Meditation
There are many free resources for meditation that you can use. My health insurance company offers meditation and guided imagery downloads for free on their website. You can also download apps for your phone to help you meditate regularly.
Find a quiet space in your home where you can go and not be disturbed and devote 10-15 minutes a day to become centered and one with your breath and body. When you are not at home, guided affirmations can be used while at work, school, and even in the car.
Meditation takes practice and patience, but when incorporated into your daily life it is an added benefit to your overall wellbeing. You will begin to feel a sense of control over your pain with daily meditation.
Gentle/Restorative Yoga
Yoga is a great way to relieve stress, tension, and migraine headaches. It is a mild alternative to aerobic exercise, which can exacerbate migraine.
Yoga for migraine can be used both for the prevention and treatment of migraine headaches. For prevention treatment, the following poses should be practiced every morning. Hold each pose for up to one minute while focusing on breathing and repeating two to four times:
- Bridge
- Cat pose
- Child’s pose
- Down dog
- Janu sirsasana – head to knee forward fold (one leg tucked in, do on each side)
- Knees to chest
- Legs up the wall
- Pranayama breathing
- Puppy dog
- Savasana
- Seated eagle
- Seated forward bend
- Seated twist
- Standing forward fold
- Upward facing dog
Restorative yoga is best when you already have a migraine since movement can make it worse. The use of eye pillows, cold compresses, thick blankets, bolsters, and yoga blocks can help aid in relief while practicing the following poses:
- Child’s pose
- Corpse pose
- Legs up the wall
- Reclining bound angle
- Supported bridge pose
- Supported seated forward bend
