How to Soothe Splitting Headaches & Find Relief in spite of Stress

Hey there, sisters! This is Salila Sukumaran with yet another episode of Actionable Ayurveda, where we learn new ways to reconnect to our Ayurvedic intelligence, our inbuilt AI, for a juicy, glowy body and a life of purpose. You know that feeling. You are in the middle of an important presentation, staring at your laptop screen. You still have 5 more hours to crunch through when that familiar throb begins at your temples. You know that feeling. A headache is the last thing you want when things are a bit crusty in your life. I see you, I hear you, and most importantly, I totally get it. So today's chat is about sharing some of that ancient Ayurvedic wisdom that might just change your relationship with these headaches forever. So buckle up and let's understand and heal our headaches with Ayurveda, allowing for the soothing love of our ancestors to come through and amaze us, which it always does, doesn't it? But first, let's take a temperature check. Does your headache feel like a tight band squeezing your head, b, a burning sensation behind the eyes, or c, a heavy dull ache that just won't budge? In Ayurveda, we understand everything through the lens of the three doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha. And headaches are no different. So if you had answered that you feel your headaches like a tight band squeezing your head, that's your Vata crying out for some grounding. And if you had felt, or if you frequently feel, a burning sensation behind your eyes, your eyes feel hot, then it's your Pitta imbalance saying, hello, here I am. And a heavy, dull ache that just feels like it won't budge no matter what you do, that's your kapha that needs some motivation to start moving. So you know this by now if you've been listening to my podcast, that vata, the air dominant energy, is responsible for movement, for swiftness, for dissolution, and for drying things out. And Pitta, the fire dominant energy, is responsible for metabolism, digestion, warmth, liquid consistency. And Pitta is also responsible for color. So usually Pitta is bright orange and yellow hues. Kapha is earth element dominant, so it is mostly moisture laden, pale, heavy, slow. Like earth, right? Now, based on the universal principle of healing called Samanya Visheshya Siddhanta, where Samanya means similar— you're right, Samanya and similar comes from the same root word of sama, so you can remember this— and Visheshya means unique. Using this concept of like increases like and opposites balance, We will learn to identify our headaches and apply the right remedies. Isn't it fascinating that our ancestors had such deep insights into something we struggle with even today? They understood that each headache tells a unique story, a story of a particular imbalance. Yes, but also a story of potential healing, because once we have identified the imbalance, it's easy to remedy based on the Samanya Vishesh Siddhanta. Some of you who are attuned to your body may already instinctively know what remedies to apply. So as I share the remedies, tips, tricks, and Ayurvedic hacks, you will start to see the Samanya Vishesh Siddhanta principle in action. Let's break down the 3 main types of headaches through the Ayurvedic lens, and I promise you you'll start seeing your headaches in a completely new light. Each type is like a different language your body speaks. Once you understand it, you can respond with exactly what it needs. So let's start with the Vata headache. Here's the good news about the Vata headaches: while Vata headaches can feel overwhelming, they respond beautifully to proper care. Sarah, my client, runs her own design studio. She's brilliant. She's always moving, going about things, hopping from one project to another, always thinking on the shop floor by the design table. But lately she's been feeling a throbbing pain that seems to dance from her temples to her neck. And she said, Salila, it's like there's something painful moving across my head and I can feel it. The ancient texts describe this perfectly. This is a vata headache, and they come with a throbbing and pulsing pain, tension in the neck and shoulders, feeling like a band is tightening around your head, and often dizziness and anxiety join the party. Remember the qualities of Vata— things get stuck because Vata isn't flowing properly, so we feel a tightness. We experience pain moving from one place where it begins and then it goes somewhere else, changing location. Then we know this is a vata pain because it's moving, it's mobile. It comes along with overwhelm and anxiety, another vata characteristic. Vata is light, so there is a feeling of lightheadedness. How well our ancients have understood this, right? Now, for my willowy vata beauties out there, when you feel that flutter of anxiety alongside your headache, when your neck and shoulders are crying out for attention That's your body asking for grounding. And what do we do as a remedy for Vata? Snehana, or oiling. Ghee is one of the best wholesome