Women's Health June 30, 2026 0 Comments

Unlock the Secret Power of Yoga to Crush Migraine Pain – What the Experts Aren’t Telling You!

Ever had one of those mornings where you wake up feeling like your head’s been put through a blender, your vision’s playing tricks on you, and your stomach’s doing somersaults? If you’re one of the millions battling migraine disease, this grim wake-up call is all too familiar—a heavy dose of pain that doesn’t just knock you down but sidelines you from life’s little joys. It’s like your brain’s throwing a tantrum, and trust me, it’s no fun being stuck in a dark room, medicating away the hours, while the world carries on without you. Now, what if I told you there’s an ancient practice, one that’s been quietly helping folks find relief by tapping into the calm within? Yep, I’m talking yoga. It’s more than just bending and stretching—it’s a full-on brain-body ally against migraine misery. Let’s dive into how these mindful moves could lighten the load of migraine attacks and maybe, just maybe, get you back on your feet faster than you think. LEARN MORE

7 min read

You wake up feeling sore. Your head is throbbing, your vision is spotty, and your stomach is twisting and turning. If you’re an individual living with migraine disease, you know these ominous signs mean it’s going to be a bad day.

Migraine attacks are terrible. The pain and discomfort can be debilitating, and can force you to miss out on days, months, and years of your life—time instead spent holed up in a dark room, taking rounds of medication in hopes of alleviating the pain.

“We think of [chronic migraine] as a brain disease, a neurological disease,” says Teshamae Monteith, MD, chief of the headache division and professor of clinical neurology at University of Miami Health.

The condition impacts 25 percent of the US population “and more than 1 billion people globally,” according to the American Migraine Foundation. It can be triggered by a range of factors, like genetics, hormones, stress, and environment. Common symptoms include headache, aura (visual or auditory), numbness, brain fog, and even symptoms that resemble a stroke, says Dr. Monteith.

The good news: there are ways to find relief. In fact, many turn to yoga—and the ancient, meditative practice has been found to reduce pain symptoms, in addition to lowering stress levels and promoting relaxation, according to a review of recent migraine studies.

A 2020 study conducted in India ran a trial on two groups of 80 participants: one group managed their symptoms with “usual lifestyle and pharmacological migraine care,” while the other group added three to five days of yoga therapy per week to their treatment plan. After three months, the yoga therapy group reported a decrease in headache frequency and intensity.

Yoga might be worth adding to your routine and treatment plan. Here’s why.

Meet the experts: Teshamae Monteith, MD, is chief of the headache division, professor of clinical neurology at University of Miami Health, and board member of the American Migraine Foundation. Deena Kuruvilla, MD, is a neurologist and the medical director of the Brain Health Institute. Rebecca Trussell, MS, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, YACEP is a certified yoga instructor and somatic yoga therapist at the Atlanta Center for Wellness.

Can Yoga Help Alleviate Migraine Attacks?

Deena Kuruvilla, MD, neurologist and medical director of the Brain Health Institute, recommends yoga as a preventative approach to her patients, sometimes alone and sometimes in conjunction with medication or holistic medicine depending on the patient’s situation. As a form of meditation, yoga activates the parasympathetic and vagal system, Dr. Monteith says—the network of nerves that helps us rest, digest, and, of course, relax.

Somatic movement, which Johns Hopkins Medicine defines as “a field of movement studies and bodywork that foregrounds the internal physical sensations, perceptions, and experiences of the body,” can be particularly beneficial, according to Rebecca Trussell, certified yoga instructor who commonly treats patients with migraine disease.

How to Use Yoga for Migraine Prevention and Relief

Trussell recommends a four-pose basic sequence for prevention, and a somatic neck sequence for pain relief as the result of an attack. Here are the moves.

Why it rocks: Also known as corpse pose or shavasana, this neutral pose helps you to “notice all the areas of the body that are in contact with the floor” and any areas you might be feeling pain, Trussell says. This is also the pose you will return to after each movement to see if you feel a difference in your body.

How to:

Lie flat with your legs, back, and shoulders pressed to the floor.
Allow your muscles to relax, and take deep breaths. Give yourself two to three minutes in this pose, depending on your comfortability.

Why it rocks: “This is probably one of the most foundational movements,” Trussell says. It’s a lower effort variation of a move you may recognize in pilates. The key here, though, is to move slowly.

How to:

Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat against the floor. Adjust the distance between your heels and your bottom so that your back is in its natural curved position, rather than flat or overarched.
Arch and lift your lower back away from the floor. Press your shoulder blades and hips down a little bit. Then, release back down to the floor for a slow count of five.
Flatten and press the lower back against the floor, lightly, feeling a little bit of tightness in the belly. Then, release for a slow count of five.

