Hold it up too high with tense shoulders and the back still pays a price, just a different price. All leading into tension in the neck, the jawline, the head, and ultimately to blockages built up in the body’s pathways and a headache may ensue. Strengthening your core and holding your heart up while loosening the shoulders can prevent headaches brought on by bad posture. Standing poses such as a Virabhadrasana (Warrior) series, asymmetrical poses like Trikonasana or Utthita Parsvakonasana, or balance poses like Vrikshasana (Tree) can help bolster the body core and cultivate a better posture. Equally, a better posture generally means you expand your upper torso and open your heart up emotionally, better relating to those around us, which may help alleviate anxiety and tension that can lead to headaches.

Holding on to the past and keeping negative emotions stored up in the joints and muscles can lead to headaches. Yoga helps us unload, healthfully, mindfully, and not at someone else’s expense. It’s a personal journey that allows us to really look in the mirror and face ourselves, giving us the power to truly understand our true nature and get to the real source of pain and discomfort, not ignore it or pop a pill for it, a typical knee-jerk reaction.

I broke my right eye orbit in a car crash and I occasionally experience post-traumatic headaches. My answer to it is not to pop an ibuprofen, rather, do a few restorative poses in a dark quiet room with lots of breath sequences. Maybe light a candle and put on some soft music, add an eye pillow for effect. This remedy generally and naturally does the trick for me. Yoga also helps me maintain the discipline to watch my coffee caffeine intake and my diet habits, both of which can trigger this type of headache, or serve as a trigger for any other secondary headache, for that matter, thus keeping them at bay.

My current favorite way to relieve and prevent stress headaches is Yin Yoga, a style that is similar to restorative yoga, but more energetic. By holding structured poses within realistic reach for our levels, with plenty of support and patience, we are free to truly release the tensions built up not just in the muscles, the bones, and joints, but in the fascia, the matter that holds all these parts together, thus creating healthier channels throughout the body. Yoga in all its possibilities help us unleash blockages to promote better flow throughout an extremely complex and dynamic superhighway of nerves, veins, and numerous pathways vital for optimal health, like the respiratory, circulatory, lymphatic and digestive systems. Blockages in any of these systems might lead to all types of different headaches, yet the result is similar: Pain, discomfort, and distractions in the head and mind that keep us from living the day to its fullest. Make yoga a part of your daily life, and you may experience a real and profound difference.