Migraines have a way of sneaking up, but when we learn the warning signs we can successfully prevent them from raging into our lives and incapacitating us for good.

I have been successfully migraine free for 23 weeks at the present time. I am proud of it and excited for these weeks and I want to share with you my journey and pro-tips for Migraine prevention, because prevention is ultimately the best care.

Let me first tell you a bit about my migraine history and then share with you my Migraine Prevention To-Do list in hopes that it will help you to discover your own imminent migraine signs and practice consistent prevention care.

My Migraine History:

    My Mother and Father both have an array of sensitive sinuses and allergy challenges thus creating 2 children with similar struggles. I had it easier than my Brother growing up however, while he was battling ongoing migraines even as a kid, I had only experienced 2 in my teenage years. I remember them so well. The first was in the 9th grade in Geography class and I felt a ringing in my ear along with incredible pain pulsing in my forehead. I was sick to my stomach and had to ask the teacher to turn the lights down, and she graciously did. The other students did not mind and kept their voices low for my sake, too. I even remember the weather on this day. It was raining, cloudy and completely overcast. My second experience was in my later teen years, also at school and on another cloudy and high pressure day. Then, I was migraine free for almost a decade before they started to come back in full force when I was 25 years old.

    In my mid twenties, I noticed I began getting them once a month right before my moon time. After pointing this out to my Mom, she let me know that she too had experienced them frequently around her cycle and around the same age. I responded with "Oh, thanks for the heads up!". Your family history with migraines is important to investigate if you experience them. Think of it as a full-on investigation, like many other ailments they can be written into our genetics. Doing the work here will help you to understand what you might be up against. Trust me, it will reveal a world of insight to you and if you don't have the luxury of these discoveries, I highly recommend an app like "Migraine Buddy" (which is totally free) to help you uncover your personal migraine trends and triggers. This app has saved me and it also measures your sleep and your water intake. Check it out, I highly recommend it! Throughout my mid to late 20's I have experienced several different kinds of migraines (also worth researching) and began to recognize that I would get them when the conditions were just right, especially right before my moon, which also led me on a path to better health and self care overall.

These conditions were as followed: High pressure, Humidity, Dehydration, Hormone levels, Lack of exercise, Interrupted Sleep.

The triggers include all that was previously mentioned.

The warning signs were the following: Neck, back and head tension, Irritability, Dry mouth, Sensitivity to light & sound, Feeling lethargic, Joint and muscle pain throughout the whole body, Difficulty concentrating, Loss of appetite. 

    At age 29 the migraines became so frequent and incapacitating that my doctor prescribed me a prescription for T3's and when the worst ones would happen I would cry with relief after taking a T3. Having felt lost, in pain and alone on this journey I turned inward to some deep self reflection and analyzed my personal daily habits like: 1- Am I getting enough water?, 2- Am I eating too much sugar?, 3- Am I doing yoga that relieves tension and is it consistent?, 4- How often am I on my phone (neck bending), 5- What kind of negative energy am I carrying around (Meditation), 6- Am I getting enough fresh air? (Nature walks), 7- Am I breathing correctly?, 8- What are the environmental triggers? (Humidity, Pressure, Indoor Air circulation, etc). Now, at 31 years of age, I find myself going anywhere from 20-30 weeks migraine free and I am living a much happier life. Again, I highly recommend finding an app, like Migraine Buddy, that will allow you to track your symptoms, triggers, check on the pressure and humidity in your local area, measure your sleep patterns and your daily water intake. It also allows you to record your moon cycle (for those boss ladies out there). 

Now, let's get to the good stuff! Here are my top-knotch can't-live-without Preventative care methods that I would pass on to everyone.

I hope that they will also help you to prevent migraines, because the biggest lesson I have learned is that preventative care is the BEST Migraine care. We all know that once it starts, they are next-to-impossible to combat.

1- Decrease in dairy. I LOVE dairy, especially cheese, but I have seriously cut back on my milk intake. Where I used to drink 1 glass of milk a day (at least), I now only drink about 2-3 glasses of milk a week and even eat less cheese and way less yogurt. I swapped yogurt out in my smoothies for water and let me tell you, I don't miss the yogurt. Water in smoothies is an excellent way to just get more water and it honestly tastes just as good.

2- Consistent exercise. I know the struggles of finding time every single day to exercise, let me assure you of that. Life is busy, I totally get it. My trick has been to accept that I won't always have the same amount of time every day for Yoga or cardio, so I make daily adjustments. My rule of thumb is 10 mins every day, at the very least and if I have more time than that, then FANTASTIC. But at least 10 minutes of yoga a day is what I manage to do and I REALLY listen to my body. For example: I started sleeping with a brand new pillow recently and it is causing a kink in my neck, so my daily yoga over the past few days has been to really focus on my head, neck, upper body, lower back and hips, because all of the tension runs right down, so make sure to listen to your body. If you don't know what it means to listen to your body, I recommend spending some time in meditation and gentle Hatha (or Yin) yoga to build your practice here. Remember, it's an ongoing journey. The body whispers, so listen carefully.

