Anyone else get headaches sometimes after meditation?

[InfinityTruth]

Twice now, while meditating I get a headache. The first time it lasted into the next day. I was worried I was going to have a 3 week headache. I don't know if it's to much air going to my brain or what. I seems to be connected to my breath. Like my breath is too rigid.

 

Also, how do you breath relaxedly and still have long deep breaths. I'm having a hard time relaxing while at the same time, breathing deeply. When I'm relaxed my breath becomes more shallow

Edited June 1, 2011 by InfinityTruth

[Sloppy Zhang]

I suggest you get and read and practice "Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body" by B.K. Frantzis to get some perspectives on what might be happening, because a lot of different things might be happening.

 

You could be tensing the muscles in your head and neck. You could be straining your eyes. You could have your awareness and intent all in your head. You might be overstimulating the energy centers up there, and not be correctly grounding your energy.

 

It also talks about how to take deep breaths and being relaxed. Basically, you have to ALLOW the breath to enter. It's not you taking huge gulps of air, and packing it into your lungs, compared to not doing anything. That may be a reason why you take in more air when you aren't working for it. And then, when you are relaxed, your chest muscles might be tight, or you might be slouched a bit, compressing the chest and diaphragm, which might impact the amount you can breathe in even when "relaxed".

 

I'm telling ya, I had no idea how UNrelaxed I really was, even when I thought I WAS relaxed, until I actually learned how to relaxed. I also didn't realize how detrimental my day to day posture was for breathing until I actually tried to breathe, and realized the optimum amount of air just could not physically get in there!

 

If you don't want to get the book, just pay attention to your body, and move where it needs to go.

[InfinityTruth]

I suggest you get and read and practice "Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body" by B.K. Frantzis to get some perspectives on what might be happening, because a lot of different things might be happening.

 

You could be tensing the muscles in your head and neck. You could be straining your eyes. You could have your awareness and intent all in your head. You might be overstimulating the energy centers up there, and not be correctly grounding your energy.

 

It also talks about how to take deep breaths and being relaxed. Basically, you have to ALLOW the breath to enter. It's not you taking huge gulps of air, and packing it into your lungs, compared to not doing anything. That may be a reason why you take in more air when you aren't working for it. And then, when you are relaxed, your chest muscles might be tight, or you might be slouched a bit, compressing the chest and diaphragm, which might impact the amount you can breathe in even when "relaxed".

 

I'm telling ya, I had no idea how UNrelaxed I really was, even when I thought I WAS relaxed, until I actually learned how to relaxed. I also didn't realize how detrimental my day to day posture was for breathing until I actually tried to breathe, and realized the optimum amount of air just could not physically get in there!

 

If you don't want to get the book, just pay attention to your body, and move where it needs to go.

 

Thank you. I bought 'Relaxing into your being', and I have 'the tao of letting go' too, so I don't know if I'll buy the other one just yet. I have plenty of work to do with those books alone.

 

I guess just being more present to how tense I am might help. I know the way I'm breathing in feels like it's making me more tense. I can' gifure out how you could take long breaths without being tense though.

[Sloppy Zhang]

Thank you. I bought 'Relaxing into your being', and I have 'the tao of letting go' too, so I don't know if I'll buy the other one just yet. I have plenty of work to do with those books alone.

 

I guess just being more present to how tense I am might help. I know the way I'm breathing in feels like it's making me more tense. I can' gifure out how you could take long breaths without being tense though.

 

Relaxing into your being has a simple down to your dantien breathing exercise, which should do wonders (unless, of course, you're REALLY messed up). Basically, as Frantzis writes, you need to get "out of your head." You've got to figure out where you are tense and release that, rather than doing things which lock it into place.

 

So breathing hard, straining your head or your eyes to "focus", or adopting a rigid "meditating position" will, more often than not, reinforce or add to the tension, since most people have poor posture and breathing habits to the extent that a "physically healthy" sitting posture is actually uncomfortable!

 

I did (and still do, mostly because I like it, not out of necessity) most of my meditation and relaxing lying in bed or reclining on a couch, simply because I could RELAX in those postures. Sitting upright, either on a chair or on the floor, as well as standing, was uncomfortable for long periods. It took me a while before my muscles let go and I was able to straighten my spine enough to adopt a comfortable, long term sitting or standing posture, which relied on comfortable, natural anatomy to fight gravity, rather than musculature. It also did wonders for my day-to-day posture as well

 

Energy Gates takes the basic meditation and dissolving to a much more in depth level, so if you are looking to get a book sometime soon, I'd put that on the top of your list.

