The story begins in the tropics.
It is early morning in Ubud, Bali.
I’m riding my motorbike through rice fields while white herons glide across the water. Palm trees move gently in the wind. Small villages pass by as I navigate one curve after another on my way to a yoga class.
Then suddenly a thought hits me.
“I forgot my painkillers.”
And instantly the beauty of the morning fades.
Because I know what might be coming.
A migraine.
Living with Headaches
For many years I experienced frequent headaches.
Sometimes they would start the moment I woke up at 5 or 6 in the morning.
Occasionally they developed into full migraines.
Medical scans showed nothing alarming. My MRI came back clear.
That was good news.
But also frustrating.
Because the doctors had another message.
There was no clear cure.
In fact, migraines remain one of the least understood neurological conditions.
According to the World Health Organization, migraines affect over 1 billion people worldwide and rank among the top 10 causes of years lived with disability globally.
Neurologists often rely on symptom management rather than prevention.
Usually that means medication.
Painkillers.
More painkillers.
Searching for Answers
I tried many of the usual strategies.
Diet changes.
No caffeine.
No sugar.
No gluten.
More time in nature.
Stress reduction.
Regular exercise.
But headaches continued to appear unpredictably.
Sometimes even after a long forest walk or physical activity.
Which made the situation even more confusing.
A Risky Decision
Back on that motorbike in Bali, the pain slowly begins building above my left ear.
I know the pattern well.
And I know something else.
Exercise usually makes my headaches worse.
Much worse.
So I face a decision.
Turn around.
Or take the risk and go to the class anyway.
I choose the second option.
Something Unexpected Happened
The yoga class begins.
I move through the asanas with full focus.
Stretching.
Balancing.
Breathing.
Forty minutes pass.
Finally we reach Shavasana — the final posture where you lie down completely still.
And something surprising happens.
The pain disappears.
Almost instantly.
Not gradually.
Suddenly.
Exactly the same way a strong painkiller might work.
Except I hadn’t taken any.
Understanding What Changed
At that time I had been practicing a 40-minute morning routine inspired by traditional Ashtanga and Hatha yoga teachings.
The sequence combined several elements:
• slow Sun Salutations
• dynamic movement
• deep stretching
• breath regulation (pranayama)
• meditation
Each stage prepared the body for the next.
Movement activated circulation.
Stretching released tension.
Breathing regulated the nervous system.
Stillness allowed recovery.
It was simple.
But something powerful was happening.
What Science Says About Movement and Migraines
Modern research increasingly supports this connection.
Studies show that moderate physical activity can reduce migraine frequency and severity.
A clinical study published in The Journal of Headache and Pain found that regular aerobic exercise significantly decreased migraine attacks in many patients.
Another review in Frontiers in Neurology suggests that physical activity improves cerebral blood flow, stress regulation, and inflammatory responses, all of which influence headache disorders.
Even breathing practices have measurable neurological effects.
Research published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (Zaccaro et al., 2018) shows that slow breathing practices improve:
• autonomic nervous system regulation
• emotional resilience
• cognitive clarity
• stress recovery
In other words, the combination of movement, breath, and relaxation can influence the brain systems involved in pain.
The Power of Routine
Over time the morning routine became a daily habit.
Forty minutes.
Not exhausting.
Not extreme.
Just enough to wake up the body and reset the mind.
And something interesting happened.
The headaches gradually disappeared.
Unexpectedly, other issues began improving too.
Even an abdominal hernia that doctors once suggested surgery for.
That was an unexpected gift.
Balance Is the Real Practice
Looking back, the biggest lesson was not about yoga.
It was about balance.
Physical balance.
Mental balance.
Daily rhythm.
Practicing balance in the body often brings balance to the mind.
And when the system becomes balanced, many problems begin to resolve naturally.
Not through force.
But through alignment.
A Small Question
Morning routines are often discussed in terms of productivity.
But perhaps their deeper value is something else.
Regulation.
Clarity.
Balance.
The ability to start the day with the body and mind working together rather than against each other.
With calm an peace,
Audrius