3- Specific Yoga (Asana) Poses that have SAVED me: while the following poses have a ton of other benefits, they have been corner stones in my migraine prevention practice:

*Lotus Pose (Padmasana)
*Rabbit Pose (Sasangasana)
*Eagle Arms (Garudasana)
*Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
*Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
*Cat/Cow (Marjariasana)
*Angel Wings (Which you can do anytime, anywhere)
*Threading the Needle (Parsva Balasana)
*Daily Asana Check ins: -Is your breathing full and complete throughout your whole body? -Are you holding tension throughout the day? -Stretch your arms and shoulders out throughout the day. -Ear to shoulder neck stretches.

*I'd love to hear your comments on this blog if there are any other Asana poses you turn to in times of need and to prevent migraines, I am always looking to expand my personal repertoire and you never know who else might benefit from your thoughts.

4- Water. EVERY SINGLE DAY! My morning routine includes: making my bed as soon as I wake up, a big full body stretch and then a full glass of water right away. Not only does this help to wake up my body and my mind but it also sets me up for a day of staying hydrated and a reminder to keep hydrating. 

5- Magic Bags! Oh the beauty and wonder of magic bags, which you can make at home using rice and a sock btw...there are a ton of you tube videos on how to do this. Heat on muscles at the first signs of tension is an excellent way to give some love to your body and to prevent migraines.

6- Hot/Warm Salt Baths, too! I am a huge believer in the many wondrous powers of a hot salt bath, they are just amazing! Epsom and Mineral salts help to release tension, improve circulation, detox the skin, calm the body and the mind, which has a ton of benefits including migraine prevention care.

7- Decrease Sugar Intake. If you're not already doing this, I highly recommend it. Do it now! So many of the foods we purchase at the local grocery store are already packed full of sugar, so it's uber important to re-asses your eating and grocery habits, including; what are you adding sugar to? Pro-tip: Switch sugar for honey as often as you can, unpasteurized honey is also full of healthy bacteria for your gut and you need far less to get that sweet taste than you would with sugar. Don't get me wrong, I know honey in coffee does not taste good, I've tried it. It's a matter of experimenting and finding what works for you. If you need more convincing on the sugar tip, check out any of the Sugar documentaries available online or on Netflix. #EDUCATEYOURSELF

8- Working at a desk all day? Check in with your set up. Is it ergonomic? If you don't know what this looks like, get some help, do some research, invest in this because it will help you in the long run. As someone who works from their computer on the daily, trust me, it is worth it. Pro-tip: Try sitting on an exercise ball for a few hours a day, this will also engage your core and give your body more leeway and prevent tension. 

9- Scents. I love wax melters, incense and smudging just as much as any yogi and scent guided human, but take it easy! You don't need to have the wax melter burning all day and you don't need to burn the whole stick of sage to cleanse your energy. Pro-tip: Switch Sage for cleaning your energy for a Selenite stick. Selenite is a powerful mineral that can cleanse your aura in much of the same ways that sage will and there are a ton of free videos online on how to use a selenite stick. I found mine at HomeSense and I absolutely love them!

10- Decongestants. Whether it's pharmaceuticals, eucalyptus oil, or peppermint tea, find what works for you and decongest yourself because this is another common trigger for migraines. Personally, I only run to the decongestant/sinus pills when the natural options are not doing the trick, but sometimes they are needed. Everything in moderation. If you do take a decongestant, don't take the extra strengths, less is more in this case and it will be easier on your body and prevent addiction.

11- Are you smoking? Even if it's marijuana, you need to analyze how often you are doing this. Smoking can irritate our sinuses and negatively impact migraine prevention. Try exploring weed infused teas and edibles instead. They are more costly but can really support your prevention care and also help to prevent addiction. If you're still smoking cigarettes, then my dear it is time to form a plan to quit. I come from a family of smokers so I understand that it is not easy, but it is possible. Remember this: Mind over Matter. You are a soul with a physical body and you have 2 homes; 1 body and 1 earth. It is time to make good decisions for your health and there is no "too late". Reach out to your doctor, research online, speak with your friends and family and stay away from other smokers, no matter how difficult it is. It will benefit you in the long run and improve your overall health. You've got this <3

12- Clean your space! Especially if you have pets and/or rugrats. Dirt, dust and oils build up quickly. Practice Niyama (the 2nd Limb of Yoga) regularly as a prevention method for migraines. If you don't have a vacuum cleaner, buy one! I found my wee one at a local Walmart for only $35! Now, I don't usually shop at Walmart, but sometimes you need to be mindful of the money you spend and if you live in a small apartment like I do, with a single income, then shopping at a big box store can really save the bank. It's OK!

I truly hope that these tips will help you to take action and begin your Migraine Prevention journey, because prevention care is the BEST migraine care. Please do share your comments, thoughts, tips and tricks in the comments on this blog, I would LOVE to hear from you :) I am sending all the good vibes to you!

With Love and Light,
Jennifer Verardi <3