Link Between Power Yoga and Migraines?
Last week I decided to check out a new (well, newish) yoga studio in Seattle, Haute Yoga on Queen Anne. They offer hot yoga and power yoga classes, and despite the groan-inducing name and Lululemon profile they have a good list of teachers.
When I got there the staff at the front desk were friendly, and as expected I had to sign a waiver that it wouldn’t be their fault if I injured myself on the premises. What surprised me was that no one asked if I had ever done yoga before. Is that not important in these more exercise-focused studios?
The studio is nice and clean with a view of a small back garden, and even if I went for a class listed as power yoga the room was really hot. I know lots of people like to sweat and feel that they are getting a good workout, but I just don’t get it. I much prefer to generate heat through the practice. The class was as expected more workout than yoga, including rap music and instructions to “pick up the pace, people!” I left feeling more worn out than calmed down, and the next day I got a head-splitting migraine. Coincidence?
I have a theory that power yoga/hot yoga aggravate the nervous system, while a more breath-focused practice triggers the relaxation response. For migraine sufferers the hot room might also lead to blood vessels in the head and neck expanding, another link to migraines. A regular yoga practice has helped eliminate most migraines for me, so I find it surprising that a yoga class can actually trigger an attack. Has anyone else had this experience? I’m planning on going back to Haute Yoga to test my theory. Not that I want a migraine, but I’m really curious if there is a connection.
To cheer me up after the migraine: I just found out that I’ve been included in the list Top Health and Wellness Blogs to Watch in 2010 by the Medical Assistants site! Thanks for adding me to this great list of health blogs 
Hi C&Y: Just Tweeted my crew your post to see if they had any input on this subject…I suspect you’re right in the way that I CANNOT do any inversions if I have a headache (or errrr…had a couple extra glasses of wine). I feel awful.
If you want to try Power Yoga in a hot room, I recommend Be Luminous Yoga. Great teachers, new studio, complimentary tea.
I had a 5-class pass for Haute yoga. Their room is insanely hot. The teacher played Black Eyed Peas music for the entire hour. I wanted to run out of the room, but the yogini in me decided I had to let go and have no judgment, so I stayed. But I never went back.
Enjoy,
~ Ana
Hi Heidi,
I have been wondering the exact same thing. I am a very moderate migraine sufferer and usually find the optical illusions worse than the nausea and minor but persistent headache I get afterwards.
However I’ve just taken up yoga in a heated room and have had 4 migraines in 2 weeks when sometimes I go 6-12 months without one. I wasn’t sure if it was the yoga or the heat in the room specifically that might have some connection but you may have answered that for me! I think I’ll have to try it at another yoga school without the extra heat and see if that has the same effect.
Glad to hear I’m not alone!
Wendy
I’ve been practicing hot yoga at Urban Yoga Spa for two months now, and I can honestly say I’ve never been so relaxed. I agree that certain styles probably work better for different people, though.
Hot yoga tends to make me slightly woozy and end up injuring myself because I lose connection to my sense of where my “edges” are, so I’m not surprised you wound up with a migraine. (I get them too, and very often a vinyasa practice will help calm my system back down.)
It may just be the studio (and/or teacher/style of yoga), also. The environment in which I practice plays a huge part in how I feel afterward. For instance, if a class has a lot of chatter going on (something that’s happened when I’ve gone to some Anusara classes in my area), I can’t settle in and focus and I end up feeling irritable and stressed by the end of the class.
It will be interesting to see if it’s the heat or the feel of the place for you.
I had a similar experience, I am new to hot yoga, I really want to continue the practice, but have had a migraine every time (3) I went to class and the last one was excruciating! I spoke to the teacher and she suggested I should try to be next to the window the next time. I hope it gets better because otherwise, my yoga practice is turning out to be counter productive.
If anyone has overcome this, please share your experience.
Thanks,
Yogini
Hello,
me again with an update, I started going to a different yoga school that overlooks the beach and has lovely open windows with flowing air (and a beautiful view) and no extra heat and it’s been amazing – no migraines at all and I’ve been feeling very relaxed – I guess everyone has to find the right yoga for themselves!
Cheers
Wendy
It is true that there are activities that can actually trigger migraines. I speak based onmy own experiences. But I never thought it is possible with yoga. I might even consider using yoga to lessen migraine pains as it relaxes the body and the mind. I guess I’d have to wait on the result of your observations to see if yoga can actually trigger migraines. Thanks!
I do experience migraines and I love yoga. I had the exact same experience that you had. I thought to myself I love yoga, so why not try hot yoga. Big mistake. I took three classes, and in each class I felt dizzy with a rapid heart rate, and each time, once I got home, I started to get a truly horrible migraine. Each time. So, after three attempts, I gave up on hot yoga. But other forms of yoga, I absolutely love!
