Because no one thing works for everyone. AND because some remedies actually make things worse for others, this list is really a buffet of ideas for you to try. See what works, and go with it.

Sequences

• When things are getting really icky for me, this is a very gentle sequence that feels great. It is very basic and soothing.
• This is a pretty lovely sequence. I find it more useful when I am in a more functional place and am trying to get over that hump to be able to function.
• Five poses for headache relief.
• Yoga for vagal tone. This is something I am learning about now. The Vagus Nerve and its relationship to migraines, stomach issues and a host of other things. If you are a fainter (as am I), this might be very interesting to you. And here’s another.

Info

• General information from the Yoga Journal on headaches and yoga.
• Breathing. A few years ago I decided to back off of all pranayama practices and learn how to breathe. Just the basics, just inhale and exhale. I stopped all other pranayama for about a year. It made a huge difference for me, and still reminds me of what’s at the core. Here’s a good visual for the basics.

Releasing Depression, Anxiety & Sadness

• Studies suggesting that yoga modulates the stress response. There are many, but here are a couple from Harvard Health. And here.

 Meditations

• Body Scan. This is by Jon Kabot-Zinn who is the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, a type of meditation that focuses on helping people with chronic pain.
• Meditation for pain relief.  Another meditation by Jon Kabot-Zinn based in MBSR specifically focused on pain reduction.
• Giving and Receiving: A meditative practice that helps me remember other people’s suffering, and let go of my ego-centric focus. Sometimes this alone lessens my pain. There are many examples, but here is more on it.

What else works for you? Send me a note and let me know. I’ll add it.

 [gridwud slug=”wud-latest” ]