Headaches are a common condition that most people experience several times throughout their lives. The main source of a headache may be elusive, but the primary symptom of a headache is a pain in the head or face. This can be throbbing, constant, sharp or dull. Headaches can be treated with medication, stress management, biofeedback, and alternative healing techniques. Headaches come in several forms, and are classified as primary or secondary. Primary ones have a source identified, while secondary ones are a spill over of some other ailment.
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache among adults and teens. They cause mild to moderate pain and come and go over time. They usually have no other symptoms.
Migraine headaches are often described as pounding, throbbing pain. They can last from four hours to three days and usually happen one to four times a month. Along with the pain, people have other symptoms, such as sensitivity to light, noise, or smells; nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; and upset stomach or belly pain.
With sinus headaches, you feel a deep and constant pain in your cheekbones, forehead, or on the bridge of your nose. They happen when sinuses, get inflamed. The pain usually comes along with other sinus symptoms, like a runny nose, fullness in the ears, fever, and a swollen face.
Fortunately, our ancient science had discovered preventive and curative methods of treatments through mudra (hand gesture) yoga. There are various mudras to cure headaches, but the important among the lot is Mahasirs Mudra. In addition to treating headaches, it can also improve circulation, relieve stress and eliminate mucus congestion in the sinuses. The tension-relieving effect of this mudra can help to balance energy in both body and mind. Mahasirs mudra helps to counter the effects of tension in the eyes, neck, back and pelvis, as well as congestion in the sinuses or digestion.
How to perform the mudra
The mudra is formed through the combination of one pranik (surya) and one tattva (vyan) mudra whereby excessive flow of energy is decreased to restore balance. Therefore, this Mudra is formed by folding the ring finger and placing it on the base of the thumb - Surya Mudra.
Vyan Mudra is formed by the union of Index finger, middle finger, and the thumb tip. Mahasirs Mudra is formed by folding the ring finger, and joining the tips of index and middle fingers to the tip of the thumb. do remind yourself to keep your little finger straight.
Sit comfortably on a chair. Take a deep breath and exhale. Loosen up your shoulders, rest your palms on your thighs such that they face the ceiling when performing the exercise. Keep both hands on the thigh or by your side. Inhale and exhale and focus on breathing into your belly. Observe the fall and rise of the belly. Do it for sic minutes and then relax for some time. Keep your eyes closed. You can repeat this mudra whenever needed.
(There are over 350 health problems that can be prevented/cured with mudras. To know more visit www.artofselfhealing.in)
