How Mindful Awareness Makes Changing Habits with Yoga a Powerful Path towards Healing and Growth
According to Leslie Kaminov, master yoga teacher and yoga therapist T.K.V. Desikachar used to say, “Your yoga needs to be just a little more clever than your habits.”
I love this description because I find that a lot of the work I do with my clients, at its core, involves changing habits with yoga. We use the yoga practices to shift ingrained patterns of movement, thought, behavior, and nervous system response in order to experience the world—and ourselves—in new and improved ways. And along the way, we can reduce symptoms, restore our power, and get clearer on what really matters.
What Makes Habit Change So Hard?
Habits aren’t inherently bad. In fact, they are vital for our survival. Habits help us save energy by giving us shortcuts for navigating life and allow us to respond quickly to urgent situations. But habits can stop serving us as well over time, and some habits can eventually contribute to chronic pain, anxiety, or disconnection from ourselves. Being aware of your habits—and recognizing when they might be doing more harm than good—allows you to work on intentionally creating more helpful patterns of behavior, a powerful tool for healing.
Changing habits with yoga is not about pushing through discomfort or forcing new routines. Instead, it’s about bringing gentle awareness to what’s already happening and working skillfully, and compassionately, with those patterns.
Where to Start: Mindful Awareness of Habits
Whether you’re dealing with chronic pain, or anxiety, or insomnia, the first step is usually just to notice the patterns that are already unfolding in your life. What patterns are present in your body, breath, and mind? What symptoms are chronic or recurring, and how do these relate to repeated thoughts and behaviors? In other words, which habits are helping you, and which might be contributing to pain or discomfort?
When engaging in this mindfulness process, it’s important to note that you don’t have to change anything yet. This phase is just about learning to tune into what’s already there.
I teach my clients to see symptoms as messengers or guides. Yes, they can be intensely uncomfortable and unpleasant—and they’re also trying to tell you something. Symptoms can provide you with clues; they’re often a window into where your habits are no longer serving you well, whether we’re talking about patterns of movement, breathing, thought, or behavior.
Many of these habits start out subconsciously, below your level of awareness. Yoga therapy gives us tools to gently bring these habits into the light. What are the patterns that contribute to how you feel? And given that, where does your power lie to create change? Whether you’re dealing with pain, anxiety, or insomnia, the process often starts the same way: by paying attention.
Next Steps: Yoga Therapy Tools for Changing Habits
Once you’re able to recognize your patterns, you can begin the process of changing habits with yoga practices. The great thing about yoga therapy is that it is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It’s customized for you as an individual, and uses personalized tools to create change in the body-mind system. Your needs and your goals inform the ways I can help you as a yoga therapist.
Some of the yoga therapy tools that can be used for changing habits may include:
- Mindful movement practices to soften patterns of tension or strain
- Breathwork practices to support nervous system regulation
- Meditation practices to teach relaxation and focus, foster flexible thought and emotion, and access deep insights
- Self-inquiry to explore explore patterns and uncover the beliefs that shape your choices
Using these yoga therapy practices consistently over time can support you in intentionally changing habits with yoga—building new, supportive rhythms that help you feel more connected and resilient.
You Don’t Have to Do It Alone
Change doesn’t have to happen in isolation. It can be incredibly helpful to have the support of a yoga therapist who can provide insights and guidance to help you find your way through this process.
If I can support you or of you’re curious about how yoga therapy can support you in making lasting changes, please set up a free call so we can talk about what you need.