fats we can use in this scenario when we have a Vata episode. And here's what I want you to do: practice Nasya with 1 drop of warm ghee in each nostril while lying down. It's like giving your nervous system a warm, loving embrace. And please, dear ones, skip the cold chia yogurt bowls and raw salads at the buffet spread at work when you're feeling this way. Remember my mnemonic for what to avoid? CRDS: cold, raw, dry, stale. Right, these are the kind of foods we are going to avoid. These are the kind of qualities we are going to avoid. So go out, get some fresh air, step out of the stale indoor air. Grab a warm fuzzy coat or blanket. Don't let the cold aggravate your headache. Instead, sip on warm gattu besti throughout the day, incorporating some ghee into your meals because your body is craving warmth and nourishment. Give yourself a gentle warm oil massage, especially around your temples. Point between your eyebrows and practice soothing Netra Sparsha, or palming. Netra means eyes, sparsha means to touch lovingly. Gently apply warm pressure to your eyes. This is very soothing. Now for our go-go-go athletic perfectionist Pitta friends, listen to this ancient wisdom: Pitta Jam Shiro Vyadhim. Samudbhādayatehī trishṇa. This holds a clue. This is speaking of how Pitta headaches bring about intense heat, discomfort, and thirst. So I'm remembering Priya, a brilliant corporate girlie who would get these sharp burning headaches. She would typically report symptoms such as sensitivity to light and that she would have to dim her office lights. She would feel nausea. Diarrhea, increased irritability, especially around her period times. And remember, Pitta is the energy of metabolism, it's the energy of warmth and color, and periods are also a time of a Pitta spike, right? So excess heat, stress, sunlight during this time may cause a Pitta imbalance leading to a Pitta headache. So for all my Pitta warriors dealing with this fire in your head, here's your cooling toolkit. Keep coconut water at your desk, but here's the key: make it a mindful practice. Each sip is an invitation to cool that internal fire. Don't have access to coconut water? Visualize the calm Arctic Ocean with huge, uh, boulders of snow. Just let that snowy feeling come into your mind, into your brain, into your third eye, and visualize snowy mountains. This will also help you heal your headaches. Along with the ghee, one drop nasya, apply some sandalwood essential oils to your temples and crown chakra during your lunch break. And yes, I am actually asking you to take that lunch break. Hunger pangs overstimulate our Pitta energy. And this can be a major cause for headaches. When Priya began working with me, she understood that when she was pushing herself at work and skipping lunches, that was the trigger for her headaches, which were especially frequent during the second half of her luteal phase, just before her periods began. And please, loves, remember the mnemonic SOS-S. Step away from those spicy, oily, salty, and sour foods. And sour includes fermented when you are in the midst of a Pitta spike. So lay off that sourdough bread, that sourdough toast. Don't eat some olives or something like that. Um, try to eat something that is sweet nourishment because your body is asking for cooling nourishment. So say yes to a cup of chilled rice pudding instead, lots of crunchy cool cucumber veggies and juices like ash gourd, winter melon, and apples. So Priya loved spicy food, and during our time together she ate a spicy eggplant curry her husband made, and she went right back into a full-blown Pitta headache episode. So this was Good learning for her how her diet choices, how her lifestyle choices were actually triggering her headaches. For our Kapha friends, the ancients share this beautiful insight. You might wake up with this heaviness, especially during this time when we transition to spring or after long hours in an air-conditioned office. The symptoms will be heavy, dull pain throughout the head, sinus congestion, morning sluggishness, pain that worsens in cold, damp weather. And here's where the magic of sharp and flavorful spices come in. They're like little rays of sunshine breaking through the clouds. I love teaching my kapha clients about the beauty and the power of the morning routine. Start with a warm cup of katbesti, followed by nasya. It's like a spring cleaning for your sinuses. Practice steam inhalation or swedana with cloves, and I promise you, you'll feel that heaviness start to lift. Movement is your medicine here. A vigorous head massage can do wonders to move that stuck energy. What you must absolutely try to avoid is sleeping during the day, especially in the afternoons. This is like waving a big welcome sign to a headache. Avoid cold, heavy foods, excess sugar, and processed foods and dairy products during your headache episodes. Remember the mnemonic D-N-S-S. This— avoid dairy products, nuts, sweets, and slimy foods like okra, spinach, oats, yogurt. All these are best saved for another day. All of this increases kapha and will