Samskaras: Notice the patterns
With less than 3 weeks left in the calendar year, I am noticing and reviewing my patterns of 2024. What exactly have I been thinking, saying and doing these past 12 months? Are my thoughts, words and actions helpful or hurtful? How many of those thoughts, words and actions are repetitive so that intentionally or unintentionally I have created patterns?
In yogic philosophy the idea related to patterns is called samskara: the subtle impressions of our actions. Repeating samskaras reinforces them, creating ripples that can be negative or positive.
Noticing our patterns is deep personal development work and essential if we are cultivating a growth mindset. When we observe our patterns we can determine their value. We notice if the samskaras are forming a rut or a groove. Here's what it looks like for me:
The rut: Things aren't working and I'm stuck (negative.) When I'm in a rut, I feel this in my body. I feel heavy and I'm quicker to anger. My sleep isn't restful and I start craving processed / crappy food. The rut sucks, and it's a place I don't want to go yet I have certainly found myself there.
The groove: Things are running smoothly and I'm in the flow (positive).) I feel lighter and I laugh more. The groove is like dancing to my favorite song in my favorite location with my favorite humans. It just feels hella good in body and heart and I know I'm in the right place.
These ruts and grooves are formed first by our thoughts, then they become our words and finally they manifest as our actions and behaviors. If we want to change the samskaras from negative to positive, if we want to change our actions, we need to start by changing our thoughts. I'll give you some examples of how samskaras show up for me:
Pattern of Thoughts: I think to myself that I am lazy when I sleep in, leave dishes in the sink or skip the last set of squats. I think "lazy = bad" over and over so eventually this impacts my words. I label others as lazy and I become judgemental when they aren't "working doing enough".
When I got really curious about where this thought was coming from, I changed the pattern to replace the negative samskara. It came from my Granny who would call me "lazy bones" if I wasn't doing "enough" or wasn't being efficient in some way. "Lazy" was a slur in my family of origin with a very negative association. So now, as an adult, does this thought pattern serve me? Of course not! It's judgemental which makes me less kind to myself and the ripple extends out to others in a negative way. When I notice the thought of "See, you're just lazy...again" I can choose again. "Well done Shawnie, prioritizing yourself and the need for rest is so important!" It was challenging to get out of the rut, to change the samskara, and it's something I am still working on.
Pattern of Words: I tell my husband that he's bad at doing the dishes >. he stops doing them. I tell my husband that it's really sweet when he does the dishes > he does them more often. My pattern, my repetition of the words has a direct impact on someone else's thoughts and their subsequent actions. When I tell a buddy how smart she is over and over, hopefully she will think she is smart. If I only praise my niece for her pretty hair, she will think that the most important thing about her is that she is pretty. My Samskara creates ripples and they can help or hurt. When I speak words from a place of anxiety, fear and frustration, to myself or others, it is felt...both in the moment and later. When I change my language to be rooted in abundance and gratitude, it moves me and others from the rut to the groove.
Pattern of Actions: My morning routine goes something like this: I wake up at 5:30 am > use the bathroom and get dressed > go downstairs to turn on the kettle for my hot lemon water. While that's going, I snuggle with my dog and tell her she's the prettiest girl in the world. With a warm mug of lemon water, I head to my Zen Den. I turn on the space heater, light some sage and do 3 mins of breathwork > 10 mins of meditation and journal. At 6:15 am I leave the house to teach yoga. It is an awesome routine, one that nourishes me.
For 3 days a week this is my pattern. For 2 other days the pattern is pretty close, I just "sleep in" until 6:30 am (some of you are rolling your eyes!) and take a class or long walk with the dog. Sometimes I skip the meditation or breathwork depending on the morning. I don't skip journaling, this is a non-negotiable. The other 2 days, usually on the weekend, the pattern is different, a little looser with my more variety. I find this weekly schedule keeps me in the groove.
I worked hard to establish this pattern and get into a good morning groove because without it, I found myself in a negative pattern. I would hit snooze only to check e-mail or instagram, seeking my 1st hit of dopamine for the day. I would scroll too much then realize I was late for yoga so would skip the hot lemon water and show up frazzled to class. I didn't like how I was feeling in this rut and so I removed the negative samskara and replaced it with a positive one. This took effort and is still a work in progress. But damn the groove feels a whole lot better than the rut.
So as 2024 comes to a close, I invite you to consider the following:
What's serving you? Pause to notice your patterns: of scrolling and shopping. Of booze and bedtimes. What sensations arise in your body when you consider the samskaras in your life? Where are you spending your time and with whom? Are you doing things that light you up or merely out of obligation? Are your thoughts and words kind or do they cause ripples of harm, to you or those around you? What makes you feel "ugh" and what makes you feel "yassssss!" When are you in the rut and how can you move towards the groove?
Notice how your thoughts, words, and actions make you feel and if they aren't contributing to your best self, you can change the pattern. You can remove the negative samskara and replace it with a positive one. Move through this with love and compassion.