Before understanding the relationship between yoga and migraine, let us understand what migraine is. Migraine is a neurological condition characterized by a headache on one side of the head accompanied by a feeling of nausea or vomiting. Along with this, migraine patients can be sensitive to light and sound. Due to these symptoms, the migraine patient becomes unable to do daily work.

If it is not treated at the right time, episodic migraine can turn into chronic migraine, due to which the affected person becomes very stressed and can also get trapped in a chronic cycle of stress and migraine . If chronic migraine is not treated, it affects the person, his family and society as well. Therefore , along with the treatment of migraine , we also have to pay attention to all those measures by which migraine can be reduced.

Yoga is an Indian medical practice that improves our stress levels as well as physical strength. Vagal tone also improves significantly with yoga , which reduces blood pressure. Many yoga techniques relax the muscles of the body and in case of relaxing the neck muscles it has been found beneficial for stress which is even better for migraine patients. Incorporating yoga into the regular treatment of migraine patients has shown significant improvement in chronic migraine patients. So let us know about all those yoga techniques which have greatly benefited migraine patients.

Yoga for Migraine

Balasana (Child’s Pose)

1. Begin: Sit on the floor with your knees bent. Your feet should be together and your knees should spread as much as possible.
2. Adjust position: Slowly bring your buttocks onto your heels.
3. Sit straight: Let the body adjust to this position and sit straight.
4. Lean forward: Exhale and slowly lean forward so that your head and chest come between or above your thighs. Rest your forehead on the floor.
5. Position of hands: Extend your hands forward, palms facing down.
6. Relax: Stay in this position for at least a minute, so that the tension in your neck and shoulders can be relieved.
7. Come out of the position: With the help of your hands, slowly rise up and sit on your heels again.

Adopting Balasana (Child’s Pose) relaxes the muscles of the hips and waist as well as the neck, thereby reducing neck pain and relieving stress. Migraine patients get a lot of relief by doing this asana regularly .

Micro exercises for face and neck

This type of yoga involves exercises that loosen and relax the neck, face and head. Practicing these provides relief from muscle stiffness, reduces stress and provides relief from migraine symptoms. Try the following exercises:

Cheek Massage:

Move your first, middle and ring fingers from the jaw to the chin and massage the cheeks. During this period the mouth may remain open. Pay attention to slowly open the knots on the cheeks.

Jaw Movement:

Open and close the jaw 8 to 10 times. Open the mouth and move the jaw from one side to the other 8 to 10 times.

Neck rotation:

Rotate the neck. While inhaling, move the head backwards. While exhaling, press the chin to the chest. Repeat this 5 to 6 times.

Head rotation:

Turn the head first clockwise, then anti-clockwise. While inhaling, move the head upwards and while exhaling, bring the head back to the starting position. Repeat this 5 to 6 times clockwise and then 5 to 6 times anti-clockwise.

Shavasana (Corpse Pose)

How to do Shavasana:

1. Lie down: Lie straight on your back.
2. Spread your arms and legs: Spread your arms and legs away from the body.
3. Close your eyes: Keep your eyes gently closed.
4. Breathe and relax: Breathe evenly and try to relax yourself.
5. Relax the body completely: Make sure your entire body is in a relaxed state and focus on your mind.
6. Regular practice: Practice regularly until you learn to focus and stabilize your thoughts.

Advantages :

1. Calms the central nervous system.
2. Calms the mind and reduces stress.
3. Reduces headache, fatigue and anxiety.
4. Helps in reducing blood pressure.
5. Promotes spiritual awareness and awareness of higher consciousness.

Yoga is an effective and natural way to deal with serious conditions like migraine . By incorporating various yoga asanas like Balasana, subtle exercises and Shavasana with your regular treatment, a significant improvement in migraine symptoms can be seen. These asanas not only reduce physical stress but also enhance mental peace and ability to concentrate.

Regular yoga practice can not only reduce the frequency of migraine episodes but also their intensity. Along with this, other benefits of yoga can also be experienced like reduced stress, controlled blood pressure and improved overall mental and physical health.

Therefore, a person suffering from migraine should make yoga a part of their daily life and practice it regularly. By learning and practicing these yoga techniques, you can bring positive changes in your life and get relief from migraine pain.

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