make your headache linger longer. Remember, beautiful souls, these headaches aren't just pain points. They are messages wrapped in sensation, asking for your attention and care. The real magic happens when you listen to your body with compassion and respond with love. Intuition, greater guidance, health, and well-being then becomes our daily bounty. Now let's do a quick rundown of some of my most powerful preventative interventions as a practitioner. First up is Shirodhara, my queens. This divine treatment involves pouring a steady stream of warm herb-infused oil over your forehead. One of my clients, a CEO in Silicon Valley, now has a monthly Shirodhara appointment blocked on her calendar like it's a board meeting. That's how powerful it is. Another ritual to add to your daily maintenance, obviously, is Nasya. Dropping 1 drop of A2 Vedic ghee, or if you wanted some more horsepower, then an Ayurvedic medicine called Shuddh Bindu Taila, in each nostril before bedtime and after brushing your teeth. Sisters, this simple practice changed the game for so many of my clients. Not only will this make your headaches disappear, it will also give you a facial from the inside out. Now, for my Pitta beauties dealing with that intense burning sensation, I recommend Shiro Lepa. Think of it as your Ayurvedic cooling crown. We create a paste with sandalwood and triphala, and let me tell you, it's like applying Shanti directly to your mind. Applying this to your crown 30 minutes before a shower, and then wash it off in the shower, and you will soothe your headache and experience deeper, more restful sleep as well. Now let's talk about the moon cycle rhythm. Track your headaches against your menstrual cycle. One week before your period— this is the tail end of your luteal phase— switch up your gut bestie recipe. Instead of the usual black cumin, carom, fennel, and coriander mix, use dill seeds, dry ginger, and a pinch of saffron. Dill, saffron, and dry ginger balance fiery pitta, making this liquid gold for not only womb health but also hormonal balance. And now here's the 5th screen queen strategy: every 20 minutes, look at your houseplant or gaze outside the window by your desk for about 20 seconds. I have mine right next to my laptop. It's a lovely big old Monstera plant which has survived 3 house moves. In case you're curious. So my beauties, before we wrap up, let me share what I call the Goddess No-No List— things I have learned from my grandmother's Ayurvedic wisdom that can be total game changers when you avoid them. This list has saved so many of my high-powered clients from those dreaded 3 PM headaches. The first one we're going to talk about is the coffee trap. I know this might hurt a little to all the coffee fans out there, but those triple shot espressos, they are not your friends. Strong tea and coffee can trigger what we call a vata-pitta imbalance. So have a cup after your lunch or brunch, but never on an empty stomach. Now, you know those days when you're running from meeting to meeting, surviving on protein bars? Skipping proper meals or fasting when your body is not ready is like sending an invitation to headaches. Even my busiest clients now block their calendar for proper lunch breaks. And let's talk about the elephant in the room— the night owl syndrome. I see you answering emails at midnight or doom-scrolling on Instagram. But here's the truth bomb: staying up late increases Vata dosha like crazy. It's one of the biggest stressors on your body. Every hour of sleep before midnight is worth 2. After. Honor your sleep like it's a million-dollar deal. For the mathematically minded, here's a quick breakdown of the 3-2-1 rule of sleep. 3 hours before bed, stop eating heavy meals or drinking stimulating beverages. 2 hours before bed, stop working or doing stressful activities. And 1 hour before bed, stop using the electronic devices like our phones, our laptops. Now this one is sneaky, but we miss this so often. This one's especially for my coaching and consulting queens. Excessive talking during back-to-back client calls can seriously drain your energy and trigger headaches, as talking increases vata. Schedule short breaks between calls or some anuloma viloma pranayama, and your nervous system will thank you. Now, talking about sneaky, few people know this, but certain foods like ground nuts, nightshades like eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes can be headache triggers for some people. Now think of these as not restrictions but as loving boundaries you're setting for yourself. One of my clients calls this her preservation protocol, and I love that. Start by picking just one thing from this list to avoid this week and notice how your body responds. And don't forget to share your journey with me on Instagram. My Instagram handle is @salila.ayurveda. I love to hear from you and how these weekly chats are helping you move in the right direction. So here I am reminding you to stay juicy, stay glowy like the goddess you are. Next week we'll talk about joint health. Take good care. Bye.