Welcome lovely soul.
Today we are exploring a breath and hand yoga practice for those moments when your head feels uncomfortable and you would welcome a little quiet.
There is something particularly consuming about a headache.
We may be trying to read,
Work,
Enjoy a conversation,
Or just get on with our day.
Yet that discomfort keeps drawing our attention back.
Thinking can feel like hard work,
And even familiar sounds or the light around us may become difficult to tolerate.
Sometimes our thoughts are busy too.
And we find ourselves revisiting conversations,
Remembering unfinished tasks and moving ahead into tomorrow before today is even settled.
And in yoga,
This restless movement of attention is sometimes called the monkey mind.
I imagine it as a little creature moving from branch to branch,
And each branch another thought demanding our attention.
We don't need to chase it or insist that it becomes perfectly still.
And in this practice,
We give our attention somewhere simple to return to.
The breath,
The touch of our fingertips,
And the support beneath us.
Headaches may have possible causes and contributing factors,
Many of them.
Stress,
Dehydration,
Missed meals,
Changes in sleep,
Posture,
And eye strain can all play a part.
Hormonal changes,
Illness and taking painkillers too frequently can also be involved.
Migraine and other headache conditions have their own patterns and may need specific treatment.
And a headache doesn't mean you've been thinking too much or I have done something wrong.
It's cause can't always be understood simply by noticing how tense or busy you feel.
But alongside the headache you may notice that your jaw is clenched,
Your forehead is drawn or your shoulders are lifted.
We can explore whether some of that additional effort can soften.
And that is the invitation today.
We will use Mahāsāra's mudra today,
A traditional hand gesture associated with headache practices,
And together with alternate nostril breathing.
I will explain both practices before guiding you through them,
So you can follow comfortably even if they are new to you.
These practices offer time for relaxation and care.
They're not a guaranteed way to relieve a headache and they don't replace medical treatment.
If your headaches keep returning,
Are worsening or feel different from usual,
Please seek medical advice.
A headache that begins suddenly and is extremely severe or comes with weakness,
Confusion,
Difficulty speaking or a loss of vision needs urgent medical attention.
Now find a comfortable seat with your back supported.
Let your feet rest wherever they feel at ease.
And place a cushion beneath your arms if you would like support.
And allow your hands to rest in your lap.
You can keep your eyes open if you wish while we learn the hand positions,
And then close them later if that feels pleasant.
And for these next few moments,
Give yourself permission to pause.
A mudra is a gesture or position used in yoga and meditation.
Many mudras are made with hands,
Although the wider tradition includes other kinds of gestures and positions too.
You may have seen someone meditating with the tip of their index finger touching their thumb.
That is one familiar example of a hand mudra.
In traditional yoga teachings,
Mudras are understood as ways of working with prana,
Or life energy.
And some teachings also connect the fingers with the five elements.
These are traditional ways of understanding the practice and they don't establish that a particular finger position treats a medical condition.
But for our practice today,
We can also approach a mudra very simply.
We arrange our hands deliberately.
We notice the contact between our fingers and we allow that contact to give our attention somewhere to rest.
And when the mind wanders,
The hands often are a reminder to return to the present moment.
I like to think of it as placing a small bookmark in our practice.
And we can return to that familiar place without having to search for it.
Now,
The hand gesture we're using today is called the Mahasur's mudra,
Sometimes translated as the great head or large head gesture.
And in the tradition described in this practice,
This is associated with easing discomfort around the head.
We will use it gently alongside breathing and relaxation without expecting it to remove a headache.
Let me explain the complete hand position before we begin.
So turn one palm upwards.
Bring the tips of your thumb and index finger together.
And middle finger lightly as well.
These three fingers point in a small cluster.
Now fold your ring finger,
The finger beside your little finger,
Towards your palm and allow your little finger to extend comfortably.
It doesn't need to be perfectly straight,
Just keep it soft rather than stretching it rigidly.
And that is the shape.
Thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger meet.
Ring finger folds towards the palm and little finger remains comfortably extended.
And make the same gesture with your other hand if that feels easy.
And then rest the backs of your hands on your thighs or on cushions with your palms facing upwards.
The contact between your fingers should be light.
There's no need to squeeze or press.
And if you have stiffness or discomfort in your hands,
Ease the position.
Your ring finger doesn't have to reach your palm.
And you may use one hand instead of both.
If the gesture hurts,
Simply release it and rest with open hands.
And you can still take part in the breathing and quiet attention.
Try the shape for a moment now.
Notice where you might be using more effort than you need.
Soften your fingertips.
Let your wrists rest.
And allow your shoulders to settle.
Now release your fingers and we will return to the mudra after learning our breathing practice.
