Yoga for headaches - release tension, direct your breath
Yoga for headaches - release tension, direct your breath, listen to your body
A blog article for therapists, yoga teachers and people with chronic complaints
By Florian Hockenholz, physiotherapist, osteopath & yoga teacher
Headaches are one of the most common everyday complaints. They come on gradually or suddenly, throbbing, pressing, pulling - sometimes out of nowhere, often as a reaction to overload, overstimulation or muscular tension patterns.
Many patients are fixated on medication - not because they want to, but because there is no other strategy.
Yoga offers an effective, mindful alternative here. It is not a substitute for medical clarification - but a body-centered approach to self-regulation, vegetative relief and preventative support.
What causes headaches - from a therapeutic point of view?
Tension headaches and stress-related complaints in particular are often caused by:
muscular imbalances (especially in the shoulder, neck and jaw area)
shallow, uncoordinated breathing
vegetative overexcitation (permanent sympathicotonia)
Chronic stimulus processing without compensation
Inner tension due to pressure, expectation, excessive demands
Many of these factors can be felt physically - but cannot be solved therapeutically with medication. And this is exactly where yoga comes in.
How does yoga help with headaches?
🧘♂️ Muscular relief
Gentle mobilization of the cervical spine, shoulder girdle and rib cage
Release of myofascial tension → especially trapezius, levator scapulae, suboccipital muscles
Passive stretches & calm holding - no forced stretching
🌬 Respiratory regulation
Exhale longer → activate the parasympathetic nervous system
Diaphragm activation → Remove pressure from the upper thoracic muscles
Direct your breath into the space between your forehead and neck → inner "counter-pressure" to the pain
🧠 Perception & stimulus filtering
Bodyscan → Where does the pain really begin?
Exercise: "Feel instead of think" - headache as a signal, not as an enemy
Visualization: Cooling forehead, soft neck, wide back of the head
💡 Psychophysiological effect
Slowing down = defusing
Breath + movement + mindful presence = recoding of pain processing
What yoga is not for headaches
❌ No panacea
❌ No pain avoidance technique
❌ No room for pressure to perform or ambition
Instead:
✅ Conscious bodywork with a clear focus
✅ Self-awareness instead of self-optimization
✅ Regulation instead of avoidance
Who is yoga for headaches suitable for?
People with tension headaches
Migraine patients (in seizure-free phases → preventive)
Stress sufferers with vegetative overexcitation
People with bruxism, teeth grinding, CMD
Therapists who want to put a body-centered tool in their hands
Conclusion
Yoga for headaches is not a retreat from pain, but a conscious approach: gentle, measured, mindful.
The body is not "trained away" - it is listened to, felt and relieved. And that is often enough to make a difference.
📅 Do you want to learn how to use medical yoga safely and effectively with pain patients?
Here you can find all webinars and training courses at:
www.hockenholz.com/yoga