What's up my friends?

Welcome to Yoga with Adriene.

I'm Adriene.

Sorry you have a headache.

Let's do some yoga to try to help you feel
better.

All right, so we're going to begin in a comfortable
seat.

I recommend, since we're going for a nurturing
practice here, maybe lifting the hips up on

a blanket here, like so.

You can also sit up on a pillow or a block
or a book.

It's not necessary.

You can even do this part in a chair.

But just take a second to get into a comfortable
seat, because we're going to begin with my

number one headache remedy, which is a little
Pranayama, alternate nostril breathing, which

we have a video for as well that I'll link
you to.

But I'll take you through the steps here,
since we're here now, together.

We'll take the hand out in front and we're
just going to take the three middle fingers

and draw them in towards the palm.

Then I will sit up nice and tall.

Take a deep breath in and a long breath out.

I'm going to begin with Nadi Shodhana, alternate
nostril breathing.

So, I'll bring the thumb to the right nostril.

You can keep your eyes open to check me out,
and then once you feel like you get the rhythm,

we'll close the eyes and just kind of soften
the skin of the face a little bit here.

So Nadi Shodhana, alternate nostril breathing,
we bring the right thumb to the right nostril.

I'm going to take a deep breath in through
the left nostril.

After the inhale at the top, I'm going to
bring my right pinkie now to plug the left

nostril as I breathe out through the right.

So, I'm alternating in and out.

Now I'll inhale in through the right nostril.

Pause at the top.

Alternate.

And breathe out through the left nostril.

Inhale in through the left.

Pause at the top, reseal the left nostril
and switch out through the right.

So, if this is new to you and you're like,
"I have a headache, I can't learn anything

new right now.

I'm so frustrated," I understand.

I'm just going to meet you at the pass with
that.

So, drop the hands for a second, take a deep
breath in and exhale.

Shake it out.

And we try again.

So, each time we're inhaling, we're switching
to the alternate nostril and then we're exhaling.

Each time we exhale, we'll inhale through
that same nostril.

This breath, this Pranayama practice, especially
once you get the hang of it, is so calming,

so cooling, really great for headaches and
really wonderful particularly for sinus headaches.

We're going to address a couple of different
kinds of headaches, the sinus headaches, tension

headaches, stress.

But let's begin again, a little alternate
nostril breathing and we'll have a separate

video for migraines, but if you're really
already feeling that pounding headache, really

splitting your moment in two, you might just
do this alternate nostril breathing and then

save the rest of the video for later.

So, here we go.

A couple of more passes.

I'll close the eyes this time maybe.

And inhale, in through the left nostril, sealing
the right.

Pause and switch.

Exhale out through the right.

Inhale, in through the right.

Switch.

Out through the left.

Deep inhale, in through the left.

Pause and switch.

Long exhale, out through the right.

Sit up nice and tall.

Inhale deeply through the right.

Pause, switch and seal out through the left.

Inhale in through the left.

Pause, switch, seal and out through the right.

Deep inhale in through the right nostril.

And switch, and out through the left.

We'll continue in just a couple of moments
on your own.

Let's do one more pass, seeing if we can extend
the inhalation and exhalation a little more.

Finish it out wherever you are.

Even it out if you must and then we'll find
what feels good as we release the hands and

take a second to just breathe in and out through
both nostrils.

Sit up nice and tall.

Relax the skin of the face.

Close your eyes, you don't need to look at
the video here.

I gotcha.

See if you can align your head over your heart
and your heart over the pelvis or the base

of the spine here.

So, just bring a little consciousness into
the body.

Then nice and easy, we'll draw the shoulders
up towards the ears on a big breath in.

And on an exhale, draw the shoulder blades
in and together and down for your release.

Two more just like that.

Inhale.

And exhale.

And inhale, trying to get into the neck and
shoulders.

Release any tension that might be creeping
up towards the brain.

Cool.

Draw the palms together at the heart, inhale
in through the nose.

This time exhale out through the mouth.

You can bat the eyelashes open.

Take a look at the video, at your screen,
but keep your energy nice and soft.

So, we're using the breath to create a little
bit of healing here for the head.

And for me, people always kind of furrow their
brow, or wonder like how do I send breath

to various parts of the body.

So, think of it as energy today.

For me, that's what restorative yoga is all
about.