Edited June 2, 2011 by Sloppy Zhang

[ShaktiMama]

Twice now, while meditating I get a headache. The first time it lasted into the next day. I was worried I was going to have a 3 week headache. I don't know if it's to much air going to my brain or what. I seems to be connected to my breath. Like my breath is too rigid.

 

Also, how do you breath relaxedly and still have long deep breaths. I'm having a hard time relaxing while at the same time, breathing deeply. When I'm relaxed my breath becomes more shallow

 

 

whenever you meditate or are cultivating energy make sure your tongue is resting behind your upper teeth at the gum line. this connects the conception and governing vessels and keeps the energy from getting stuck in your head. what you are getting is called "chi head". You want the energy to continually circulate.

 

Concentrate on abdominal breathing. My breath almost stops when I meditate...it may be very prolonged on the exhale and maybe only 4 per minute. this is a yin breath. let your body/energy dictate what is happening and see what results.

 

[InfinityTruth]

Relaxing into your being has a simple down to your dantien breathing exercise, which should do wonders (unless, of course, you're REALLY messed up). Basically, as Frantzis writes, you need to get "out of your head." You've got to figure out where you are tense and release that, rather than doing things which lock it into place.

 

So breathing hard, straining your head or your eyes to "focus", or adopting a rigid "meditating position" will, more often than not, reinforce or add to the tension, since most people have poor posture and breathing habits to the extent that a "physically healthy" sitting posture is actually uncomfortable!

 

I did (and still do, mostly because I like it, not out of necessity) most of my meditation and relaxing lying in bed or reclining on a couch, simply because I could RELAX in those postures. Sitting upright, either on a chair or on the floor, as well as standing, was uncomfortable for long periods. It took me a while before my muscles let go and I was able to straighten my spine enough to adopt a comfortable, long term sitting or standing posture, which relied on comfortable, natural anatomy to fight gravity, rather than musculature. It also did wonders for my day-to-day posture as well

 

Energy Gates takes the basic meditation and dissolving to a much more in depth level, so if you are looking to get a book sometime soon, I'd put that on the top of your list.

 

haha, you meditate in a recliner too eh?

 

That's my favorite way to meditate. I notice when I meditate in the recliner I get cold leg chi that releases a lot. Like almost every sitting in the recliner. My posture is horrible if I don't have something to lean my back against like a wall or something. It did improve a lot when I briefly practiced tai chi. I want an instructor though so that I do the forms properly.

 

I suppose I'll look into Energy Gates in the future.

[InfinityTruth]

whenever you meditate or are cultivating energy make sure your tongue is resting behind your upper teeth at the gum line. this connects the conception and governing vessels and keeps the energy from getting stuck in your head. what you are getting is called "chi head". You want the energy to continually circulate.

 

Concentrate on abdominal breathing. My breath almost stops when I meditate...it may be very prolonged on the exhale and maybe only 4 per minute. this is a yin breath. let your body/energy dictate what is happening and see what results.

 

 

Thank you. I always rest my tongue on the roof of my mouth. I heard it connects your psychic channels. I think it's a neck muscle or couple neck muscles that tenses up and then I get a headache. I just felt a neck muscle tensing as I typed that. I'll try the adominal breathing and see what happens. I think my breathing is too rigid while trying to lengthing it and it gives me a headache. It's hard for me to relax my muscles when I try lengthening my breath.

Edited June 2, 2011 by InfinityTruth

[ChiDragon]

Twice now, while meditating I get a headache. The first time it lasted into the next day. I was worried I was going to have a 3 week headache. I don't know if it's to much air going to my brain or what. I seems to be connected to my breath. Like my breath is too rigid.

 

Also, how do you breath relaxedly and still have long deep breaths. I'm having a hard time relaxing while at the same time, breathing deeply. When I'm relaxed my breath becomes more shallow

Thank you. I always rest my tongue on the roof of my mouth. I heard it connects your psychic channels. I think it's a neck muscle or couple neck muscles that tenses up and then I get a headache. I just felt a neck muscle tensing as I typed that. I'll try the adominal breathing and see what happens. I think my breathing is too rigid while trying to lengthing it and it gives me a headache. It's hard for me to relax my muscles when I try lengthening my breath.

 

I guess just being more present to how tense I am might help. I know the way I'm breathing in feels like it's making me more tense. I can' gifure out how you could take long breaths without being tense though.

