Headaches can disrupt your daily life & make you feel miserable. Many people reach for medication to find relief but yoga offers a natural alternative that addresses the root causes of head pain. Regular yoga practice helps reduce tension and stress while improving blood circulation throughout your body. These physical changes can decrease both how often headaches occur & how severe they feel when they do happen. Yoga works by releasing tight muscles that often contribute to headaches.
Child’s Pose (Balasana) — A Gentle Reset for Head and Mind
Child’s pose is a gentle yoga position that helps ease tightness in your neck back and shoulders. These are the spots where stress often builds up and triggers headaches. This pose helps you relax by soothing your nervous system & can lessen headache discomfort. Instructions: Start by getting on your hands & knees. Spread your knees apart while keeping your big toes together. Lower your hips back toward your heels and rest your forehead on the floor. Stretch your arms out in front of you. Stay in this position for one to three minutes while taking slow deep breaths.
Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) — Improving Circulation to Ease Head Pressure
This pose helps improve blood flow to your head & releases tightness in your shoulders and neck while stretching your spine. The increased circulation to your brain can help reduce headache pain that comes from stress or muscle tension. Instructions: Begin on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Push your hips up toward the ceiling to form an upside-down V shape with your body. Position your hands at shoulder width and your feet at hip width while pressing your heels down toward the floor. Stay in this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute and breathe deeply throughout.
Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana–Bitilasana) — Soft Spinal Flow to Release Built-Up Tension
This pair of poses works to stretch and strengthen your spine while easing tension in your neck & shoulders and upper back. Moving between these two positions boosts blood flow and reduces muscle tightness that often leads to headaches. Instructions: Begin on your hands and knees with your wrists directly below your shoulders and knees below your hips. Breathe in as you arch your back into cow pose and lift your gaze upward. Breathe out as you round your spine into cat pose & bring your chin down toward your chest. Continue this movement for one to two minutes while matching each motion to your breathing.
Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana) — Calming the Nervous System Through Stillness
This gentle stretch releases tension in your neck & upper back where headaches often start. Bending forward helps calm your nervous system and brings more blood flow to your head to ease headache pain. How to do it: Sit on the floor and stretch your legs out in front of you. Breathe in and make your spine longer. Breathe out and bend forward from your hips while reaching toward your feet or the floor. Stay in this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute & take deep breaths.
Legs Up the Wall Pose (Viparita Karani) — Restorative Inversion for Deep Relaxation
This calming position has you lie flat on your back while resting your legs upright against a wall. It helps blood flow better through your body and releases tightness in your hips and legs. The pose creates a sense of calm and lowers stress levels that often trigger headaches. Instructions: Position yourself sideways next to a wall and lower your back to the floor as you swing your legs up the wall. Your body will make an L-shape with your upper body flat on the ground. Let your arms rest naturally at your sides and stay in this position for 5 to 10 minutes.
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana) — Opening the Chest to Counter Stress Tightness
Bridge pose opens your chest & stretches your back while releasing tension from your neck and shoulders. The chest opening combined with better blood flow can help ease tension headaches. How to do it: Lie flat on your back and bend your knees. Place your feet on the floor about hip-width apart. Push down through your feet & lift your hips up toward the ceiling. Keep your arms resting beside your body. Stay in this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute while taking deep breaths. Then slowly lower your hips back to the floor.
Neck Stretch (Simple Stretching) — Relieving Neck Strain That Triggers Headaches
A basic neck stretch can help reduce headaches that come from tense muscles in your neck and shoulders. This easy movement releases tension and improves blood circulation to decrease pain. How to do it: Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight & your shoulders loose. Gently tilt your head so your right ear moves toward your right shoulder and stay in this position for 10 to 15 seconds. Do the same thing on your left side. Repeat this movement 2 to 3 times on both sides while taking deep breaths throughout the exercise.
