No one enjoys headaches, especially migraines that won't go away. They generally come on at the worst possible time and are caused by stress, insomnia, hormone fluctuations and even certain medications. Stress is probably the most common trigger for unwanted headaches. More and more people are trying natural remedies over prescription medication for relief.

For that reason, several studies have shown that yoga can help with migraines. This is because it promotes the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. The yoga moves listed below will help to open your spine, shoulders and neck so that blood and oxygen can flow more freely and easily to your brain, which reduces the pain that you are feeling.

Cow/Cat

  1. Get on all fours. Make sure your hands are lined up under your shoulders and your knees are lined up underneath your hips.
  2. As you inhale, look up to the sky and arch your spine.
  3. Make sure to roll your shoulders away from your ears.
  4. As you exhale, you will press against the floor with your hands and knees as you round your spine, similar to a cat.
  5. Try to do this for at minimum 5 breath cycles. You will do five reps of each position.

Dolphin

  1. Start on all fours with your arms lined up with your shoulders.
  2. Next, place your forearms on the floor in front of you parallel to one another. Tuck your shoes and life your hips into the air.
  3. Your heels should be slightly off the ground.
  4. Drop your head and take five to 10 deep breaths in this position.

Child's Pose

  1. Kneel on your knees with your knees just slightly apart.
  2. Crawl forward without moving your knees. Pretend they are implanted into the floor.
  3. Stretch your arms out as far as you can in front of you.
  4. Tuck your chin in toward your chest in order to lengthen your neck.
  5. Bring your forward to the ground to rest, if you'd like. A bolster can also be used.
  6. Allow your body to relax and close your eyes.
  7. Take at least 10 deep breaths here.

With each of these poses, you can do more or less, depending on your level of experience. Your yoga trainer may have additional poses that they would like to recommend to help relieve your pain since they are not all listed here. If yoga doesn't work for you at eliminating your headaches or doesn't get rid of them completely, then you probably want to see if you can speak to a specialist. There may be an underlying problem that needs to be addressed.  

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