Category: Mindfulness
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AI art for migraines
‘AI art for migraines’ is the weirdest title I have written so far on my mindful migraine blogging journey. It came about for two reasons. The first is that I’ve been thinking a lot about art therapy and how people gain so much comfort from mindful activities such as painting,…
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Float tanks for migraines
A couple of years ago (when I was still only getting occasional migraines), my family bought me a 3-pack gift card to a float tank as a relaxing treat. My first thought was terror; I had a mental image of a giant silver bullet filled with water that you climbed…
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Manifesting migraines away
Manifesting is the act of making something happen by imagining that it will. It’s sort of a combination of ‘positive thinking’, ‘mind over matter’ and ‘the law of attraction’. I believe that we do have a certain amount of control over our localized destiny, and as such I see no…
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Feng Shui for migraines
Feng Shui is the Chinese practice of creating a harmonious environment by managing the flow of chi, or energy. In a similar way that Qigong and Tai Chi employ slow and careful movements that are both calm and strong, Feng Shui looks to organize space in a way which invigorates…
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The vagus nerve and migraines
The vagus nerve is actually a pair of cranial nerves (running down both sides of your body). It originates in your brain, and travels down though your neck, chest and abdomen to help your brain communicate with your body. In particular, it influences breathing, heart rate and digestion. Because the vagus…
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Aromatherapy for migraines
One of my greatest joys, and biggest triggers, is aroma (smells). I can specifically remember occasions where I have been in a movie theatre or an airplane and the smell of someone’s perfume has become increasingly upsetting, until… migraine… usually the more dramatic version complete with nausea and vomiting. On…
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Mindfulness for migraines
Mindfulness is the number one, overarching tool that has helped me reduce my migraine triggers (stress, fatigue, posture) and increase my resilience to the triggers I can not avoid (genes, hormones, climate etc.). As a result, I have managed to reduce my migraines from 3+ days a week (every week for…
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Migraine Podcasts
As part of my journey to minimize my migraine suffering, I have been learning as much as I can about migraines, chronic pain and mindfulness. Here is a collection of podcast episodes that relate to those subjects (it’s a work in progress) – feel free to explore: Migraine Matters (spotify.com)…
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Long meditations for migraines
Although I rarely have the time and patience, I do occasionally experiment with longer running meditations. Meditations, such as Jon Kabat-Zinn’s ‘the mountain’ remind you to sit still and straight and noble, whilst the vagaries of pain and emotion flow over you and you remain unmoved. I know it’s not what…
The Mindful Migraine 