Meditation for Migraine Relief: A Natural Approach That Works

Written and verified by Holly Hazen

Have you tried meditation for migraine relief?

If you’ve suffered through migraines, you know they’re more than "just a headache." The pulsing pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and brain fog can be completely debilitating.

You may have tried medications, diets, and supplements but have you explored meditation as a powerful natural way to calm your nervous system and reduce migraine intensity?

In this article, you’ll learn:

• How meditation affects the brain during a migraine

• Simple techniques for relief (even when you’re in pain)

• The science behind it and what really works

• How to start with a daily meditation routine

• How to do this yourself with two FREE migraine meditation downloads

• About my specialized course to deepen your healing

How Meditation Helps with Migraine Relief

Stress is a Major Migraine Trigger

When you’re stressed, your brain floods your body with cortisol and other chemicals that can constrict blood vessels and heighten pain sensitivity - triggering or worsening a migraine.

Meditation Helps Calm Your Brain

Regular meditation:

• Reduces stress-related inflammation

• Enhances parasympathetic activity (your "rest and restore" system)

• Helps you better manage migraine triggers like anxiety, sleep issues, and muscle tension

• Can shorten the duration or intensity of a migraine

What the Science Says

A study from the Journal of Headache and Pain showed that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) reduced the number of migraine days per month by up to 33%.

Researchers at the University of Maryland found that daily meditation practice improved migraine-related quality of life and decreased dependency on medication.

Meditation Techniques for Migraine Relief

These methods are effective even if you’ve never meditated before. Try them during early symptoms, or as daily prevention.

1. Breath-Focused Meditation

Focus attention gently on your breath. Inhale for 4, exhale for 6. This slows your nervous system and helps reduce pain perception.

2. Body Scan Meditation

Lie down or sit and scan your body slowly from head to toe. Bring awareness to tension and release it.

3. Loving-Kindness (Metta) Meditation

Silently repeat phrases of compassion for yourself. This helps soothe emotional distress, a common migraine amplifier.

4. Mindful Acceptance of Pain

Instead of resisting the migraine, you gently observe it. This surprisingly reduces suffering by changing how your brain interprets the pain.

Download: Free Migraine Meditation Scripts

Creating a consistent meditation practice is the key to long-term relief. So here are two free meditation scripts to get you started right away. They are Anger Management Meditation and A Migraine Meditation Just for You.

Grab your FREE meditation scripts here:

>> Download the Free Migraine Meditation Scripts

Use them alongside any method here to monitor what’s really working for YOU.

Realistic Daily Meditation Plan

Here’s a beginner friendly routine designed for those of us living with migraine:

Pro Tip: You don’t have to meditate perfectly. You just have to show up consistently.

Want to Go Deeper? Try the Complete Course

If you’re ready to build a sustainable meditation practice designed specifically for migraine sufferers…

Check out my full course: 

Meditations and Energetic Healing for Migraine Sufferers
>> Learn more about the course

What’s inside:

• 10 guided meditations (10 audios)

• Tools to manage energy, anxiety, and symptoms

• Healing visualization practices (4 videos)

• Downloadable support materials (1 PDF on changing your angry responses) and more.
  
  

Common Questions About Meditation and Migraines

Can meditation really help with migraines?

Yes. Research supports mindfulness and meditation as effective tools for reducing migraine frequency and intensity.

How often should I meditate?

Ideally 5–10 minutes per day to start. Consistency matters more than duration.

Can I meditate while I’m having a migraine?

Yes. Try lying down with a soft eye mask and using a guided meditation for relief.

Here are some of my own personal tips:

1. Trust that you are safe. Know that this migraine will pass, just like all the other ones before it.

2. Allocate a time and space each day, not just before an excruciating attack, to stop, close your eyes, and rest within yourself.

3. Prepare your space. Spend some time preparing your room or space beforehand. Make sure you have what you need to let your body relax more - abortive medications, water, eye covers, weighted blanket, ice pack. A dark room.

4. Select a migraine meditation mantra or just use om.

5. When you put your hands in the prayer position, think of all the people around the world that use that gesture to pray and meditate. Allow all the energy from the previous meditators, monks and gurus to surround you and embrace you. Surround yourself with calm love.

6. Become aware of your breath and your breathing. Is it shallow? If it is, slow it down and allow your attention to drift down to your belly. Allow your shoulders to relax. A migraine attack can cause tension in the neck and shoulders every time. So, it's important to relax your tense areas.

7. While resting, or reciting a mantra, or listening to a guided meditation, if your mind wanders just return ever so gently back to your mantra or breath. Allow your focus to be on the peaceful mind and become fully present. Allow yourself to hear the silence within you.

8. Drifting off to sleep is recommended ;-)

More Resources (Supporting Articles)

Use these related resources to strengthen your practice:

• Guided Meditations for Migraine Relief

• Sleep Meditations for Migraine Recovery

• Migraine Mantras and Mindfulness Tools

• Meditation Techniques for Migraine Pain
  
  

Final Thoughts on Meditation for Migraine Relief

Meditation isn’t a magic fix, but for many migraine sufferers, it becomes one of the most reliable and empowering tools they can turn to.

It puts some control back in your hands.

Start small. Track what works. And if you’re ready to go deeper, let me guide you step-by-step inside the course.

>> Start the full meditation course here

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