The Neuroscience Behind the Philosophy – Where Ancient Wisdom Meets Brain Science (Part 3/4)

In this Noijam series, Martina Egan-Moog and Neil Pearson explore where ancient yoga philosophy intersects with contemporary pain science. Drawing on some of their work in the Embodiment in Pain Science Education course, they bring together philosophy, lived experience, and emerging evidence. They consider where current science offers support, as well as where ideas are still developing or not yet well understood. This creates space to explore different ways of thinking about pain, suffering, and care, while staying mindful of the evolving evidence base.

This ‘jam’ is the third in a series of four, intending to provide an overview of interconnected topics – yoga philosophy, techniques and practices, the lived experience of pain, neuroplasticity, and embodied pain education. Through the interconnectedness of these topics, we offer an introduction to how yoga can address common impacts of chronic pain across biopsychosocial and spiritual domains. (Read part one and part two.)

Bioplasticity and impermanence

An implicit message of yoga is that pain is not immutable – nothing is permanent. The physical and contemplative practices of yoga promote conditions that can enhance learning. When we are alert and focused, we promote neuroplastic changes within ourselves, whereas learning is negatively impacted when the mind wanders and our energy is low. Repetition also promotes learning– this is a key component within yoga classes and when individuals adopt daily or weekly practice.

We can gradually build a new version of ourselves by laying down new memories, rewiring neural pathways (or “neurotags” in modern pain science terminology), and becoming less reactive through resetting the stress and the immune system. We can start with knowledge and then continue with disciplined application of that knowledge through what we think, eat, and do with our bodies. This transforms knowledge to wisdom. Through yoga we can start with embodied experiences, learning more about our body, breath, mind and their interconnections. Then, through disciplined practice we move towards deeper understanding and wisdom.

The following list offers just a few of the science-informed links between yoga and bioplasticity and potentially pain care.

1. Yoga practice typically begins with self-awareness and encourages students to stay present to their body throughout the class. This is important for people with persisting pain. Science shows how the brain can weigh nociceptive signals heavier over other bodily sensations. Clinical practice demonstrates that increasing connection to subtle non-pain sensations of the body can be associated with decreased pain intensity (Kiverstein et al 2022; Choquette & Khalsa 2025).
2. During yoga class, there is also an emphasis on self-regulation, including regulation of thoughts and focus. Persisting pain can be associated with difficulty focusing and concentrating. Learning to focus on what we want to pay attention to rather than our attention being stuck on the pain can help us regulate and decrease pain (Damascelli et al 2022).
3. The chemistry of neuroplasticity is enhanced by self-awareness and self-control – two key aspects of practising yoga (Calderone et al 2024).
4. Yoga asana classes often include the six movements of the spine. Evidence suggests that activation of the thoracic motor cortex has an impact on the adrenal glands associated with less sympathetic dominance and potentially less interoceptive evidence of threat – which could mediate improved learning (Dum et al 2016).
5. Practice in being present/grounded/in the moment can alter brain activity related to fear and catastrophic thinking. The lived experience of being present includes less intrusion from previous negative experiences and potential negative futures (Cunningham et al 2019).
6. Focusing on breath regulation promotes self-efficacy and provides embodied experiences that we have influence over typically ‘automatic’ physiological processes, like pain (Voss et al 2023).
7. Repetition is a core component of yoga and a key factor in learning. Any action that promotes the chemistry of neuroplasticity might have a positive effect on the neuroplastic changes associated with pain control (van der Zwan et al 2015).
8. Scientific evidence supports that yoga benefits individuals with anxiety and depression. This supports the value of using the body to influence the mind. Decreasing mental health concerns has the potential to decrease evidence of threat (Cramer et al 2018).
9. Yoga classes end with a practice called savasana, corpse pose, in which the student is guided to practice surrender, letting go and stillness. This is also considered a time for resolution. Research shows that resting after motor learning promotes retention of the motor skill into longer-term memory. People in pain may find it difficult to learn new skills. Including resolution may be promoting the chemistry of neuroplasticity (Martini et al 2025)

Pain as a Homeostatic Emotion

Modern pain neuroscience has revealed that pain is not simply a sensory experience, but a homeostatic emotion—both a feeling and a motivation, much like hunger, thirst, or temperature regulation. This view, articulated by researchers like A. D. Craig since 2003, positions pain as part of a hierarchical system that maintains the person’s homeostatic balance.

Pain is a perceptual correlate of a behavioural drive required for survival and/or for keeping all systems functioning in a way that supports the organism. When automatic systems alone cannot restore balance, pain emerges or increases as a drive to take action (Kiverstein et al 2022; Craig 2003).

This scientific understanding remarkably echoes yogic wisdom. The techniques and practices of yoga offer opportunities to notice when homeostasis is challenged and to regulate body and mind in an effort to adapt until comfortable again (allostasis), preparing for the next challenge. Without this dynamic tension, the evolution of body and mind wouldn’t be possible.

The ultimate goal, in both yoga and modern pain management, is to become more adaptable and less reactive—to achieve greater mastery over our senses and our learned patterns of behaviour so that we run our lives or at least gain more influence on some aspects of our life rather than having the pain run us.

Rather than specific mechanisms, yoga appears to create conditions that support learning, regulation, and adaptive change.

In Part 4, we’ll explore practical applications of these insights for both clinicians and patients, including specific strategies for fostering transformation and resilience.

– Martina Egan-Moog and Neil Pearson

Martina and Neil teach the Embodiment in Pain Science Education (EPSE) course. Open to all healthcare providers, whether your background is specific to manual therapy, movement-based, psychological, wellness-focused, education or research. EPSE utilises body-based experiences to help individuals better understand and manage pain. It focuses on movement, interoception, and mind-body techniques like yoga to challenge misconceptions about pain through felt experience. This approach empowers both clinicians and patients by enhancing body awareness, reducing fear, and improving self-efficacy in pain care.

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