That's where the real power of yoga and its
healing approach comes from energy.

So think of the breath as energy.

So, we'll send breath, we'll send energy to
the neck and shoulders here with this next

move by practicing Garudasana Arms.

We're going to send the fingertips out, also
known as Eagle Arms, and we sit up nice and

tall.

This is where, again, lifting the hips can
help a little bit.

So, if you feel like the Mr. Burns thing going
on, give yourself a little support, a little

lift so you can sit up nice and tall.

So, you send the fingertips out.

Keep it soft.

Shoulders are relaxed.

You might even start to go, "Oh yeah, now
I'm starting to realize why I have a headache."

So, we'll relax.

The shoulders down and find a gentle lift
up through the heart through the sternum.

Then nice and easy, we're going to cross the
right arm underneath the left.

Then we bend the elbows.

Kind of come to a "Hi-ya."

No more headache.

Then we'll continue the wrap around, maybe
the palms come together or maybe not, it doesn't

really matter.

We can just let the fingertips come wherever
they naturally arrive and if it's here, that's

fine too.

So, we're just finding this cross and we're
wanting to find a broadness through the upper

back body and this lift in the heart as I
inhale, reach the fingertips and elbows up,

exhale, fingertips out.

Again, inhale.

Fingertips and elbows up.

We reach.

Exhale, fingertips out.

Don't push.

Breathe into the upper back body.

Close your eyes now.

Deepen your breath and again, think of the
breath as energy.

So, we find a couple of nice, long, smooth,
deep breaths here.

Breathing into the upper back body, breathing
into the neck and shoulders, sitting up nice

and tall.

So, this is wonderful for circulation in the
upper body.

We're going to keep moving here, but again,
if you're already to the point of borderline

migraine or headache, so you might just stay
here in Eagle Arms on both sides.

So, let's just see how far we get together.

All that to say just stay in the moment, stay
with the sensations.

And again, use that breath as energy.

A couple more breaths here.

Inhaling, elbows up.

Exhaling, fingertips out.

Then slowly we'll unravel and release.

Bring the palms to the tops of the thighs
or the knees, whatever feels best and just

take a moment to notice how you feel.

Notice the energy in the upper body.

Relax your shoulders, keep the heart soft
and open.

Then dropping the chin to the chest, breathe
into the back of the neck.

Nice and slow, you can keep the eyes closed
here.

We're going to draw circles with the nose.

So, if you practiced with me before, you know
that I love this little move.

This is a great and simple tension buster.

Really great to just work out the kinks in
the neck and make sure that the energy is

flowing, the Prana, so that your stuff doesn't
get too clogged up.

So, take it in the opposite direction if you
haven't already.

And then when you feel satisfied, we'll come
back to center and we'll send the fingertips

out.

This time, drop the left arm underneath.

Nice and slow, big long smooth breaths as
we come into Eagle Arms on the other side.

So, maybe the palms come together, maybe not.

We inhale, fingertips up, elbows up.

Exhale, fingertips out.

Breathe.

Shoulder blades get a lot of love here as
we breathe up into the upper back body.

It's kind of redundant, "Up into the upper
back body."

Keep it soft and sweet here, drop into your
breath.

Relax your jaw.

Let's take on more full breath in and out.

And then we softly and slowly unravel and
again, bring the palms to the tops of the

thighs of the knees and loop the shoulders
a couple of times here.

Just notice how you feel.

Now, go a little freestyle on me.

We can return to the circles or maybe it's
just a back and forth in the neck, finding

a softness and a suppleness.

It may seem kind of obvious, but it's like
sometimes you have a headache, it's just much

easier to go pop that Advil or that ibuprofen
and heal it that way.

But really, a little neck rolls, sorry, I
was thinking about a memory.

I always used to say i-be-pro-fren, it's i-byu-pro-fen.

Anyway, my dad does it too.

A little neck hygiene goes a long way for
headaches, so take a couple of freestyle moments

here.

Stick with your breath.

Resist the urge to clench.

Keep it soft.

Then we'll come back to center, and we're
going to move into a forward fold.

So, we have a couple of options here, you
can stay on your lift.

This is really great for the heart, so we
want to get the blood flowing in the opposite

direction and we'll talk about going upside
down later.

But this is just a nice way to start.

So, I'm going to send the legs out long.

