Do you experience headache tension and pain throughout the day? Without hesitation, I can say, "I do!" Ever since my experience with bad TMS, I have had a constant head pain that varies from sharp, stabbing pain on the left side of my head to a cobra wrapping itself around my skull. Often times I feel as though my brain has been dropped kicked into a wall and is sore, achey, and angry. Regardless of the level of head pain you have, here are some of the yoga poses that have helped reduce some of my pain. I hope they help you!
A healing journey is not always linear nor is it the same for everyone. I am constantly in search of methods, modalities, and movements that help reduce my head pain and other symptoms throughout the day. Honestly, I have found that each day is different and what worked one day may not always work the next. Despite this level of variability, one constant that I try to turn towards is yoga. If nothing else, I try to incorporate these five poses into my day to help with blood flow, calming the mind, easing my tension, and giving my body and mind something else to focus on other than my aches and pain.
So, I truly hope that these five yoga poses help reduce your headache tension and allow your body and mind to find a safe place to let go of the negative and let in the positive, healing light energy around you.
Ideally, this is a flow that you can follow in order as the poses are presented. First, you will wake up your spine and follow your breath, then you'll pull lactic acid and lymph down from the legs into your core. After, you will focus on removing and aiding in your body's natural detox process through a twisting series. And finally, you'll fully relax down to your mat to calm the mind and allow the body to rest.
Majaryasana/Bitilasana, Cat/Cow
Majaryasana/Bitilasana, Cat/Cow - If you do one pose a day - there are SO MANY that I would recommend - you can't go wrong with Cat/Cow. Cat/Cow is such a fantastic series of movements because each pose follows our breath and allows us to move deeper inward. It's also a great series to bring movement back into our spine, especially when seated most of the day.
Benefits:
Improves posture.
Improves circulation of spinal fluid and mobility of your spine.
Eases pain in the spine and supports the back.
A great warm-up before a yoga practice.
Stretches the back and the neck.
Strengthens the hands and wrists - helps with Downward Facing Dog.
How to Get into the Pose:
Start on your hands and knees in a box pose. Stack your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees.
Spread your fingers and press through your fingers.
Inhale: Lower your belly, lift your chest and allow your shoulders to roll down your spine and away from your ears, and look up.
If you have neck issues, look down or straight ahead.
Focus on the curve of your full spine rather than hinging at the midback.
Exhale: Pull your belly towards your spine, round the top of your spine to the ceiling, and gently shift your weight forward.
Focus on actively pressing your hands into your mat.
Allow your neck to hang but focus on a gentle gaze to your belly or knees.
If you have neck issues, keep your neck in a neutral position.
Inhale: Return to Cow.
Exhale: Flow to Cat.
Follow your breath for 10 movements with each breath.
** For an added posture, hold your cat pose and shift your weight forward. With your head hanging between your arms, squeeze your shoulder blades together and active rhomboids. This movement can help with neck tension and stress. Hold for 3-5 breaths. **
Viparita Karani, Legs up the Wall
Viparita Karani, Legs up the Wall - This pose can not only refresh tired legs after a long workout, but it can also calm the mind and reduce headache tension. You can practice this pose anywhere and any time, as long as you have a wall or something firm to rest your outstretched legs. Don't hesitate to prop your head or legs on either a pillow or chair to help you sink into this pose.
Benefits:
Helps calm the mind and ease tension.
Reduces fatigue in the legs and helps drain lactic acid from the legs.
Improves circulation.
Reduces swelling in the lower body.
Reduces stress, anxiety, and depression.
Lowers blood pressure.
Improves sleep.
Great pose for Runners! Check out more poses for runners, HERE.
How to Get into the Pose:
Sit on the floor facing a wall. Turn to your side so one shoulder is flush with the wall and lower down so that your back is on the ground and your knees bent, feet on the floor.
Lift your legs straight and turn your body so that your sitbones are as close to the base of the wall as you can get, and your head is perpendicular from the base of the wall.
