Samskara

I recently posted a meditation on Insight Timer called Releasing Past Actions (samskara).

What is a samskara?

In Sanskrit “Sam” means joined together and “kara” translates as action under taken. According to yogic philosophy, samskaras are impressions of our desires, or grooves of our past actions or patterns of habit. Samskaras are often thought of as solely negative, but they can also be positive. Samskaras are the result of deep conditioning from repeated behavior which can create suffering or pain in many forms. We as humans are creatures of habit and are therefore all susceptible to samskaras and sufferings. So how do we erase negative samskara and instead become more attentive to creating nourishing, positive samksaras with a goal of reducing our pain and suffering?

The yoga Sutra 2.16 states, “Heyam duhkham anagatom” which breaks down as

“heyam” – avoid, prevent;
“dukham” – suffering, pain;
“anagatam”- which has not yet come

The full translation of this sutra is “suffering caused by our past actions is avoidable.” We can prevent future suffering through our yoga and meditation practice which builds awareness and introspection by moving through seven steps.

How to release samskara

1. Set an intention (sankalpa). A short phrase or vow that is set in the present tense as if it is already happening. This is the beginning of cultivating yoga or “yolking,” a uniting of body and mind.

2. Commitment/perseverance (tapas). Build a committed and sustainable disciple toward change in the form of a sadhana or daily practice. This is best done at the same time daily and sometimes requires you to put it in your calendar to ensure you make the time for your practice.

3. Slowing down (shani). Slow down your asana practice to explore and practice introspection. Somatic yoga is a great way to do this. Slow down and take the time for reflection in your practice and daily experiences. Build in patience and time between impulse and action.

4. Awareness/Clarity (vidya). Practicing self-inquiry such as “what am I to learn from this experience/thought/feeling/emotion?” How has this pattern of behavior affected me? Ask where does this belief come from and how is it creating suffering?

5. Fearlessness (abhaya). Learn to not avoid/ignore/deny/burynegative thoughts/feelings/emotions/situations/experiences/pain and suffering, but instead stay present with them and moving through them.

6. Visualization (darshana). Using visualization and imagery to create new patterns of thought/movement/action that are positive and forward moving to replace old, negative patterns that no longer serve you. We use visualization often in my pain care classes.

7. Practice (Abhyasa). Practice daily to reinforce the new pattern. Become aware of the triggers of old patterns of thought/poor movement patterns/belief systems and use tools to diligently bring you back to the healthier, positive pattern.

Tricks I have used

For example, wear a rubber band on your wrist and when you catch yourself having a negative thought or talking negatively about yourself and learn to reframe it more positively. Thought/words: “I am never going to be able to as young as I was and be able to _______ the way I used to,” take a deep breath and rephrase the sentence in a positive way. “Every day and in every way I am getting better and better at ___________.”

Whenever we are able to leave an old pattern or samskara behind we build space to heal and have the freedom to change, decreasing our suffering and offering us a future ripe with possibility and hope, bringing us closer to the life we deserve.

Work through this process in meditation with me and make sure you follow me on Insight Timer for new meditations! And check out my live upcoming events and on demand courses!