Why it rocks: This pose engages the “back-chain” of the body like the Arch & Flatten move, Trussell says. “You may feel some jerkiness,” she says, referring to the curling motion. “It’s okay, just notice what’s happening.”

How to:

Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat against the floor. Take your hands behind your head and interlace your fingers.
Arch your back, press your head into your hands, and press your elbows into the floor. Then, release for a slow count of five, coming back to neutral position.
Then, squeeze your elbows up so that they point to the ceiling. Flatten the spine and round the shoulders up, lifting the shoulder blades off the floor.
Lower your head down slowly with the elbows pointing and let your spine come back to neutral. For a slow count of five, relax the elbows back to the floor.
Repeat the motion, but lift and point the elbows to the left side during the curl pattern portion next. Then, repeat the sequence with the right side.

Why it rocks: “This is something we often encounter in a yoga class—windshield wipers,” Trussell says. “But this is approaching it a little differently.” This movement helps you find any tension in your range of motion and slowly release it.

How to:

Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat against the floor. Bring arms up so that the elbows are lined up with the shoulders and the fingers are pointed towards the ceiling.
Check the range of motion of your arms by letting them lightly fall back to the floor. Return hands so they are by sides, palms facing down.
Lower the right palm towards the floor and the back of the left hand towards the floor. Your finger tips should point in opposite directions. Then, tip both knees towards the right and keep the feet wide. Turn the head to the left, press the left shoulder into the floor, and lift the right shoulder slightly up.
Slowly release back to neutral position for a slow count of five. Repeat with the other side, switching the directions of the arms and tipping the knees to the left. Turn the head to the right this time.
Repeat again on each side, returning to neutral position each time. Check the range of motion of the arms again afterwards to see if there is a difference.

Somatic Neck Sequence

Why it rocks: “You know that feeling a lot of people would describe as being washed out or just kind of sore after a migraine [attack]? It’s because your body’s been bracing,” Trussell says. This move, which contracts and releases the muscles helps to ease tension in the neck and shoulders.

How to:

Sit down on a chair or the floor, then slowly alternate between turning the head all the way to the left and all the way to the right. Notice if you feel tightness or find yourself stopping on either side.
Then, face forward again and slowly lower the ear to the shoulder on the side that feels tense. Use 20 to 30 percent effort here. Leave the shoulder where it is and slowly lift your chin up.
Once the head returns to its normal position, the final step is to lower the shoulder back down.
Repeat as needed.

Moves to Avoid

During the postdrome phase of a migraine attack—the hangover-esque period that quickly follows the pain—high impact exercises and movements can have an adverse effect, Trussell says.

“I would be gentle with your system. So I would avoid anything like a vinyasa flow where you’re moving really fast and it’s really intense,” she says. Hot yoga might also feel too intense for the body during this period. “I wouldn’t say across the board that it’s never gonna help anybody, but generally speaking I would back away from [more intense practices] until after you’re feeling better.”

The aim is to not cause or worsen the pain by exercising, Dr. Kuruvilla says. That means being extra careful with specific poses in yoga. “I would stay away from anything where you’re manipulating the neck, because all of the nerve fibers that cause migraine are within the neck and above,” she says.

Yep—that means no headstands. Opting for something gentler is safer. Everyone’s needs and symptoms will be different, so be sure to speak with doctor about what kinds of movement is best for you.

How long does it take to find relief?

Trussell says it’s ideal to start with practicing two to three times a week and build up the frequency from there. It’s a routine to practice regularly, not just when you feel pain.

“For any migraine preventive approach, you really need 12 weeks and beyond to see the maximal benefit from a treatment. So it’s not, certainly not, something that is immediate,” says Dr. Kuruvilla.

It’s a long-term treatment method—not an immediate solution. And it’s certainly not a replacement for traditional medicine, she says. But, when used in conjunction with standard medication, yoga has shown positive results for migraine pain relief.

That’s why Dr. Kuruvillla treats the condition with a “three-legged stool” approach: prevention, as-needed medication “to cut down on the duration of the attack,” and “complimentary and integrative” modalities like yoga.

“I think yoga is a reasonable thing to do,” Dr. Monteith says, especially with access to resources and guides online. “I think it’s about regularity and really just a commitment to wellness that even goes beyond management of migraine.”

Living with migraine is not fun. But with the right health management steps, you can take control of your life and boost your treatment plan.

Find the Perfect Women’s Health Training Program for You

Nia Watson is an editorial intern at Women’s Health. She recently completed her Master of Fine Arts degree in Journalism at New York University. She has written about chronic reproductive health conditions like endometriosis and nutrition for Rewire News Group and The 19th News, as well as about the food and beverage industry in NYC for AmNewYork. She loves starting her morning with yoga and coffee; and when she’s not writing, she enjoys wandering around Central Park.