What can you do if you have a migraine or headache? A conversation with Maria Holl

"From the perspective of the Maria Holl method, migraines and headaches are symptoms of an energetic imbalance of the entire body and can be successfully treated with the MHM exercises. (...) Anyone who is prepared to practice for 30 minutes a day can use the method successfully." Maria Holl is an experienced alternative practitioner for psychotherapy, meditation teacher and author of the guidebook "Thunderstorm in the head. Stop migraines and headaches for good" ; she has been helping people who suffer from migraines or headaches for many years.

According to statistics, around ten percent of Germans suffer from headaches and migraines. What does this actually mean, and what is the difference between the two types of complaints?

Maria Holl: There are many different types of headaches; medicine now recognizes 180 different types of headache. The International Headache Society (IHS) distinguishes between the three most common types of headache: tension headaches, cluster headaches and migraines. A migraine is much more than just a headache, which is unpleasant enough. Migraines also cause nausea and/or vomiting, as well as sensitivity to light, noise and smells. While exercise can sometimes relieve pain in headaches, it can make the migraine worse.

To date, it is not clear from a medical perspective what actually causes headaches and migraines. What are the suspected causes and what treatment options are available?

Maria Holl: The known types of headaches are assigned to one of two large categories: primary headaches, where no cause can be identified, or secondary headaches, which occur as a result of an illness. A clear cause can be tense neck muscles, triggered by poor posture. If this can be ruled out, medicine suspects an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain. The function of serotonin in particular is discussed in this context. From the perspective of the Maria Holl method, migraines and headaches are symptoms of an energetic imbalance in the entire body and can be successfully treated with MHM exercises.

You have been helping people with migraines to cope with this symptom in your practice for many years. How can you tell that the headaches are not a sign of another illness?

Maria Holl: Most patients have been to their GP and have already clarified whether the headaches and migraines have an organic cause and need medical treatment. If this has not already happened, we ask that you have this examined by a doctor of your choice first.

After the Tinnitus Breathing Therapy according to Holl® (TAT), you have now developed the Maria Holl Method® (MHM) to help those affected. What is special about this method and what requirements must be met for it to be successful?

Maria Holl: There are no prerequisites for using the Maria Holl method, which was developed for normal people living in our time. Anyone who is willing to practice for 30 minutes a day can use the method successfully.

The MHM appears very simple at first, as the exercises are easy to implement at the beginning. However, you write that it took you several years to fully understand the method. What is the "depth of the program" for you as the founder?

Maria Holl: The Maria Holl method is all about persistent, daily practice. The exercises bring the body back into balance and activate its self-healing powers. They begin by healing the upper layers of physical tension and imbalance. Over time, they penetrate deeper layers, and the depth of a person is endless. That is why you can use the MHM to bring your body into balance layer by layer.

The exercises of the Maria Holl Method® increase vitality and at the same time ensure that the Qi can flow and circulate freely in the body again. How do blockages and tensions in the life energy come about?

Maria Holl: Blockages and tensions occur every day. They are our protective mechanisms. Whenever you are frightened, feel uncomfortable, cannot make a decision or are irritated, you contract. This is how blockages and tensions arise. As soon as blockages and tensions become too much, symptoms and illnesses arise.

To support the exercise program, do you recommend keeping a journal and making a contract with yourself. What should be written down in it and what agreements should be kept?

Maria Holl: First, formulate your personal goal. Then, choose a motivational coach from your family or circle of friends, with whom you will initially speak on the phone twice a week and report whether you have practiced and what your experiences have been while practicing. Third, decide on the daily practice time.

Book tip:
Maria Holl: Storm in the head. Stop migraines and headaches permanently. The Maria Holl Method®. Mankau Verlag 2019, paperback, 12 x 19 cm, 158 pages, 10.90 euros (D) / 11.30 euros (A), ISBN 978-3-86374-496-0.

Link recommendations:
More information about the book "Thunderstorm in the head. Stop migraines and headaches permanently"
To the reading sample in PDF format
More about the author Maria Holl
To the Internet forum with Maria Holl