Pain and pleasure are two of what yoga describes as the Pair of Opposites, dvandva, the pairs of opposites.  Yoga acknowledges that most people bounce back and forth between the opposites like a tennis ball.  People pursue pleasure to escape pain.  The end of pain is a goal unto itself, yet a pain-free life is not a goal.  No one wants merely freedom from pain. People want happiness, not mere pleasure, not merely freedom from pain.  Yet, you can be happy when you’re in pain.  Confused yet?  The key to understanding this is to recognize that pleasure and happiness are not the same thing.

Watch Gurudevi’s full discourse "Beyond Pain" here.