Tension head ache is another common variety of stress &lifestyle related head ache. This is the intensified version of what we
all would have experienced after; we come back from a mid day shopping in the
hot sun on an empty stomach. Persons suffering from Tension Headache who
seek medical help are highly sensitive and would end up with a head ache even
with minor triggers. A lady came to our yoga therapy residential center with
a history of severe headache and said 'Doctor, I have forgotten how it feels
like to be without a pain in the head. I wake up with a head ache and go to
sleep with a head ache. I even have to force myself to sleep by swallowing
sleeping pills. I need only a small event to aggravate my pain". Tension headaches
are generally triggered or aggravated by external environmental and life
style changes such as a late meal, a sunny weather, closed space, noise,
automobile pollution, or a psychological situations such as tension, anxiety, anger or
even a positive emotional surge like an excitement of getting a big profit or
passing an examination with very good credits. Most often these events are
associated with constipation and insomnia. Missing out on sleep is the commonest cause
of headaches.
Present day science has clearly traced the pathway of how
these events can cause headaches. The 'ache' is due to the constant long
standing contraction (tightening) of the frowning muscles in the fore head called
frontals. This is a thin sheet of muscle just under the skin stretching from the eye
brows to the top of the head between the skin and the skull bone. Imagine holding
your fist tight for one to two hours, what would happen? You would get a severe
pain in the forearm and hand. Tension headache is similar to this; without
your knowledge you are holding the frontals very tight. This is controlled by
the motor nerves from the brain that send down a small electrical shock for
the muscle to tighten. The brain is controlled by your mind. If you think or
worry or overexert your mind triggers off this loop of electrical currents
that tighten the forehead muscle. The problem is created unconsciously by your
own mind which is oversensitive and over reactive. Therefore the remedy for
the problem is also within you as an inbuilt program in your system, but you do
not how to use.
Hence the first step in yoga therapy (self healing) for tension head ache is
to be convinced by your own experience that your mind and your own nerves bring
on the headaches. Next step is to move on to learn. STAGE - III: (Rotation of head)
a) STARTING POSITION
Sthiti : Same as Stage - II, i.e., you are on your forehead.
b) PRACTICE: -
While breathing normally, slowly roll the head on the floor in a circle around the top of the head. -
Do this rotation five times clockwise and then five times anti-clockwise. -
After 2/ 3 rotations, if you find the head moving away from its position, then you can bring it back to a comfortable position. The techniques of reversing this process. Replace a bad
habit of getting struck in the speeded up loop of reflex by a good habit of
slowing down to achieve very deep rest to these nerves. This is what you learn in
yoga therapy. One of the techniques included in the set of special yoga technique
for headache is physical postures. These postures are specially designed to
relax the tightened forehead muscles. Practices such as head rolling followed
by shasankasana gives a stretch to the scalp muscles. This brings your awareness
to the tight muscles, so that you can voluntarily send down the messages to
the same muscles to 'let go', or 'relax'. Patanjali says practice "Praytnashaithilya",- this means while maintaining in an asana, 'let go the effort'; during
a headache this effort that you need to let go is the unconscious effort
of holding the muscles tight. The initial stretch during the posture also
prepares you to go into deep relaxation immediately after you return from the posture. |