Natural Headache Solution

Whether a headache occurs because of stress, neck and shoulder tension or a hangover, yoga can be a great alternative to popping a pill! Especially stress-relieving yoga poses are a natural way to ease headaches as well as migranes. Next time you begin to experience the first signs of a headache or a migraine, take a break from whatever you are doing and try some of these gentle poses. 

If you suffer from migraines on a regular basis, try adding these poses to a daily or weekly routine to prevent and ease migraine attacks. 

Remain in the poses for 5-10 breaths. Breathe deeply to calm the nervous system and to increase oxygen flow to the brain as you allow stress and tension to melt away.

Photos by Saara Oinonen

1. Standing forward fold variation. Begin standing and interlace the fingers behind the back. Fold forwards from the hips and allow the arms to become heavy. Bend the knees as much as you need to and slightly shake the head side to side to release tension from the neck and shoulders. If any thoughts in particular are bothering you at the moment, let go of them as you visualize shaking them out. 

2. Eagle arms. Come into a seated position and reach out the arms in front of you, cross the left arm over the right, bend the elbows and thread the arms together. Lower the shoulders away from the ears and send the elbows away from yourself. Take a couple of deep breaths as you create space in the upper back in between the shoulder blades. Release and cross the right arm over the left coming into eagle arms on the other side. 

3. Cow face arms. Raise the left arm, bend the elbow and lower down the palm in between the shoulder blades, place the opposite hand on the elbow to deepen the pose. 

4. Cow face variation. If possible interlace the fingers behind the back. To deepen even further, option to lower the right ear towards the right shoulder to target the neck. Release and repeat cow face pose on the other arm. 

5. Reverse tabletop. From seated, lower the souls of the feet on the floor and place the palms behind your back with the fingertips pointing towards the feet. On an inhale press the floor away with the feet and the hands and lift the hips towards the ceiling. If it feels okay you can allow the head to fall back. 

Slowly lower down from the pose and either take a couple of deep breaths seated or lie down in Savasana, final relaxation pose to deepen the body's ability to soak in the benefits of your practice. If you feel like you need a bigger dose of yoga, try Legs up the wall, which also is an amazing headache reducer among many other benefits!

Listen to the signals of your body. Breathe, allow yourself to take it slow, rest and remember; 

nothing is permanent.

Take care yogis! Namaste

I am Spiritually Awake

This is a powerful affirmation to open the third eye, to connect to your higher self and your intuition for spiritual awakening. Repeat the affiramtion as a mantra to yourself silently or out loud as you concentrate on the area between eyebrows where the third eye is located. 

Trust your gut, 

Namaste!

Yoga Teacher of the Week!

Check out the amazing site alltomyoga.se for some sunday inspirational reading, where I am excited to be featured as yoga teacher of the week!

Click on photo to read the interview.

Chakra of the Month: Thrid eye chakra

The third eye, or in Sanskrit called the Ajna chakra, is located in the brain, at the level between the eyebrows. The element of this chakra is light, a combination of all the elements in its purest form and the color is indigo or purple. The third eye is strongly connected to our intuition, awareness and the ability to see and understand what can not be seen with our eyes.

Balanced Third Eye:

Connected to intuition and open to receive universal knowledge. Wild imagination, powerful dreams, open minded and able to see meaning in situations and circumstances. Connected to both inner and universal wisdom and having a good sense of judgment, good concentration, easy to learn new things and strong memory. Empathy and high emotional intelligence. 

Imbalanced Third Eye:

May occur as stress, fatigue, depression, panic and mood disorders. Headaches, migraines, dizziness, nausea, insomnia, strokes and tumors. Ear aches, eye problems, blindness, lack of clarity, in spiritual denial and judgmental of other people and situations. Over intellectual and lacking of empathy. Disconnected to intuition, easily worried, suspicious, un willing to see the truth and  easily lost in day dreaming. Memory and learning disabilities, poor concentration. 

How to balance Ajna Chakra: 

- Meditate!

- Be present in conversations, practice listening and not just hearing, seeing and not just looking

- Journaling, especially dream journals

- Try to feel energy and vibrations from other people, situations and places

- Wear indigo or purple clothing

- Walk in moonlight 

- Star gazing

- Vitamin E, alfa alfa and chamomille

Stay hydrated: water water water!

- Rosemary and patchouli essential oils

Yoga sequences, meditations, affirmations and more practical tips to strengthen the third eye chakra coming up this month :) Namaste!

12 Minute Yoga Flow

This 12 minute Vinyasa Flow Yoga routine is designed to strengthen and open the throat chakra to connect with your true potential and the wisdom that lies within.

Take time for this creative flow ending with shoulderstand and fish pose and enjoy the delicious benefits in Savasana, final relaxation pose, for as long as you like to after the sequence.

Click on photo for youtube link

Filmed and edited by Saara Oinonen

New Post on YOGOBE!

Click on link to read more! 

And if you haven't already, like yogobe on facebook to brighten up your newsfeed with yoga tips, inspirational articles, quotes and more! 

Meditation for Inner Silence - the Absolute Truth

A meditation to balance the throat chakra, associated with honesty, communication and expression of ones true self and authentic voice. 

To read more about the throat chakra, signs of balance and imbalance, click here. 

• Set a timer for how long your wish to meditate, from three minutes up to a recommended time of 10-20 minutes. However, a couple of minutes of meditation is better than no meditation at all!

• Find a comfortable pose, option to sit up on a rolled blanket or pillow. Lower the chin slightly towards the chest to create length in the spine.  

• Place the hands in your lap, interlace the fingers with the tips of the thumbs touching. Close the eyes to turn your awareness inwards.

• To begin, take a couple of sighing exhalations through the mouth and bring your awareness to the sensations in your throat. Allow your breath to become natural again and keep your awareness at the base of the throat, the location of the throat chakra. 

• Begin to visualize a clear blue turquoise spinning wheel of energy in the throat area. 

• Chant the mantra HAM to activate the throat chakra and to center your awareness. 

• Whenever you notice your thoughts wander, practice honestly observing them without trying to change or escape anything. then bring your focus back to the spinning turquoise cloud and to chanting the mantra silently to yourself. 

• When your timer goes of bring your palms together in front of the heart and thank yourself for meditating today.

Namaste