My supervisor had brain surgery a year ago. A 4X3 inch section of skull was removed and then secured with titanium screws after the surgery. She has been complaining of pain around the area of the skull that was operated on. This pain leads to headaches and neck aches in the upper vertebrae. My first inclination is to tell her to acknowledge and not to fight or get rid of the pain. Then become familiar with other physical responses that might be associated with trying to fight the pain such as tensed forehead or stiffening of the neck. This is just a start. Would you please recommend any other techniques? She is looking at yoga for help but has little experience in practicing yoga. Om Shanti-C
All pain is rooted in vata imbalance though there may be other Ayurvedic doshic stressors on the surface as the acute symptoms. Vata is the biological source of prana, when it is balanced prana tends to increase. The major sign of more prana is peace and freedom from pain. So all techniques that restore relaxation, tone the parasympathetic nervous system, and heighten awareness of the subtle prana hidden within the body sensations and breath are to be encouraged. While relaxation and softening are good ideas, restorative poses with the head elevated, and gentle vinyasas done in coordination with the breath are better. Best is the method called yoga nidra and meditation specifically given to her. Yoga Nidra is a profound guided meditation going through the dimensions of self (koshas) it is best learned from a series of tapes available from Richard Miller on his website www.nondual.com