Yoga reduces frequency and intensity of headaches.
by Aviva Tulasi
Often people talk about headaches as though they are not a big deal. A headache is a common annoyance. Everyone gets them, so it’s normal. However, a headache is like any other pain your body experiences, which is a physiological response of the nervous system warning you that something is wrong.
For a growing number of people, headaches negatively impact their daily lives. According to the World Health Organization, headache disorders are one of the top 10 causes for disability. Forty-six percent of the global adult population has a headache disorder.
There is still a lot of confusion about the causes of chronic headaches. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of a headache because the brain doesn’t have pain receptors, so the underlying issue can come from any part of your body. A headache can be a symptom of dehydration, a virus, an allergic reaction, sinus pain, or overuse of medication. Also, the headache can be a response to tight muscles of the neck, changes in pressure, too much screen time, lack of sleep, anxiety, or stress.
I suffered from chronic headaches (defined as having at least fifteen headaches in a month) when I was 15. I went to a doctor to see if there was anything that could help. The doctor didn’t notice anything unusual about my check-up, so he scheduled a CT scan. The scan showed nothing. There was no cause or cure for my headaches. Nothing was wrong. Except that I could not function without two Advil every morning. Then two Advil every morning didn’t prevent a headache. My headaches eventually subsided when I went away to college and my lifestyle changed.
I was fortunate that when I suffered from chronic headaches, I left a stressful home life and the headaches went away. Most people will need an intervention such as yoga to support lifestyle changes. Yoga practices, such as mindfulness meditation and asana, allow you to be more aware of sensations in your body, improve your physical and mental well-being, and reduce stress. While doing yoga, you practice being in the present moment and learn to understand the subtle messages of the body. There is growing evidence that mindfulness meditation reduces pain intensity of headaches. Read Yoga Can Help Migraines to learn more. Yoga is a great compliment for medical treatment but does not replace it. Talk to your health care provider to determine what is going on with you.
A Helpful Mindfulness Meditation Series is Available On Demand.
There are 6 sessions: 1) Being Present, 2) Loving Kindness, 3) Joy, 4) Equanimity, 5) Compassion, & 6) Self-Compassion. Each can stand alone and also can be taken as a series over several weeks. On Demand classes are released each Sunday for the week. Sign-up anytime before 9 a.m. on Sundays. HERE is the link.
Aviva Tulasi is Dogwood Studio’s newest intern. She is a registered yoga instructor (RYT) who is currently enrolled in a IYAT certified 800 hour yoga therapy program.