I’ve had migraines since i was a kid. I got this from my mother. They are usually if not 100% heat induced. Other things that also trigger migraine headaches aside from heat include stress, and lack of sleep or food. I am actually about to try hot yoga for the first time tomorrow. I know there’s a really high chance that I will get terrible migraine from it so as precaution (because I really want to try hot yoga) I will take acetaminophene already before i even start. I should probably make a beeline for the spot next to the window too. Thanks for that advice : )
I have suffered migraines for many years but lately the number of attacks had reduced. However, I tried hot yoga for the first time yesterday and suffered a terrible migraine as soon as I got home. Whilst I was in the yoga class, half an hour into it, I started to feel nauseous – I had to leave the class a couple of times to cool down and to stop feeling sick. I would like to continue to do hot yogo and have deided to try it one more time and see if the same happens again. Sadly there are no windows in the room. It would be interesting to read what other yogi’s experiences are and what has cured their migraine!!
Power Yoga is an answer to a majority of health problems in the modern world………….
First, let’s not confuse power yoga and hot yoga, they are not the same thing, and the latter is far more likely to cause migraines in certain individuals because the room is typically more heated (100+) than power or vinyasa styles (85-95). From an Ayurvedic standpoint, most people prone to headaches have high Vata or high Pitta constitutions, and Hot Yoga drastically aggravates both of those elements. Power yoga and vinyasa, if done with too fast of transitions, while in a a heated room, also aggravate those elements in these kinds of constitutions, but to a lesser extent. Summer and early fall also make one more prone to the aggravation of those styles, as the seasons challenge these constitutional types more. Slowing one’s transitions between poses in these latter kinds of classes will help to mitigate these effects and give you some control. These latter 2 kinds of classes, because of their emphasis on postures with the head lower than the heart much of the class, also helps to mitigate the headache triggering potential. Studios teaching hot yoga are supposed to inform you to hydrate intensely for at least 2 hours prior to class (not flooding your stomach though!), but most don’t. And to avoid eating for at least 2 hours prior to class. Even with those precautions, the Hot Yoga may still be too much for people with those constitutional types, particularly during those seasons. All the other symptoms noted, including the irritability, etc. are from the same roots.
Thanks for blogging on this topic. I suffered from infrequent but intense migraines since childhood, and found that they went away about a year after I started a regular yoga practice. However, I have had migraines almost every time that I have tried “hot” yoga. I was well hydrated and did not push myself, but still felt awful after each class.
For me, doing yoga in room that is above 85 degrees is not beneficial. I recognize that other people have different experiences. By the way, I have also tried Haute Yoga–no migraine but I did not really enjoy the class because of the heat–the floors were actually hot to the touch!
I did Yoga for a couple of years and never had a problem. However, I just tried hot yoga and got a terrible Migraine. I am concerned that I can not participate in this form of yoga. Thanks for all the info.
Same experience, with hot yoga on occas, and sometimes with other forms of yoga. I am not sure if it is related to muscle tension or over exertion. I am generally in good shape but wonder about exercise induced migraines which seem to happen post a particulay enjoyable, but strenous workout.
I’ve found that improper hydration when exercising is my biggest migraine trigger. So hot yoga or power yoga without enough to drink (but especially hot yoga, since you’re sweating so much) would be a problem. I always have a water bottle to hand when doing yoga. I also enjoy road biking, but it would often trigger migraines until I started using a Camelback filled with an exercise drink (Gatorade or Powerade or whatever… plain water didn’t cut it) and hydrated consistently throughout the ride. Now my legs give out before my head does. If you’re feeling good and want a hot or power yoga workout, it might be worth trying water and/or Gatorade before during and after your practice.
I’ve had migraines all my life, but a few years ago they became much more frequent (and some lasted as long as a month, though fortunately not at full strength for that whole time). I’m now on verapamil daily, and I do an almost-daily yoga practice. My migraine frequency is now down to once every month or two, and a Maxalt generally takes care of it.
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After practicing yoga (and suffering from migraines) for years, I finally gave up yoga to test my theory that it was one of my headache triggers. Turns out I was right: giving up yoga (which was so hard to do) has resulted in a drastic improvement in my headaches, although I have lost a good deal of flexibility and that zen, calm feeling yoga used to bring to me. Every once in a while I sneak back into a yoga class, and within an hour or so afterward I feel a migraine coming on. I wonder why this is? It’s so frustrating. BTW this is just ashtanga and power yoga, not hot yoga.
i’ve done hot yoga 2 times. i got a migraine after each time. i won’t do hot yoga anymore. it ruins my whole day.
I recently tried Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown and both times I got a horrible migraine the next morning. I have been suffering from migraines for about 15 years and they are very inconsistent. Before doing this yoga it had been 6 months since the last one. I was interested to see that others have run into similar experiences. This dvd is a more cardio based yoga with very quick transitions. I have done previous types of yoga before and had never run into this issue….
Yes! I get headaches from hot yoga. Where are the normal temp yoga classes. Please someone start this trend. Sweating doesn’t mean you are working harder!