 

Infinite Truth...

Based on your statement and according to my experience, I think you are trying to learn to breathe from the book without a full understand how to start practice Chi Kung. I would like to inform you that you have to go through different stages of breathing before you can perform abdominal breathing. Without the fundamental breathing method and skip to abdominal breathing, you will feel all kind of air sickness.

 

I can guide you through it if you are really interested. First, you take a normal breath without forcing it and let know me where did your breath stop. Then we go from there. Is that a deal...???

[Sloppy Zhang]

Infinite Truth...

Based on your statement and according to my experience, I think you are trying to learn to breathe from the book without a full understand how to start practice Chi Kung. I would like to inform you that you have to go through different stages of breathing before you can perform abdominal breathing. Without the fundamental breathing method and skip to abdominal breathing, you will feel all kind of air sickness.

 

I can guide you through it if you are really interested. First, you take a normal breath without forcing it and let know me where did your breath stop. Then we go from there. Is that a deal...???

 

That's exactly how it's taught in "Relaxing Into Your Being"

 

And the difference between learning from a book and learning it through back and forth text over the internet is......

 

But this is good. It means we're all thinking of the same thing

[InfinityTruth]

Infinite Truth...

Based on your statement and according to my experience, I think you are trying to learn to breathe from the book without a full understand how to start practice Chi Kung. I would like to inform you that you have to go through different stages of breathing before you can perform abdominal breathing. Without the fundamental breathing method and skip to abdominal breathing, you will feel all kind of air sickness.

 

I can guide you through it if you are really interested. First, you take a normal breath without forcing it and let know me where did your breath stop. Then we go from there. Is that a deal...???

 

Yeah, the book increases in difficulty as you go. I haven't really skipped anything persay, but I've been anxious to keep reading, so I haven't totally mastered the step before.

 

EDIT: That may be the problem. Plus I don't think the breath has told me to try lengthening my breaths yet, but I've been doing that and it feels uncomfortable. I don't know I might have to check that. That might be the problem.

 

EDIT: Book**

 

I will take any guidance you'd be willing to offer though. I think I have a 2 second breath without trying to stop it. Exhale is probably a little shorter than that.

 

Thank you.

Edited June 2, 2011 by InfinityTruth

[Sloppy Zhang]

Yeah, the book increases in difficulty as you go. I haven't really skipped anything persay, but I've been anxious to keep reading, so I haven't totally mastered the step before.

 

EDIT: That may be the problem. Plus I don't think the breath has told me to try lengthening my breaths yet, but I've been doing that and it feels uncomfortable. I don't know I might have to check that. That might be the problem.

 

EDIT: Book**

 

I will take any guidance you'd be willing to offer though. I think I have a 2 second breath without trying to stop it. Exhale is probably a little shorter than that.

 

Thank you.

 

In those little boxes, with that little dude sitting at the top corner, is what I was referring to. Basically, step by step, you start off breathing, and your awareness of breath only gets to the back of your throat, say, to start. But as your awareness gets better, and you relax more, you can follow your breath further down your throat, eventually to your lungs, then diaphragm, then dantien.

 

In the book they are mostly separate from the main text, so you wouldn't really be skipping to keep reading, but do the practice at your own pace

 

And that's what, to me at least, it sounded like what ChiDragon was referring to when he asked you to tell him where the breath stopped- as in, are you breathing all the way down to your belly, or are you getting caught in the top of your lungs or in your throat?

 

But I could me wrong

Edited June 2, 2011 by Sloppy Zhang

[InfinityTruth]

In those little boxes, with that little dude sitting at the top corner, is what I was referring to. Basically, step by step, you start off breathing, and your awareness of breath only gets to the back of your throat, say, to start. But as your awareness gets better, and you relax more, you can follow your breath further down your throat, eventually to your lungs, then diaphragm, then dantien.

 

In the book they are mostly separate from the main text, so you wouldn't really be skipping to keep reading, but do the practice at your own pace

 

And that's what, to me at least, it sounded like what ChiDragon was referring to when he asked you to tell him where the breath stopped- as in, are you breathing all the way down to your belly, or are you getting caught in the top of your lungs or in your throat?

 

But I could me wrong

 

 

Doesn't feel like I'm getting caught anywhere. Unless I'm really hunched over then I can tell. I can feel the breath down to the bottom of my throat at least. Nice cooling feeling.

