FOR all of you who suffer migraines, it's critical that you learn how to relax.

This is getting harder and harder in today's fast-paced life, but stress and anxiety are contributing factors in triggering a migraine attack.

In yoga, relaxation is as important as exercise and I'm giving you two techniques to help you do this.

If you are already tense, it may take you a while to learn to let go and relax.

But try these exercises for a week, a month and see what happens.

If you practise Exercise 1 regularly, you will find that you can be totally relaxed in minutes.

Exercise 2 is called Yoga Nidra - the yoga of 'aware sleep'. In this, you have to avoid falling asleep.

It's one of the best ways to relax and will leave you feeling stress-free.

It may take a little practice but the result is a deeper relaxation than you can achieve through sleep.

Start off by getting someone to read the instructions out to you.

Once you get the hang of it, you'll be able to do all by yourself.

If you have time, use both techniques together.

Do a few minutes of the first and then go straight into Exercise 2.

Do these exercises regularly but also try doing them as you feel the first signs of a migraine starting.

Exercise 1: Shavasana

• Lie flat on back, with head and body in a straight line, legs a little apart, arms by side a little away from body, palms facing up, fingers relaxed
• Close your eyes, relax body and focus on your breathing
• Let your breathing become slower, deeper, more rhythmic
• Each time you exhale, let whole body relax
• Do for 2-5 minutes

Exercise 2: Yoga Nidra

• Lie on your back on a mat orhard mattress
• Breathe deeply from the abdomen and just be aware of yourself inhaling and exhaling
• There are 16 vital points in your body which can relax you totally if you concentrate on them. Start with the forehead, and move to the nostrils, lips, chin, neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingertips, chest, abdomen, thighs, knees, calves, ankles and toes. Repeat the cycle 2-3 times
• Now imagine your limbs are detached from your body. Only the head, chest and abdominal area exist now. As you breathe in, feel the air entering your spine and cleansing it
• Concentrate on the different vital nerve plexus or nerve junctions called chakras and breathe in and out 5-10 times concentrating on each
• Start with the root plexus or mooladhara chakra, between your anus and your genitals
• Move to the solar plexus or swadhisthan chakra, four fingers above the navel
• Then to the midpoint of the chest, or anahat chakra
• On to the throat, the visudhi chakra
• Then the point between the eyebrows, or ajna chakra
• Finally move to the crown, the suryachakra
• Be aware of your body, including the limbs, as one unit for about 2 minutes
• Open your eyes, and stretch your arms over yourhead
• Slowly get up. Rub your palms together, place them on your eyes for a minute
• Stretch and get up

Bharat Thakur is a yoga guru and spiritual master. He is the founder of Artistic Yoga, a unique approach based on his training and research that combines ancient yoga practices with modern exercise principles. It is taught inIndia,theUAE and Russia.

Visit www.bharatthakur.com or e-mail artisticyoga@gmail.com

This article was first published in The New Paper on Mar 9, 2008.