7-minute guided softening practice for tension headaches — before a busy day

About this practice

7 minutes to meet tension headaches with less of a fight. A softening practice, before a busy day. A guided session of about 7 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: tension headaches

Tension headaches follow a band of tightness across the forehead and around the skull, usually the product of long staring, jaw clenching and neck position.

It tends to show up as:

• A band of pressure across the forehead
• Pressure behind the eyes
• Ache worsening through the day

Softening the jaw, eyes and neck interrupts the pattern early. Once a tension headache settles in it is harder to shift.

Doing this before a busy day

• Do it before the first message or notification
• Aim for steadiness rather than energy
• Decide the first task afterwards, not during

The point is to begin without already being behind, not to prepare for every possibility.

How softening works

Softening is the practice of releasing held tension degree by degree rather than all at once. It targets the physical grip — shoulders, jaw, gut — that persists long after the stressor has passed.

• Soften one place per exhale rather than everything at once
• Let warmth and gravity do the work instead of muscular effort
• If a place will not soften, leave it and go somewhere that will

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Unclench your jaw. You were probably holding it without noticing.
2. 0:12Nothing here needs to be efficient.
3. 0:22Let the last hour go on its own. You can pick it up again afterwards.
4. 0:36Let your attention rest on the out-breath. The in-breath can take care of itself.
5. 0:50Let each breath out be a small letting go of the muscles around your ribs.
6. 1:04Let the breath get soft, the way it goes when someone is reading beside you.
7. 1:18Feel the front of your chest. Notice it rise and fall once.
8. 1:31Move to your forehead. Let it be smooth instead of gathered.
9. 1:43Notice where your body is still holding something. Leave it alone.
10. 1:55If you catch yourself fighting the band around the forehead, that is worth noticing. The fight usually costs more than the feeling.
11. 2:13Imagine the pressure building behind the eyes as a room you can walk out of for a minute. The room will still be there.
12. 2:32Notice the space between your shoulder blades.
13. 2:42A few seconds more.
14. 2:51Feel the pause at the top of the in-breath. It's shorter than you think.
15. 3:05Notice your ribs on both sides. Wide, not squeezed.
16. 3:16If you feel numb, that's a valid thing to feel. Nothing to fix.
17. 3:29I'll leave a gap here. Use it however you like.
18. 3:41You can be as unimpressive as you like for the next few minutes.
19. 3:54If you're sleepy, sit up a little. Or let the sleepiness be there.
20. 4:07Notice the small gap after each exhale. Rest there for half a second.
21. 4:20A few quiet breaths. That's all this is.
22. 4:31When the ache from a long staring day arrives, name it once, quietly, and go back to the breath. Naming is not fixing, and that is fine.
23. 4:51When the band around the forehead presses in, put a hand on your chest or your belly. Warmth and pressure are anchors your body already trusts.
24. 5:10Let the exhale empty you a little more than usual, but not to the point of strain.
25. 5:25Notice anything you're holding onto from earlier today.
26. 5:36Notice the exact moment your attention left. You probably won't catch it. That's normal.
27. 5:50Silence for a few breaths. Nothing to do in it.
28. 6:02We'll keep it quiet and unhurried.
29. 6:12Let the quiet end on its own rather than cutting it off.
30. 6:25Before you open your eyes, notice how you feel compared to the start. It might be small.

Questions people ask

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.