Most people suffer from over the eye headaches, if only occasionally, mainly because of our hectic lifestyle and associated stresses. Headaches can make you screw up your eyes in discomfort and can cause frown lines and wrinkles.
It’s all too easy to reach for the pills but why put what is effectively poison into your body if you can help it.
If your headaches are frequent, the wisest move is to consult your doctor but if they are only spasmodic then are some very useful yoga exercises that could help to drive the stress away.
As soon as you start to feel a headache coming on and your eyes begin to ache, and obviously if it is convenient, you should begin the following yoga exercises.
Any delay will make the headache more difficult to alleviate.
Yoga Position No 1- Balasana (Childs Pose)
- Kneel down and with your feet touching each other, sit back onto your heels.
- Spread your knees apart as wide as your hips.
- Breathe in and then breathe out and while you do so lean forward so that your body is as close as possible to your thighs.
- Stretch out your arms with your palms upwards.
- Relax your shoulders to the floor. You should be able to feel a stretch between your shoulder blades.
- Stay like this for 30 seconds to a few minutes.
- Slowly and gently lengthen your body and breathe in and come up.
Yoga Position No 2- Downward Facing Dog
- Kneel with your hands on the floor just in front of your shoulders, palms spread and facing forward, knees below the hips and the toes under and forward, feet slightly apart.
- As you breath in begin lifting your knees and heels up.
- As you do so round the tailbone away from the pelvis and by pushing forward with the hands raise your bottom towards the ceiling and tuck the top of your thighs into your groin area.
- Exhale slowly and as you do so straighten your legs until the knees are only slightly bent at the same time bringing the heels back into contact with the floor.
- Tense the muscles of the thighs and press lightly inwards.
- Gradually straighten the arms using the fingers for leverage, and then close the shoulder blades against each other, slight pause before widening them and push them down towards your bottom. The back will then become straight or slightly concave.
- Keep the head between the arms but under control, do not let it hang.
- Inhale and hold for 1-2 minutes then bend the knees slowly to the floor back to the start position exhaling as you do so.
Yoga Position No 3-Standing Forward Bend
- Stand in a relaxed position with your hands on your hips.
- Breath in and out, as you exhale bend forward slowly from the hips. Feel yourself lifting upwards out of your body and lengthening.
- With knees, straight if possible, bring your hands to the floor slightly in front of you or beside your feet or to the backs of your ankles.
- Breathe in and lift and lengthen your body slightly, breathe out and release a little more into the pose
- Relax your head completely and stay in the pose for 30 seconds to one minute.
- To come up, place your hands on your hips, breathe in and straighten your spine slowly.
Yoga Position No 4- The Bridge Pose
- Lie flat on the floor, preferably on a yoga mat. If, required, support your neck with a folded towel or similar.
- Bend your knees, bringing your feet as close to your bottom as possible.
- Breathe out and press your inner feet and arms into the floor.
- Push your tailbone upwards and into the pubis, Firm your buttocks and lift them off the floor. Balance by putting your hands onto your pelvic area.
- Keep lifting until your thighs are level with the floor.
- Keep your knees directly over your heels, but push them forward away from your hips.
- Bring the pubic area towards your navel.
- Stay in this pose for 30 seconds to one minute, breathe out and release, rolling the spine slowly down onto the floor.
Any or all of these poses should help to bring you headache relief and keep those furrows away from between your eyes.