Nice and easy, maybe the hips stay lifted
here, we bring the heels hip width apart for

this, no need to keep it all tight and peanut
butter and jelly and all that silliness.

Keep it soft here, point and flex the feet
even.

Then inhale.

Lift up the fingertips, lift up through the
armpit, chest, lift your heart, and exhale

nice and easy.

We forward fold, bending the knees.

Belly comes to the tops of the thighs and
we rest the weight of the head over and out.

It is really nice to bring the head between
the legs, and I should mention that this is

also quite nice in a chair, which we do in
our "Dorm Room Yoga" or "Yoga for Tight Spaces."

So, this is great if you're staring at a computer
all day and you start to get that headache

at your office or your desk from working on
your computer too long, or from just being

inundated with stuff.

This is a nice place to come in your chair,
or here now on your mat.

We fold over and we breathe here, nice long
smooth deep breaths.

Breathe into the back body.

Relax your shoulders down.

If you're a little more flexible, you have
that space available, you might begin to slide

the heels out a little bit.

But keep a softness, a buoyancy in the knees.

So, we're wanting to create space and relieve
tension.

This alleviates some of the pressure in the
head as we bring the heart forward and the

head down.

Really wonderful for circulation as well.

Shoulders relaxed.

Let's take one more breath.

And to come out, don't rush it.

Nice and slow, we release the arms, tuck the
chin into the chest, and slowly roll up through

the spine.

Inhale in.

And exhale out.

Janu Sirsasana, taking the heart forward again.

This time, we're going to bring the left heel
in towards the center.

Traditionally, we teach about a fist's worth
of space between the heel and the thigh.

I think for a restorative practice like this,
it's whatever feels good.

We draw a little bit of energy up through
the right hip crease, and the same thing.

We inhale in.

Head to knee pose is what this is called,
Janu Sirsasana, but I think for this we can

keep a soft bend in the knee or even a generous
bend.

So, we can come here.

So, to each his own here.

Breathing in the side body, bringing the heart
forward and letting the weight of the head

relax over.

Let's take three nice, long, smooth breaths
here.

So, come out of the posture, release the arms.

Again, tuck the chin into the chest and roll
up slowly through the spine.

So, often we get headaches right from the
compression in the spine, you can visualize

all those disks getting a little crowded and
compressed and that affects our nerves, right?

Which, of course, brings on the pain.

So, here in yoga, we're just slowly working
out the kinks, creating a little space.

So, it may seem like you're not doing a lot,
but I think this is quite healing.

So, now we're going to bring the left foot
in.

The left knee in to hug.

Wrap your right elbow around that left knee
and swim the fingertips behind for a little

love in the spine here.

So, we're not going for a cranking of a twist
here.

You don't even need to go here although you
can.

But again you can close your eyes and visualize
those disks.

Visualize the spine as you sit up nice and
tall and breathe nice, long, smooth, sweeping

breaths up and down the spine.

Then we'll gently release, and switch and
take that same little sequence on the other

side.

So, I draw my right heel in.

Janu Sirsasana, head to knee pose, nice and
soft though as I reach the fingertips up and

exhale.

Take it forward.

The weight of the head relaxes over.

And if your head comes nowhere close to your
knee, if you're like, "Head to knee pose?

What?"

That's okay.

Still allow a softness to come through the
neck and shoulders and the weight of the head

to relax.

It might just be here.

Let's take three breaths.

Release the fingers, the arms.

We slowly roll up and take our twist on the
other side.

So, hug that right foot, right knee in.

Left elbow comes to hook the right knee.

You sit up nice and tall, and again, resist
the urge to kind of crank into the posture

here.

We're wanting to create space nice and softly
today.

Let the nervous system chill out as we inhale.

Think up.

Exhale into your twist.

And then we gently release back to center.

Awesome.

Go ahead and hike that left heel up.

We're going to cross the ankles and come to
all fours.

Continue with this little love for the spine
by coming into cat-cow.

So, especially arching the back like a black
Halloween cat here as you come to all fours.

Really great again for visualizing space between
those disks.

Breathing in and out here and then you might
find a little flow.

So, you can take your eyes off the video here
for sure as you explore a little spinal flex.

Also, bringing just a little more blood to
the upper body in this black Halloween cat

pose as we arch the spine and draw the navel
up.

