Taming Headaches Naturally by Neva J Howell

Breathing is effected by stress so stop right now and see how you are breathing. If your breath is short and shallow or kind of “catches” at any point in the in/out cycle, you are stressed. Your breathing should be slow, rhythmic and deep. If you are continually breathing in a shallow way, you are not getting enough oxygen to your body and this can cause a headache, along with all kinds of little problems that, over time, can become big problems for you sytem.

Another way to begin to notice the effects of stress is to pay more attention to your physical body when you are in a “more than normal” stress situation. Some things you may notice: a tightening of the muscles in the solar plexus area, a constriction to the throat, changes in your heartbeat or an increase in pulse, muscle pain or spasm, and even momentary blurred vision or dizziness. When we are so focused on what is causing the stress, we can will ourselves not to notice what it is doing to our bodies. However, the good news is that we can also will ourselves to begin to notice.

After you tune in and see that something is stressing your body, then you need to learn to take immediate steps to counteract the stress. How? Deepen your breathing. Focus on constricted areas of tight muscles and mentally send a message for them to relax and let go. Step away from the immediate stressful situation, if at all possible, even for just five minutes, to get yourself calmed and centered.

Helpful stress reduction exercises:

1. Get out into nature. Take a walk. Hug a tree. Put your bare feet on the ground or, better still, in running water. Nature has a way of calming us, bringing our rhythm closer to the rhythm of the Earth.

2. Pray. No matter what your spiritual path, if you have a belief in Universal Life Force energy, you can find help in letting go of excess stress through pray to the God of your knowing. Enlist spiritual help.

3. Drink more water and more often. Water is vital to the normal function of our system, including our ability to handle stress. So drink more during stressful times. Wat

4. Take a good colloidial mineral I find that colloidial minerals are amazing during stressful times, to help my body come back to balance. They have often helped with cramping and muscle spasms when applied topically, as well.

5. Infuse essential oils or just keep a favorite with you to sniff. Pure, therapeutic essential oils (and it does matter a lot that they are pure and distilled at low heat, slowly!) when breathed in through the nasal passages, can affect our emotional state within 3 seconds! Nothing works faster. I like lavendar for relaxation and peppermint for those times when I need to be more alert.

Massage, foot reflexology and Reiki are also just absolutely wonderful for a body under stress. Many of us consider getting a massage to be some kind of luxury but I’ve come to the conclusion that most of us need regular body work to remain at a level of energetic health. Some of you may not even know what foot reflexology is or what it does, but I think you will be amazed if you ever have a session. I find a good reflexology treatment almost as relaxing as a full body massage but it takes less time and usually costs less too so it may be an alternative when finances are tight or time is short. I encourage you to make your health enough of a priority to get regular help from a good body-worker. Reiki is a form of energy healing work that is also profoundly relaxing and I find that my mind is far better equipped to deal with a traumatic or mentally stressful time when I have a Reiki session. Most everyone is familiar with the benefits of massage, I believe, but if you are unfamiliar with Reiki and foot reflexology, there is information at http://www.healthynewage.com/healing.html

Note for Migraine Sufferers: As a spiritual healer, I've found in every instance of migraine that the onset was event-related. In other words, some trauma or disturbing, stressful event preceded the first episode. The events seem often to be ego-related, and by that I mean they are associated with the person's sense of who they are. I see migraines coming on after a divorce, for example, when one has to start over and redefine what they want from life. Also, when dealing with disapproving parents, as in the case of the homosexual who finally faces his or her choices with their parents and the outcome is not positive. Having seen this correlation so many times in my work, I feel there is a physical-emotional connection in a lot of cases and getting the proper emotional help can often assist in releasing the migraine cycle. Of course, there are other medical reasons a migraine may happen so this information is not intended to replace any medical attention which may be needed.

Migraine relief tip: Try placing a cool cloth on the forehead, and putting the feet in hot water at the same time.

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BIO:

Neva Howell is a wellness counselor and spiritual healer. She provides over 700 pages of health and wellness information at her website: http://www.healthynewage.com

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