Yoga for Headache Relief

 

Legs up the Wall

We know that yoga relaxes and calms the body and mind.  So it makes sense to use your yoga practice to release a muscle tension headache, right?

In fact, that is exactly true.  Headaches that are caused by muscle tension and stress can be relieved with yoga poses.  Using a gentle yoga sequence can give you relief. 

Try this yoga practice the next time you begin to feel achy and stressed, hoping to catch the tension before it builds in the upper back and neck area, preventing the aches and pains.

Begin in a seated pose
     *alternating nostril breath (5 complete rounds), slow inhales and complete exhales
     *gentle neck stretches
     *shoulder roll, forward and back

Next, child's pose
     sit on your heels and bring your chest and head towards the floor, rest you head on a pillow, the floor, or you hands.  Hold for 5 breaths

Cat/Cow

Down Dog with knee bent to release stress, tension and prevent strain and tightness

Cobra  stay low in your cobra, resting one full breath between each complete pose

Seated twist / Seated Forward Fold

End with this relaxing savasana pose: 
     Legs up the wall
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Janine is a Yoga Instructor and Life Coach practicing from her home studio. She invites students to her studio for personal sessions, as well as traveling to your home. She is teaching in a couple studios right now in the Wells/Ogunquit area, as well as at The Cancer Care Center of York County and York Hospital's Wellness Center.
If you are looking for gentle yoga to increase flexibility, strength and energy plus decrease stress and tension, this is the style of yoga that you want for your practice. As a life coach, she leads educational coaching series along with personal one on one life coaching using the Co-Active Coaching techniques and Ayurveda Science. You can reach her at 207-251-9577