Ask
THE YOGI
Help for Headaches “What poses are safe to do during a migraine? Can you recommend preventive poses? Sometimes during backbends my neck feels compressed when it is tilted backward. Are backbends harmful for people who have migraines or neck pain?”— Kelly Sobanski , Bloomington, Indiana The cause of a headache, whether it is classified as a migraine or not, is not always well understood. What we recognize in yoga is that the state of a person’s physical, physiological, mental, emotional, and spiritual health also might have something to do with being prone to headaches. Yoga practice
As important as how individual poses are practiced is the sequence of poses that precede and follow the backbends.
can affect all of these things. the structural or physiological shape, need to be practiced with Poses that are safe to do during a migraine are “supta” (lying
particular care by students who have neck pain or suffer from
down) poses such as Supta Virasana, Supta Swastikasana, Supta
headaches. Structural energy flow problems can be corrected,
Baddha Konasana, or chair Purvottanasana, as well as forward
but backbends are stimulating poses, and some backbends in
bends with head support and Viparita Karani with a small
their classical form may need to be avoided. The compression
weight on the forehead. The forward bends should be adapted
problem that Kelly is talking about in her question may be
so there is no strain for the practitioner, using as much height
because the chest is not open enough before the head is taken
as necessary for support. For example, someone with limited
backward. One of the most important preparatory backbends in
flexibility might adapt traditional forward bends to use more
the Iyengar Yoga system is Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana over a
support under the head or buttocks or sit in a chair and go
chair. If the practitioner does not take the shoulder blades in
forward with the knees bent. The supta poses should emphasize
enough, coil the spine enough, or come far enough off the chair,
comfortable support for the back and head rather than the
the neck may feel compressed and proper circulation is
backward arch.
blocked. Correct action must be learned and different head supports also can be tried.
In terms of preventive poses for headaches, when a practitioner is not experiencing a headache, a well-balanced practice
Another good backbend for learning the correct actions of the
including all classes of poses is recommended. Poses that might
shoulder blades, chest, neck, and head is Ustrasana, which can
be particularly important for migraine sufferers would include
be practiced with the ropes at the wall. One way to practice this
inversions, chest openers with emphasis on the shoulder blades
pose is not to take the head back at all until the pose is
and upper back work, forward bends, and twists. Standing
complete and the chest well opened. Until a student can
poses and backbends can be very helpful for alignment and
maintain the correct action of the spine, shoulder blades, and
chest opening, but they are also more likely to stimulate the
neck in Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana over the chair, classical
nervous system in a way that may cause problems for
Urdhva Dhanurasana or Dwi Pada is not recommended.
individuals who get regular headaches. If a practitioner is not particularly careful with alignment, these two classes of poses
As important as how individual poses are practiced is the
might also cause tension, possibly contributing to headaches.
sequence of poses that precede and follow the backbends. The
It is important to note that it is not only the poses but also how
poses that precede backbends should extend the spine, open up
the poses are performed that is essential.
the chest and front of the hips while those that follow backbends need to release any back tension and bring the
All the yoga poses, when practiced correctly, are designed to
nervous system back to a quiet state. The Iyengar Yoga system,
create balance in all the systems of the body so that the energy
with its progression of the different syllabi and its emphasis on
flows freely throughout. By “energy,” we are referring to energy
sequencing (in learning the poses as well as in a single-class
as it relates to circulation, respiration, elimination—a balance
sequence), is an excellent guide to us in our yoga practice.
of muscular tension and relaxation, an electrochemical balance in the brain, etc.
Chris Saudek (Intermediate Senior III) is the director of The Yoga Place in La Crosse, WI. Francie Ricks (Intermediate Senior III) teaches at the
Backbends, because of the stimulating nature of the poses and 30
Yoga Place and at the Winona Yoga Center in Winona, MN. Yoga Samachar Fall 2013/Winter 2014