 

That's a great idea. Thanks! I've been dying to keep moving forward in the book, so I've been pushing the practices too fast.

[ChiDragon]

In those little boxes, with that little dude sitting at the top corner, is what I was referring to. Basically, step by step, you start off breathing, and your awareness of breath only gets to the back of your throat, say, to start. But as your awareness gets better, and you relax more, you can follow your breath further down your throat, eventually to your lungs, then diaphragm, then dantien.

 

In the book they are mostly separate from the main text, so you wouldn't really be skipping to keep reading, but do the practice at your own pace

 

And that's what, to me at least, it sounded like what ChiDragon was referring to when he asked you to tell him where the breath stopped- as in, are you breathing all the way down to your belly, or are you getting caught in the top of your lungs or in your throat?

 

 

Yes, that was exactly what I was trying to lead him to.

 

 

1. That's a great idea. Thanks! I've been dying to keep moving forward in the book, so I've been pushing the practices too fast.

 

2. I think I have a 2 second breath without trying to stop it. Exhale is probably a little shorter than that.

 

1. Yes, please try to understand the whole procedure before you do it. This is a matter of life and breath.

 

2. Don't try to stop your breathing as a beginner, you are not ready for that yet. That is why you are having headaches. The reason we breath is try to bring lots of oxygen into the lungs to distribute through out the body and the brain. If you don't provide enough oxygen to your brain, you will feel dizzy and have headaches.

 

When you mediate, right now as a novice, try to just breath as you normally do. Try to feel where your breath stops as a reference point. The goal is to make your breath go though that reference point until reach the abdomen, but not in one day. You must do it slowly, it may that days, weeks, months or even years. Another word, do rush it and do it at your own pace. BTW It took me years of practice to hold my breath for one minute.

 

The key is how long you can hold your breath depends how much oxygen can you breathe into your lungs in one inhalation. That is why abdominal breathing is so important in Chi Kung because it allows your lungs to increase to the highest capacity to hold a maximum amount of air or oxygen. If you can keep this in mind, you have won half the battle already.

[Eddy]

if you get a headache next time tap your toes 500 times and feel your toes

 

or if you're into kundalini yoga, do the breath of fire for a few minutes or some kind of intestine exercise to draw energy down

 

it's always good to do some kind of yoga stretching before tai chi or nei gong so energy flows smoothly in the body, so def get in some neck/spine rotations and such

 

the reason you get headache is because energy gets trapped up in the head, thinking too much? feel more, feel the breath coming into your dan tien, energy goes where the mind goes

 

good luck!

[idquest]

You might want to check your blood pressure right after your meditation. High blood pressure can trigger headache. And some types of meditation/breathing technics can trigger high blood pressure.

[Vajrahridaya]

yoga and meditation did away with headaches for me many years ago. The only time I get headaches is when I'm hung over, which means that my body is dehydrated. But, on an energy level, I can sometimes feel the headache coming on and through awareness, I can dissolve the headache.

 

So, I don't get headaches anymore due to progressing in meditation. But, at first... yes, I remember getting headaches.

[ShaktiMama]

Thank you. I always rest my tongue on the roof of my mouth. I heard it connects your psychic channels. I think it's a neck muscle or couple neck muscles that tenses up and then I get a headache. I just felt a neck muscle tensing as I typed that. I'll try the adominal breathing and see what happens. I think my breathing is too rigid while trying to lengthing it and it gives me a headache. It's hard for me to relax my muscles when I try lengthening my breath.

 

 

Not the psychic channels. It is the governor and conception channels of the body according to TCM.

 

You might just be trying too hard. I would advise to never force the breath. The body does have it's own wisdom.

 

Most people in civilization do high chest breathing. This increases the interthoracic pressure inside the body. It activates the sympathetic nervous system causing more adrenaline to be released into the body. Learning to drop our center of breathing will activate the parasympathetic nervous system and cause us to be relaxed. The fact that you are worrying about breathing incorrectly just complicates the problem causing more adrenaline release. Let go of the mind and just breathe. Go watch big animals breathe.

 

A study was done at Mayo Clinic, I believe in the 90s...I lost the citation, but a study of 100 people who came into the ER who had a heart attack was carried out. The purpose was to find out how many were high chest breathers and how many were belly breathers. It was found that 100 % of the people who came into the ER who had a heart attack were high chest breathers.

 

It is a bit of a practice. It took me a while of conscious practice and it made my ribs sore for awhile because I was so out of use for taking lower abdominal breaths. You do use different muscles. Now, after so many years, upper chest shallow breathing feels really uncomfortable to me.

