Yoga can help mitigate several ailments in your body, including migraines. About 12% of people in the United States suffer migraines that can even be debilitating by causing nausea, extreme pain, or in rarer cases even inducing vomiting. Even though they have been widely studied, this neurological disorder is far from being well understood by science. We do know that stress, hormones, irregular sleep, smells, and dehydration are some common triggers.
The effects of a yoga practice on your parasympathetic system are helpful in recovering from migraine attacks. During an episode, however, and depending on the type of migraine you're experiencing, some of these postures might help alleviate some of your symptoms: Child's pose (applying pressure to your brow by resting your head on your mat), Cat/Cow (helps improve blood circulation through your spine and neck), and even Savasana (laying flat in a dark room to reduce sensory input).
There are also some postures that help reduce the onset of migraines: Bridge pose (releases tension in your upper body and circulates more blood supply to your brain), Standing forward fold (relieves stress and aids in regulating your hormones), and Legs-up-the-wall pose (great for lowering blood pressure and calming anxiety).
Next time you're on your mat, think about all the dynamic postures we take that are constantly helping our whole body in ways we never even considered!
