Written By: Pavitra Sampath | Updated : March 16, 2015 3:49 PM IST
A migraine is a neurological disorder that causes recurring bouts of headaches ranging from moderate to high intensity. Typically a person with a migraine will experience pain on one side or one half of his/her head, which can last for anywhere between two hours to two days. During a migraine a person will usually be extremely sensitive to light and noise, apart from suffering from other common symptoms like vomiting, nausea, pain that is aggravated during physical activity and many more. (Find out about the symptoms of a migraine.)
An extremely common condition (according to the NHS it is believed that migraine is the most common neurological condition and is more common than asthma, epilepsy and diabetes combined together), there are a number of ways to manage and treat migraines, but the medication often leaves one drowsy or suffer from other side-effects. So if you are looking for a natural way to treat migraines, here is something that will work yoga.
Yoga to the rescue!
Yoga is an ancient technique that promotes holistic living through a combination of postures and breathing techniques. The best part is that it is side-effect-free method to fight migraines. Practicing these simple yoga asanas for a few minutes everyday will help your body be ready for the next migraine attack:
Hastapadasana (Standing Forward bend)
The standing forward bend invigorates the nervous system by increasing blood supply and also calms the mind. Here is how you can do the standing forward bend or hastapadasana.
Setu Bandhasana (Bridge pose)
This asana also helps keep your blood pressure under control, relaxes the mind, calms the brain and reduces anxiety. Apart from that while doing this asana your blood rushes to the brain helping in pain relief. Here is how you can do the bridge pose or setubanhasana.
Balasana (Child pose)
Known quite aptly as the child's pose this asana is a great stress buster. It gently stretches the hips, thighs, ankles, calms the mind and helps relieve stress and fatigue. The Child pose also calms down the nervous system and effectively reduces the pain. Here is how you can do the child's pose or balasana.
Marjariasana (Cat stretch)
The Cat stretch improves blood circulation, relaxes the mind, beats stress and helps you breathe better. The best part about this asana is that it helps relax tense muscles which is an effective way to get rid of pain. Here is how you can do the cat stretch or marjari asana.
Paschimottanasana (Two-legged Forward bend)
The two-legged forward bend asana calms the brain and relieves stress and can relieve a headache. Here is how you can do the two-legged forward bending pose or paschimottasana.
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog pose)
The Downward Facing Dog pose increases blood circulation to the brain and thus relieves headache. Here is how you can do the downward facing dog or adhomukha svasana.
Padmasana (Lotus pose)
The Lotus pose relaxes the mind and alleviates headache. Here is how you can do the lotus pose or padmasana.
Shavasana (Corpse pose)
The Corpse pose rejuvenates the body by bringing it into a deep state of meditative rest. The yoga routine should be ended by lying down in this pose for a couple of minutes. Here is how you can do shavasana or the corpse pose the right way.
Practising these simple yoga postures will lessen the impact of a migraine attack and may eventually stop them permanently. So, roll out the yoga mat, repose for some time everyday and shut migraine out of your life for good!
A word of precaution: Don't stop your medication till your doctor advises you to do so. Yoga is a means to make your resistance against migraine better and should not used as an alternative to medication.
Content courtesy: www.artofliving.org/yoga
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