Samskaras - or the groovy brain

Those of you who know me well know how much I love an opportunity for a fresh start. A chance to set new goals, keep what’s working, toss what isn’t, and begin again with a clean slate.

Truthfully, I don’t really need a new year for this—an ordinary Monday will do just fine—but as you can imagine, January 1 is a particularly happy day for me.

As I sat down to think about my goal categories this year, reflecting on the behaviors I wanted to keep and the ones I was ready to leave behind, my mind drifted back to something I learned during yoga teacher training: Samskaras.

Patanjali teaches in the Yoga Sutras that each time we experience something and react to it, we create a small groove in the brain. When we’re repeatedly exposed to similar experiences or emotions, those grooves deepen over time. Eventually, our responses become instinctive and automatic—reactive rather than conscious.

The amazing brain!

Some of these patterns are helpful. (Learning to remember how to drive, for example, is a very good samskara!) Others, however, are less useful and can even be harmful.

According to Patanjali, the first step in loosening and smoothing out these grooves—our samskaras—is awareness. As with so many yoga teachings, it begins with staying present. By noticing our reactions and gently questioning them—Is this happening now, or is this coming from a past experience?—we create space. In that space, we move from reflexive reaction to conscious choice. Over time, the grooves soften, and we gain more freedom in how we respond.

Which got me thinking: becoming aware of our samskaras isn’t all that different from making New Year’s resolutions.

And if we approach behavior change through this lens—bringing awareness, presence, and curiosity to our habits—maybe it gives our resolve a better chance of lasting beyond January.

Here’s a real-life example.

I am a weather worrier. Yes, you read that right!

Any extreme weather event—snow, rain, heat—can send me into a spiral, especially when travel is involved. I think this dates back to living at the top of a hill on the East Coast and sliding down it  in my car, towards the main road during countless snow and ice storms. The magic of big snowfalls was completely overshadowed by worries: getting the kids to school, trees falling, pipes bursting… you get the idea

Snow Days in Maplewood

So on a recent trip to the UK, heavy snow was forecast in Scotland around the time of our return journey to the airport. This is hardly unusual there—and they are well prepared—but I was, of course, checking the forecast two weeks in advance.

I felt that familiar knot in my stomach as my mind slid effortlessly into its well-worn snowy groove: Should we cut the trip short? Stay at an airport hotel? What if… what if…

And then something clicked.

I remembered what I’d been teaching in my yoga classes that month. I realized this reaction was a deep, deeply ingrained samskara. And in that exact moment? It was 68 degrees and sunny.

It sounds almost silly, but it was true.

So I held onto that awareness over the following days. The anxiety didn’t vanish, but I noticed it when it arose and gently brought myself back to the present moment. And it helped—more than I expected. Definitely a work in progress, but also a meaningful start.

As January comes to a close and you find yourself reflecting on the habits you hoped to build—or the ones you wanted to let go of—perhaps this perspective offers a little encouragement. Viewing change through the lens of awareness, rather than force, might be the key to sticking with it.

And the snow?

Not a single flake.

If you’re interested in learning more about samskaras, these books might be a helpful place to start.

The Heart of Yoga - TKV Desikachar

The Untethered Soul - Michael A Singer