What Ayurveda and Yoga Have Taught Me About Pain

image shot at Aro Ha

An Invitation to Listen, Soften, and Remember

Pain often arrives uninvited. Sometimes sharp, sometimes dull—always a messenger. In the wisdom traditions of Ayurveda and Yoga, pain is not an enemy, but a signal. A whisper from within, asking us to pause and listen more deeply.

Ayurveda teaches that pain is the result of imbalance—of doshas, of rhythm, of relationship. Rather than suppress it, we ask: What is this trying to tell me? Maybe it’s the buildup of unprocessed emotion (Vata), inflammation (Pitta), or stagnation (Kapha). The invitation is to tend—with herbs, rest, oils, food, breath, and gentle daily rituals.

Yoga reminds us to meet discomfort with breath, not resistance. In asana, we learn that pain is not something to push through or ignore, but to witness. The mat becomes a space where we can practice discerning the edge between growth and harm—between sensation and suffering.

Both systems teach that healing doesn’t come from numbing, but from remembering. That our bodies are wise, and pain is a teacher. That tending to pain can be sacred.

This is your invitation:
Pause.
Place a hand on the part of you that hurts.
Breathe.
Ask gently: What are you trying to say?

Pain is not punishment. It’s a portal. And you are not alone in walking through it.