Headache help: yoga can quiet your nervous system and ease pain in your head

Natural Health, Oct, 2007 by Pepper Tracey

IT COMES ON gradually, but there's no mistaking the dull pain of a tension headache in the forehead, temples, and skull. It usually creeps up after a day spent staring at a computer or after nights of interrupted sleep--and it can last anywhere from 30 minutes to an entire week. Hunching your shoulders and jutting your head forward puts strain on the muscles that support the neck and head and can trigger this common headache, as can emotional stress. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help prevent pain. For starters, keep your head in line with your spine when you sit or stand so that your shoulders support the weight of your head.

Staying limber so your muscles won't get stiff also helps, says Baxter Bell, M.D., a physician, medical acupuncturist, and yoga instructor (bellyoga.info) in the San Francisco Bay area, who recommends yoga as a tension headache cure. "Yoga gets you moving, and it also quiets the nervous system and reduces stress," he says. As a daily prescription, Bell suggests doing simple neck rolls throughout the day (for instructions, visit naturalhealthmag.com/neckrolls) to help break the habit of holding your neck in a fixed, tight position. For a more thorough series, try these poses that open the chest, stretch the back, improve circulation, and relieve neck stiffness. "This sequence is perfect for people who spend a lot of time sitting," says Bell. "It will keep you loose and relaxed."

Modified Revolved Triangle Pose (Parivrtta Trikonasana)

[A] Stand with your feet parallel and about 3 feet apart, your arms at your sides. Inhale and lift your arms straight out to your sides.

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[B] Maintain this T shape as you exhale, bend forward at the waist, and bring your left hand to the top of your right calf (or ankle, depending on your flexibility). Reach your right hand toward the ceiling.

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Inhale and come back to the standing position, then exhale and repeat the move on the other side, bringing your right hand to the top of your left calf. Repeat the sequence 6 more times.

Seated Camel Pose (Seated Ustrasana)

Sit in a chair that has a firm, tall back that comes up to just below your shoulder blades.

Grasp the sides of the chair, lengthen your torso, and while remaining seated, lean back over the top of the chair, lifting your sternum toward the ceiling and broadening your chest (shown).

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Breathe normally, keeping your inhalations and exhalations smooth and even. Stay in the pose for 4 to 6 breath cycles. Repeat one more time, if desired. Exhale as you come out of the pose.

Supported Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

Stand about a foot away from a wall with your back to it, your feet lined up with your hips. Bend your knees slightly, lean forward at the waist, and press your buttocks against the wall. Keep them against the wall throughout the pose.

Bring your chest forward and down until your belly and chest are resting on your thighs (shown). Take 6 to 12 deep breaths in this position, then slowly come back up.

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Mountain Pose (Tadasana) & Sun Salute

[A] Stand tall with your feet a few inches apart and parallel. Bring your palms together and hold them at your heart.

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[B] Inhale and lift your arms overhead, keeping them shoulder-width apart and your elbows straight but not locked. Look directly ahead or up slightly.

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[C] Exhale and lower your arms as you bend forward from the waist, bringing your chest out and down and as close to your knees as is comfortable. Bend your knees slightly if needed, and stretch your hands toward the floor.

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[D] If you're especially flexible, you can intensify the pose by pressing your palms to the floor and straightening your legs.

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Inhale and return to standing. Lift your arms overhead and gently lean back and arch your torso. Then exhale and bring your hands back to your heart. Repeat the sequence 6 more times.

Photography by CHRIS FANNING

LEARN MORE: For a fifth exercise that dissolves headache pain, go to naturalhealthmag.com/neckrolls.