Adjust so that your tailbone is close to the wall incase you shifted away as you turned. Or you may find that a few inches from the wall is more comfortable and less work, sink into the placement that is best.
Find a comfortable position. Place a pillow under your head. Rest your hands by your side or on your heart and belly. Lift your hips onto a block.
Relax your legs against the wall.
Feel your femurs sink into your hips.
Focus on the spine lengthening.
Inhale and Exhale: Allow your body to truly relax and rejuvenate in this pose. Hold for about 10 minutes.
To exit the pose, slowly walk your legs down the wall. Take a few windshield wiper movements with your legs. You are welcome to come into a supine butterfly at the wall for a few breaths, if you need. Lower to your right side and take a few breaths before pushing yourself up and moving into the next posture. ** Usually a twist is nice to aid the lymphatic system in detoxing all that drained from your legs.
Supta Matsyendrasana, Supine Twist
Supta Matsyendrasana, Supine Twist - This is my favorite pose to begin and end the day because it rejuvenates the spine, and helps calm the body and mind after a yoga practice or a busy day.
Benefits:
Stretches the glutes, chest, and obliques.
Improves spinal mobility and can aid digestion.
Helps relax the body and mind after a yoga series.
Counters hunching, curling up on the couch, or poor posture at your desk.
How to Get into the Pose:
Lie down on your back.
Exhale: Bend your knees towards your chest, and rock side to side to massage the sacrum. Gaze in the opposite direction of your knees. If you'd rather not move too much, keep your knees hugged in and bring your forehead to your knees to open the back of your neck.
Inhale: Lengthen your legs out in front of you
Exhale: Draw your right knee into your chest, and wrap your hands around your knee, bringing the knee towards the chest. Keep your left foot actively flexed throughout the pose.
Inhale.
Exhale: Cross your right knee over your midline to the floor on the left side of your body. Your right hip is now stacked on top of your left hip. You can hook your right foot behind your left knee if you like.
Inhale: Open your right arm to the right, keeping it in line with your shoulders. Turn your palms toward the ceiling.
Turn your head to the right, bringing your gaze over your shoulder to your right fingertips, your dristhi or focal point.
Hold this posture for at least 10 breaths. Come out of the pose the same way, following your breath, and switch to the left side.
Before you find a counter pose, find a supine butterfly in order to allow your body to soak up all the benefits of a twisting posture. Since you just created space between the vertebrae, it is important to honor that space and allow the body to adjust rather than go straight into a counter pose like knees to the chest, and rounding out the spine.
Supta Baddha Konasana, Supine Butterfly
Supta Baddha Konasana, Supine Butterfly - This is great counter pose to absorb and truly feel the benefits of a supine twist, but also helps melt the stress away and calm the mind. I love the variations that you can practice in this posture depending on your goals. To start, simply notice how your body feels when you bring your feet close to your center body, and then notice when you push your heels away - too focuses, neither right nor wrong.
Benefits:
Reduces stress and calms the mind.
Opens and improves hip mobility. With feet pulled into the body, this pose can relieve low back stress and tension. With feet pulled away, the outer hips become more of a focus.
Increases blood flow to reproductive organs.
How to Get into the Pose:
Lie down on your back.
Inhale: Lengthen your arms over your head and point your toes to the front of the room, gaining length in your body.
Exhale: Hug your knees to your chest. Bring your forehead to your knees to open the back of your neck, should you choose.
Inhale: Bring your head back to your mat.
Exhale: Place your feet down on your mat as close to your sitbones as is comfortable and your knees facing the ceiling.
Inhale: Allow your knees to gently fall to the side and open.
You can rest your arms by your side or over head with palms facing up in order to open your chest. Or, to bring the focus even more inward, rest one hand on your heart and one on your belly.
Relax into the pose and breathe for at least 10 full, slow breaths.
