Yoga and Headaches

In some of my classes over the last few weeks I have been working with the Iyengar headache sequence, using the bandages wrapped around the head. And, as promised I have uploaded the sequence on to the sequences page.  Just click here or see below.

In the headache sequence the eye bandages provide a slight compression encouraging the frontal lobes of the brain to relax thus pacifying the nervous system. Bandages can be wrapped to one side or around the forehead in a horizontal fashion depending on the location of the headache and as you wrap make sure that the forehead skin is pulled down towards the nose. The bandage, as with many Iyengar props used in restorative or therapy classes, can be deeply soothing, and much like a baby being swaddled, the bandage provides the same emotional response. With this response the body can draw inwards.  

This therapeutic sequence was devised by Yogacharya BKS Iyengar who was one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world. He has achieved a high level of success in the treatment of a wide range of conditions including muscular-skeletal, physiological emotional issues. When practising this sequence the heart rate slows down significantly and blood pressure lowers. This allows your body to recover. It also helps to release muscular tension which can improve blood flow, as many headaches are thought to be caused by tension in the neck and shoulders.

Being a migraine sufferer myself, this is a sequence that features in my practice quite regularly. It helps to soothe and is always an aid to my recovery. A severe headache or migraine can be quite debilitating because the brain is the driving force of the central nervous system and a pain in the head affects the entire person. Energetically the body can feel wiped out and sometimes it feels almost impossible sometimes to push through a normal day, Not only is practising Iyengar yoga a holistic approach to fighting migraines and headaches as they are happening, it’s also a proactive approach to reduce the pain, the stress and anxiety.