Alternate nostril breathing is a yogic breathing practice in which we will gently close one nostril at a time,
Allowing the breath to move through the other.
In the version we are using today,
We breathe in through the left nostril and out through the right.
Then we breathe in through the right.
And out through the lift.
And that completes one round.
Traditional teachings often describe this practice in terms of balance.
And here we will use a steady sequence as a way to give the breath and our attention a wonderful rhythm.
We're not trying to take the biggest possible breath.
We're not trying to push air through a blocked nostril.
And we will not hold the breath.
Each inhale,
Thought flows into an exhale.
At a pace that feels comfortable for you.
If your nose is congested or touching your nose feels unpleasant while you have a headache,
Leave your hands in your lap and just breathe naturally.
If you become dizzy or short of breath or more uncomfortable,
Stop the technique and return to your ordinary breathing.
You're welcome to choose the simpler version at any time.
We will use the right hand to guide the breath.
So fold your index and middle fingers gently towards your palm.
And your thumb will gently close your right nostril.
Your ring finger will gently close your left nostril.
And just use light contact against the side of the nose.
And if you can support your right elbow with your left hand or your cushion,
If you're lifting your arm creates tension.
We will practice slowly and you can move at your own pace.
If my words don't match your breathing.
So,
Now that we've explored both practices,
We'll begin them together.
So,
Arrange your left hand into the Mahasaya's mudra.
Bring the tips of your thumb,
Index finger and middle finger lightly together.
Fold your ring finger gently towards your palm.
And allow your little finger to extend comfortably.
Rest that hand palm upwards on your thigh or a cushion.
And keep the fingertips softly touching without squeezing.
And your right hand will guide the alternate nostril breathing.
So fold your right index finger and middle fingers towards your palm.
Leaving your thumb and ring finger available to gently close each nostril.
Support your arm if you need to,
So your shoulders can remain relaxed.
And we'll spend about five minutes practicing these together.
Follow your own comfortable breathing rhythm without holding or forcing the breath.
And if you need a break,
Lower your right hand and just breathe naturally.
You may keep the modra in your left hand if it remains comfortable.
So,
Let's begin.
So breathe out gently through both nostrils.
Close your right nostril with your thumb.
Breathing through the lips.
Change sides.
Closing the left nostril with your ring finger and breathing out through the right.
Now breathe in through the right.
Change sides and breathe out through the left.
And that is one round.
So hold the mudra.
In your left hand,
Doing the breathing in your right hand,
And continue at your own pace.
So in through the left.
Out through the right.
In through the right.
Out through the left.
And keep your left hand remaining in the mudra.
Keep going at your own pace.
In through the left.
Out through the right.
And through the right.
Out through the lift.
You keep going.
You Keep the touch against your nose light.
Make sure your forehead and your jaw remain soft.
There's no need to make the breath longer or deeper,
Just allow each breath to be comfortable.
In through the left.
Out through the right.
And through the right.
And out through the left.
And through the left.
Out through the right.
And through the right.
Out through the left.
And I'll leave you for a couple of minutes while you do it in your own pace.
You Notice your left hand.
Fingertips meeting gently.
Hand is supported.
Keep breathing.
Let that small point of contact remind you to return to the practice whenever your attention wanders.
Continue with your own easy rhythm in through the left.
Out through the right and through the right.
Out through the lift.
Check that your right shoulder is comfortable.
You can lower your arm if you want and take a few ordinary breaths whenever you need to.
And just rejoin the pattern when you're ready.
And through the left.
Out through the right.
In through the left.
Out through the right.
And through the right.
And out through the lift.
And through the left.
Out through the right.
And through the right.
Out through the left.
We have about one minute remaining so continue quietly with the mudra resting in your left hand.
And your right hand guiding the breath.
Allow yourself this time without needing to achieve a particular result.
Now finish the round you were on,
Ending with an exhale through the left nostril.
And when you're ready,
Lower your right hand into your lap.
Release the mudra in your left hand.
Allowing your fingers to uncurl.
And just let both hands rest.
Breathe naturally through both nostrils.
Notice how you feel.
Without searching for a particular change.
Feel the support beneath you.
Allow your shoulders to rest.
Gently move your fingers.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes or lift your gaze.
And thank yourself for taking this time.
May you move into the rest of the day with gentleness,
Giving yourself the care and space you need.
Thank you for joining me in this practice,
My beautiful soul.
I hope this time with your breath and hands has offered you a little space to rest.
Whether your headache has eased or you are still feeling uncomfortable,
You deserve gentleness and care.
Take your time returning to your day.
You are welcome to come back and practice with me whenever you would like some quiet company.
And from my little apothecary to wherever you are,
I'm sending you love.
And until we meet again.
Be gentle with yourself.
Namaste.
You
