The Medicine of Showing Up Anyway (sometimes with a dog)

A raw and real journey through grief and healing—guided by Ayurveda, Bhakti Yoga, and a shelter dog named Theo.

Ayurveda, heartbreak, and the medicine that finds us when we’re not looking

Almost two weeks ago, I got a phone call that knocked the wind out of me.

One of my best friends had died. Just like that. No warning. No preparation. Just gone.

And in the middle of all that, I celebrated my birthday. I also adopted a dog.

It’s been a lot. It is a lot.

Ayurveda on Grief (and How There’s No “Right” Way to Feel)

Ayurveda talks about grief in a really beautiful and honest way. It doesn’t rush you through it or try to “fix” it. Instead, it gently reminds us that grief is part of this human life.

And—this is important—there’s no universal handbook on how to handle grief. That’s because all of our losses are different. All of our loves are different. So our grief? Of course that’s going to be uniquely ours too.

Ayurveda teaches us about something called Sadhaka Pitta—the subdosha of Pitta that lives in the emotional space of the heart and mind. It governs things like joy, heartbreak, fulfillment, purpose, and emotional processing.

When we go through loss, it’s this part of us that gets shaken.

As Dr. John Douillard writes, “grief can lodge in the heart,” and when Sadhaka Pitta is out of balance, it affects everything—sleep, digestion, emotions, energy, even our ability to feel joy or connection (read more here)

I Wanted to Press Pause

When I got that call, I wanted to stop everything. I wanted to crawl under the covers, close the curtains, and cry. And honestly, I did for a bit. But life doesn’t always give us the luxury of stopping. It keeps flowing—even when we feel stuck.

Then came my birthday. And with it, a wave of resistance.

How can anything feel like a celebration right now? How can I be alive and here and smiling when someone I love isn’t?

But that moment held a massive teaching. Because the truth is…

Celebrating life doesn’t erase grief. It honors it.

Celebrating my life in that moment meant I was also celebrating the memories we had, the friendship we shared, and the love that still lives in my heart.

The Dog. The Message. The Medicine.

And then… there’s Theo. I had an adoption date set right smack in the middle of all of this and I didn’t think I was in any way emotionally prepared for any of it.

Theo is 4–5-year-old pit mix who had been in the shelter for almost two years. When I met him, I fell in love. And my heart broke open all over the place. He had looked up at me with these deep, soulful eyes and I just knew—he had been waiting.

His nervous system was fried. He had been locked up in an overstimulating, chaotic environment for way too long. Of course he has behavioral stuff. Of course he’s learning how to trust. So am I.

And his name?

Originally: Thanos.
Yes—like the Marvel villain.

But then I went down a rabbit hole (because obviously I did), and I found the Greek mythology behind the name Thanatos—the being who gently guides souls from this life to the next. Not scary. Not evil. Just… sacred. Winged. Calm.

That hit me in the chest.

I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe in signs. And this felt like one.

The Wisdom Inside the Chaos

So I know quite a few other yoga teachers and Ayurveda practitioners who’ve also adopted “unwanted” or “difficult” shelter dogs. And I think that’s telling. When we walk this path—when we say yes to the teachings—we’re not just saying yes to the ease. We’re saying yes to being cracked open. To growth. To grace. To real-life soul work.

These teachings of yoga and Ayurveda—they’re not about fixing you. They’re not here to give you a perfect morning routine and checkboxes.

They’re here to walk beside you in the hardest moments.
They’re here to help you feel. To hold. To remember who you are.

And this grief? This dog? This chapter?

It’s part of the medicine.

Let This Be Your Reminder

If you’re in the thick of it right now—if you’re grieving, processing, changing, letting go, starting over—know this:

You’re not doing it wrong.

You don’t need to be “yourself” right now. You don’t need to explain why you’re slower to respond, more tender, more tired, more raw. You’re allowed to feel it all. You’re allowed to pause.

You’re allowed to break open without breaking down.

And if you want to walk with me through the teachings that have carried me through some of the most intense seasons of my life, I’d love to have you inside my 6-week program, Ayurveda Alchemy. It’s where I guide you into your rhythm again—through food, breath, routine, self-trust, and remembering your light.

learn more here:
👉 www.lisabermudez.com/ayurvedaalchemy

And if that’s not where you are right now? That’s okay. Just be where you are. That’s the real practice.