 

Abdominal breathing is also called the Baby's breath. Observe infants how they breathe. This is the natural way to breathe. It is also called the Buddha's Breath. Just remember it is normal to breathe this way and the body will eventually do it itself if you allow it to.

 

You know when you are doing it right cause you can feel the energy/chi and the breath go right down to your toes.

 

we teach abdominal breathing to pregnant women to assist in labor. There are good vids out there to teach you if you don't know how.

 

Maybe for the headaches you need a good massage, acupuncture or a chiropractice adjustment. This works very well for those kind of problems.

 

If you are letting yourself relax into meditation your breaths will naturally slow down by themselves. You don't have to force it. Sometimes it seems as if my breathing totally stops. Abdominal breathing doesnt necessarily mean deep inhales, long exhales. It is just about moving your center of awareness lower.

 

Long deep inhales and short exhales are more yang. Eventually, in time, you will be able to switch between yin and yang styles breathing and more neutral styles. Turtle breathing is a kick for sure. I still haven't mastered that one. Not sure if I need too.

 

Have no worries. You will get it in time.

 

Be a little Buddha Baby and see what happens.

Edited June 4, 2011 by ShaktiMama

[The Way Is Virtue]

I always rest my tongue on the roof of my mouth. I heard it connects your psychic channels. I think it's a neck muscle or couple neck muscles that tenses up and then I get a headache. I just felt a neck muscle tensing as I typed that. I'll try the adominal breathing and see what happens. I think my breathing is too rigid while trying to lengthing it and it gives me a headache. It's hard for me to relax my muscles when I try lengthening my breath.

 

Hi InfinityTruth. Yeah, some tension in the neck and shoulders can do it. You may well get conflicting advice but from my own experience you should keep the breathing natural, slow, deep, and relaxed. The breathing will begin to change naturally on its own over time if you don't try to control it or interfere with it. The most important point is to keep it natural. The rest will take care of itself.

 

As someone else also mentioned, I find that doing moving qigong or internal martial arts like tai chi or bagua help a lot to ease tensions and excess energy build up in the body, which for many people can be in the area of the shoulders and neck but also can be elsewhere. Such excess buildups of energy in areas of tension or tightness can lead to what they call energy stagnation, which can be eased by doing some form of closing after meditation such as massaging the shoulders, neck, face, ears, and head, and also patting down shoulders, arms, torso and legs as well. Doing moving qigong or internal martial arts will help further to help ease tension areas and to ease any energy imbalances as well.

Best wishes in your practice...

[ChiDragon]

You might just be trying too hard. I would advise to never force the breath. The body does have it's own wisdom.

 

Most people in civilization do high chest breathing. This increases the interthoracic pressure inside the body. It activates the sympathetic nervous system causing more adrenaline to be released into the body. Learning to drop our center of breathing will activate the parasympathetic nervous system and cause us to be relaxed. The fact that you are worrying about breathing incorrectly just complicates the problem causing more adrenaline release. Let go of the mind and just breathe. Go watch big animals breathe.

 

A study was done at Mayo Clinic, I believe in the 90s...I lost the citation, but a study of 100 people who came into the ER who had a heart attack was carried out. The purpose was to find out how many were high chest breathers and how many were belly breathers. It was found that 100 % of the people who came into the ER who had a heart attack were high chest breathers.

 

Abdominal breathing is also called the Baby's breath. Observe infants how they breathe. This is the natural way to breathe. It is also called the Buddha's Breath. Just remember it is normal to breathe this way and the body will eventually do it itself if you allow it to.

 

You know when you are doing it right cause you can feel the energy/chi and the breath go right down to your toes.

 

we teach abdominal breathing to pregnant women to assist in labor. There are good vids out there to teach you if you don't know how.

 

Maybe for the headaches you need a good massage, acupuncture or a chiropractice adjustment. This works very well for those kind of problems.

 

If you are letting yourself relax into meditation your breaths will naturally slow down by themselves. You don't have to force it. Sometimes it seems as if my breathing totally stops. Abdominal breathing doesnt necessarily mean deep inhales, long exhales. It is just about moving your center of awareness lower.

 

Be a little Buddha Baby and see what happens.

 

You seems to know a lot about breathing. Abdominal breathing doesn't necessarily mean deep inhales, long exhales. That is correct, but if you do, it would be Chi Kung.