Then we'll transition to an extended child's
pose by bringing the two big toes together

and the knees nice and wide.

Then send the sit bones back and if you only
have time for one kind of restorative pose

a day, this might be it, right?

This is often a common resting posture in
most active classes and just fantastic for

headaches.

So, we keep the knees wide, fingertips reach
out.

We melt the heart down and this is so awesome
for headaches.

Melting the heart and maybe even, got so relaxed
there, maybe even massaging the brow bones,

that third eye center by rocking and rolling
gently from side to side.

If you want to get real fancy, you can put
a little tissue of lavender oil on your mat

or even on a block at this point.

If you feel a headache coming on, this is
a great place to come beat it, and beat it,

and beat it.

Take a couple of quiet moments to rest here,
breathing into the back body.

If the shoulders are tight, you can walk the
palms out a little bit wider.

Choose to surrender here.

Whatever gave you the headache, no need to
focus on it anymore.

Choose to let go.

Take one more deep breath here and then slowly
use your exhale to transition back to all

fours.

We'll curl the toes under, stretch the soles
of the feet, and nice and easy roll up.

So, we're going to move into a handstand prep
which might seem a little counter-intuitive.

And again, if you're already kind of meeting
your migraine zone or everyone's different

right, you might skip this.

Turn the lights off, turn the video off and
come into a Shavasana or even stay in that

extended child's pose for your rest.

Otherwise, we're going to bring a little blood
to the brain.

Our bodies are always moving in the same direction
of gravity, so of course we're going to flip

it and nourish and revitalize the upper body
with an inversion.

So, this may not be in your practice yet.

We have a video for handstand and I just love
the handstand prep.

It's just so awesome.

Kicking your legs up in the air has its benefits
for sure, but we can start by dropping the

elbows in line with the shoulders, interlacing
the fingertips and bringing the top of the

head, the tip tops of the crown of the head
to the earth, cradling the back of the head

with the hands.

Please check out the foundations of this pose
for proper alignment and action if you want

to grow a handstand practice.

For now, we'll press into the elbows and just
be here.

Breathing, maybe closing the eyes, using the
toes for a little stability here.

There's a tendency to collapse the shoulders
here, so press away from the earth, almost

as if you're wanting to lift your head up.

You can stay here or you can begin to walk
the knees out there and lift the sit bones

up high.

Breathing here.

And then like I said, if you have a handstand
practice, you might begin to squeeze one knee

in towards the center.

Did I say handstand, I meant headstand.

Shoot.

And then the other, and then maybe lift up,
or maybe you don't.

Again, it's not really about the fancy headstand
here, it's about getting a little nourishment

to the brain.

Take two more breaths wherever you are.

And then we'll send the sit bones back, rest
the forehead down, and reach the fingertips

around for Balasana.

Take a breath or two here, relax your shoulders.

Then we're going to slither into Shavasana
from here.

So, I say, you can turn to look at me if you
like, I say, slide the palms up, come on to

your belly.

Keep a nice softness, stay low.

No need to roll up here.

And then check out this fancy yoga move.

It's called turn right on to your side.

Hug the knees into the chest, take a moment
here.

Napasana.

Also really great for circulation.

If you feel like the spine could use a little
more love, you could peel the nose up to the

knees for breath.

And then in your own time, find your release.

So you can choreograph your own way to Shavasana.

You might take that blanket you had earlier
and pillow the head or cover the eyes.

In fact, we'll do this in our migraine specific
video, but you might even bring the palms

together, just create a little bit of heat.

Find your breath, that Prana, that energy.

Deep breath in.

And on an exhale, bring the hands to the eyes.

Thumbs to the temples.

And choose to let go of any stress, any tension,
knowing the breath is a tool.

The breath is Prana, is energy to keep things
moving and flowing.

Shining a little light into the dark places
unclogging out any of those energy meridians

that might have gotten a little stuffed up.

Perhaps you feel a little emotion here or
not.

Just notice how you feel.

You can stay here, hands on the head, or you
can slowly release the arms out to your Shavasana.

So, there's no outro video for this one today,
it's all you.

If time allows, stay here and breathe, giving
yourself permission to do absolutely nothing.

Keeping the eyes closed for a little bit,
replenishing and restoring.

Take good care.

Namaste.