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April 19, 2006

Yoga for migraine

I just had my first appointment at the Keeler Center for the Study of Headache where I'll be a patient of Dr. Robert Cowan and am excited to learn more from these top-of-notch researchers about how to manage, and hopefully eliminate, my migraines.

I already enjoyed the benefits of a yoga session specially designed for migraine-sufferers (what a pity-inducing terminology they use for us!). Our instructor, Veronica Lee, did a fantastic job of easing us into a relaxed place, and I had an experience of being more present with my body, instead of my thoughts, than I have in a long time. It seems like this kind of relaxed focus on each particular pose, each particular stretching sensation could be especially beneficial for people with migraines, who in my experience are often somewhat disconnected from their bodies or symptoms.

After the session I couldn't help but think to myself, "Is this what having nothing on your mind really feels like?" I had a renewed sense of joy and excitement about life, and yet there were almost no thoughts crossing my mind. The only thought I kept having was, "What next?"

I have always been a big believer that physiological and psychological issues are highly interconnected and mutually influential. So perhaps I have found a golden formula, for myself at least, in achieving relaxed focus:

Yoga + GTD = Mind Like Water

Rachelle would be proud.

Posted by Lisa at April 19, 2006 09:53 AM

Comments

Very interesting - best of luck to you, Lisa. The work reminds me of Jon Kabat-Zinn's efforts at the Center for Mindfulness at the UMass Medical School. They use yoga and relaxation techniques to control pain, and have had great results.

http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/
http://www.umassmed.edu/behavmed/faculty/kabat-zinn.cfm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Kabat-Zinn

Posted by: Matthew Cornell at April 19, 2006 10:55 AM

Matt,

Thanks for pointing me toward this institute, very interesting and relevant stuff! I'm amazed and pleased to see that studies of Mindfulness receive funding and serious attention. Very cool.

Posted by: Lisa at April 20, 2006 04:02 PM

"... who in my experience are often somewhat disconnected from their bodies or symptoms."

I can relate to a lot of what you experienced. Even blogged about it here: http://sunilbajpai.blogspot.com/2005/07/easy-and-difficult-ways.html

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

:-)

Posted by: Sunil at September 20, 2006 09:39 PM