Yoga Can Help With That Annoying Headache

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Yoga Can Help With That Annoying Headache

If you have a headache, the last thing you want to do is a Yoga posture that requires you to put your head down. The truth is if you suffer from simple tension headaches, practicing Yoga can help, you learn to release tension and keep headaches at bay. The muscles in your shoulders and neck contracting cause a tension headache. If you sit at a desk all day slouched over a computer keyboard, you're inviting a tension headache.

Many simple Yoga poses will help release tension in your neck, shoulders, and upper back. Forward Bend; Downward Facing Dog and the Cobra are good Asanas to practice if you suffer from tension headaches. Most of these poses are those that allow you head to hang loosely. Stretching the neck and upper shoulder muscles should be a regular part of your Yoga routine. If you already have a headache, don't force yourself to do something that would be uncomfortable. Wait until you are feeling better and then work on them. Just stretching and relaxing the muscles will help relieve it.

Some relaxing poses you can do will help fight those tension headaches and keep them from recurring. The Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose, and Child's Pose are both good for treating headaches. Remember when doing these Asanas to relax the face muscles as well. Especially relax your jaw! You'll be surprised how tense your jaw can be once your aware of it. Once you have worked on a few of these easily done poses, any pain reliever you may have taken should be taking effect and your headache should be easing.

The other aspect of relieving a headache with Yoga is the breathing techniques. Breathing is an important part of Yoga routines. Be aware of your breathing the next time you have a headache. It's probably short, choppy, and shallow. Take control, breathe slow, controlling your inhales and exhales. Once you have control of your breathing you can locate the tension in your neck and shoulders. Once they are recognized, you can work on relaxing them. Be sure you are breathing correctly when you are doing any Yoga poses, this will help you to listen to your body and let it tell you which muscles you need to work on.

Yoga is not to be considered a cure-all for all physical ailments. If you suffer from anything more than a simple tension headache, you should always contact a physician to make sure there is not something more serious wrong. What Yoga will do, if you have two to three sessions a week, will help you to recognize the muscles that are the most tense, and help you to learn how to relax them.

If you have constant headaches, you may want to talk to your trained Yoga instructor about some special poses that will target your problem tension points. They will be able to combine your Yoga poses and your breathing to help you obtain the relief you are looking for.