Last Updated:June 17, 2025, 11:33 IST
While medication provides instant relief from headaches and migraines, these seven yoga poses are a powerful and natural way to reduce the intensity of these episodes.
These rejuvenating full-body poses can help ease the tension.
Dealing with headaches or migraines can be exhausting, often disrupting your focus and daily life. While medication is one option, gentle yoga can offer a powerful, natural way to reduce the frequency and intensity of these episodes. By calming the nervous system, relieving muscle tension, and improving blood circulation, yoga targets many common migraine triggers.
Here are seven yoga poses that may offer natural relief and promote overall well-being.
Balasana (Child’s Pose)
Balasana is a calming resting pose that helps quiet the mind and ease tightness in the back, shoulders, and neck, common areas of stress-related tension.
How to practice: Kneel on your mat with your big toes touching and knees spread apart. Sit back on your heels and gently fold forward, resting your forehead on the mat. Extend your arms forward or alongside your body. Breathe slowly and deeply, allowing your spine to lengthen and your body to relax.
Why it helps: This pose promotes deep relaxation, reduces stress, and helps regulate the nervous system, ideal for those prone to tension headaches.
Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold)
This gentle forward bend stretches the spine, neck, and hamstrings, while encouraging fresh blood flow to the brain.
How to practice: Stand with feet hip-width apart. Hinge at your hips to fold forward, letting your upper body drape toward the floor. Slightly bend your knees for comfort. Rest your hands on the mat or clasp opposite elbows.
Why it helps: It releases neck and shoulder tension and soothes the nervous system, helping to relieve headache discomfort.
Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)
A restorative inversion that encourages relaxation and supports circulation to the upper body and head.
How to practice: Sit close to a wall and lie on your back, extending your legs vertically along the wall. Let your arms rest beside you with palms up. Breathe slowly and remain in the pose for 5–10 minutes.
Why it helps: This pose calms the nervous system, eases fatigue, and improves blood flow — all of which may help reduce migraine frequency.
Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
Bridge Pose gently opens the chest, stretches the spine, and stimulates circulation, all while reducing back and neck tension.
How to practice: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet hip-width apart. Press into your feet and arms to lift your hips off the ground. Clasp your hands beneath you or keep your arms at your sides. Breathe steadily and release slowly.
Why it helps: It relieves spinal tension, balances hormones, and supports better breathing – all beneficial for headache relief.
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog)
This rejuvenating full-body pose stretches the spine, hamstrings, and shoulders – areas where stress and tension often build.
How to practice: Start on your hands and knees. Tuck your toes and lift your hips to form an inverted “V” shape. Let your head relax between your arms, keeping your gaze soft. Hold for several breaths.
Why it helps: It boosts blood circulation to the brain, loosens tight muscles, and provides grounding energy to counteract stress-induced headaches.
Padmasana (Lotus Pose)
A classic seated posture that encourages calmness, improves posture, and supports steady, deep breathing.
How to practice: Sit with your legs extended. Bend one knee, placing the foot on the opposite thigh, and repeat with the other leg. Sit tall, rest your hands on your knees, close your eyes, and breathe deeply.
Why it helps: It quiets the mind, enhances mental clarity, and encourages circulation to the head, helping reduce headache symptoms over time.
Shavasana (Corpse Pose)
Often, the final pose in a yoga session, Shavasana, promotes complete physical and mental relaxation.
How to practice: Lie flat on your back with arms at your sides and palms facing up. Let your feet fall naturally outward. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Stay here for 5–10 minutes.
Why it helps: It resets the nervous system, lowers stress levels, and leaves you feeling refreshed, making it ideal for headache and migraine recovery.
- Location :
Delhi, India, India
- First Published:
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