Tension headaches: 3-minute body scan meditation, first thing

About this practice

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 3 minutes of body scan for tension headaches, first thing. A guided session of about 3 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 in the morning

• Do it before checking your phone — the first minutes set the tone for the rest
• Sitting up is better than lying down, or you will drift back to sleep
• Light on your face helps more than any practice

Mornings can become a performance of productive habits. This one does not need to be done well.

How body scan works

A body scan moves attention systematically through the body, region by region. It does not try to change what it finds — it builds a map of what is actually there, which is often different from what you assumed.

• Move slowly, head to feet or feet to head, and do not skip the uncomfortable areas
• Meet each region with plain curiosity rather than a verdict
• Numbness and absence of sensation are findings too

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Put both feet flat on the floor and let them take some of the weight.
2. 0:14Your only job is to notice what is there, region by region, without fixing anything.
3. 0:28Feel the small movements your body makes to keep you upright. They're happening without you.
4. 0:42Let your breathing find the rhythm it uses when you're almost asleep.
5. 0:55Let your shoulders stay still while your ribs move.
6. 1:06Feel your upper arms hanging. They're heavier than you remember.
7. 1:18Each time your mind hands you the band around the forehead, treat it like a leaf on a stream. Present for a moment, then carried on.
8. 1:37Remind yourself, slowly: I am safe in this moment, even while the pressure building behind the eyes is here. Safety and difficulty can share a room.
9. 1:56Feel your breath move down your back, all the way to your lower ribs.
10. 2:10Whatever the ache from a long staring day is doing right now, your breathing can keep going underneath it.
11. 2:26If you've lost track of where we were, you haven't lost anything important.
12. 2:39Move at the speed of your attention, not the speed of a checklist. There is no schedule to keep.
13. 2:55Let the quiet end on its own rather than cutting it off.

Questions people ask

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