Savasana, Corpse Pose
Savasana, Corpse Pose - This is a pose that is often taken for granted or rather, not fully embraced. The pose normally comes before and/or after a yoga class when the mind is not fully relaxed or the mind is ready for the next "to-do", thus we don't truly relax into this posture and reap all the amazing benefits. In order to gain the benefits of Savasana, it's best to hold this posture, sink in, and let go for at least 10 to 20 minutes. Yes! 10-20 minutes.
Benefits:
Calms the mind and helps ease and reduce mild depression.
Helps reduce fatigue, exhaustion, and headaches.
Allows the body to absorb all that was done in class or let go of all the tensions on the day.
Brings a deeper body and mind connection.
A pose to fully allow the body to rest - taps into the Parasympathetic Nervous System.
Eases muscular tension.
Reduces blood pressure.
How to Get into the Pose:
Lie down on your back with your legs outstretched and arms down by your side.
Allow your body to find the most comfortable place to rest - legs outstretched or bent on a chair, arms down by your side or resting on your heart and belly, a towel to support your knees, and/or a small pillow for your head.
Inhale and Exhale. Set yourself up for success and just breathe a few breaths to notice how you feel and if you need to make any adjustments.
Tuck your tailbone.
Roll your shoulders down your back and away from your ears. Allow your shoulder blades to rest on the mat.
Relax your mouth and jaw - let your tongue fall from the roof of your mouth. ** We often hold tension in our mouth without noticing.
Place a towel or eye cover to block light and and distractions.
Inhale and Exhale. Take a full body scan. Begin with your toes and work your way up your body to the top of your head. Notice each body part and where is makes contact with your mat or pillows supporting you. Ask: How do I feel? Where do I feel tension? Where do I feel relaxed?
Exhale: Let go of those places of extra tension that you noticed during your body scan.
Inhale: Bring in positive light and healing energy.
Inhale and Exhale: Set an intention, if you choose. What is your focus for this pose?
Try to relax into this pose for 10 - 20 minutes.
To exit the pose, roll to your right side and take 2-3 breaths before pushing yourself up into a seated position.
I hope that you are able to incorporate some or all of these postures into your daily routine and they help calm your body and mind as well as allow the head pain and tension to melt away. Please don't hesitate to leave a comment and let me know which pose or poses helped you the most! One thing to note: these five yoga poses are meant to be practiced in the order to gain the most benefits, though you are welcome to pick and choose what your body is feeling the most! And as always, enjoy!
All my light. All my love. Namaste.
Jordan
My Gear:
Please Note: I am in no way bashing candidates that had successful TMS results. Rather, I am spreading awareness about possible adverse effects to counter the overwhelmingly positive internet search results. TMS did not work for me. In fact, I had serious consequences after only three sessions, and I believe these need to be discussed, studied, and readily available to those considering it as a treatment option.
If you are unfamiliar with TMS, please read: TMS is a procedure in which a technician uses a device, containing a magnetic coil, to send electromagnetic pulses into a specific area of the brain. The idea behind this is that electromagnetic stimulation of brain cells will encourage neural rewiring. After an initial brain "mapping" session, the typical time commitment for treatment is about 56 sessions over 6 to 9 weeks. During each session, 3,000 electromagnetic pulses will be sent through the brain in under 20 minutes. These pulses are broken up into pulse pattern groupings with several seconds of rest between pulse groups. These electromagnetic pulses have a frequency of 1 Hz (1 pulse per second) or high-frequency pulses at 5 Hz to 10 Hz (5 pulses per second to 10 pulses per second) depending on the settings. The strength of these pulses also vary from 1.5T to 2T (T = Tesla).
During my treatment, the staff placed the device on my left prefrontal cortex about 5 cm superior to my motor cortex (the area of my motor cortex which controls finger movements).
If you are curious about what I am calling a "TMS-utopia", please refer to this article from BMC Medical Ethics which discusses the difference between how academic and print media portrays TMS.
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