Vasanas in yoga: how to consciously manage subconscious tendencies

Vasanas are deep subconscious patterns that shape our automatic reactions and habits. In the context of yoga, they're viewed as imprints of past experiences (including those from past lives) that continue to affect our behavior and emotions in the present day.

How do vasanas manifest in everyday life?

They can take many forms, including:

• unexplained fears or anxieties;
• recurring conflicts in relationships;
• self-limiting beliefs.

"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate."

Carl Jung

In yogic philosophy, the concepts of karma, samskaras and vasanas form a unified system that explains the mechanisms responsible for human destiny and behavior. Karma, understood as the law of cause and effect, manifests itself through all of our actions— physical, verbal, and mental. Each such action leaves a deep imprint in the consciousness called a samskara. These subtle mental impressions accumulate in our non-physical body, forming consistent tendencies and predispositions.

When samskaras reach a certain level of maturity, they become vasanas— deep subconscious impulses that determine our automatic reactions and behavior patterns. Vasanas can be compared to a riverbed along which our psychic energy naturally flows. They define our character, habits, and means of interacting with the world.

This process has a cyclical nature: our actions create samskaras, which crystallize into vasanas, which in turn determine new actions. This creates a vicious circle, Sansara, the endless cycle of rebirths and deaths in yoga, which can only be ended through understanding of this mechanism and deliberate spiritual practice.

What sets this process apart is its cumulative effect: just as a snowball grows in size as it rolls down a mountain, vasanas intensify with every repetition of the corresponding action. Moreover, according to yogic texts, this mechanism operates not only within a single lifetime but is passed on from incarnation to incarnation, which explains our innate inclinations and talents.

Transforming this process requires systematic work. The first step is developing awareness and allowing oneself to notice the manifestation of automatic reflexes. Then comes the practice of changing one's habitual patterns through yogic techniques such as asanas, pranayamas, and meditation. Here, the principle of Nididhyasana — deep reflection and contemplation that helps reprogram the deep layers of consciousness — plays the most crucial role.

Changing ingrained vasanas is a gradual process, so this path requires strong patience and persistence. However, according to yogic tradition, it is precisely this kind of work that leads to true freedom and spiritual awakening, allowing one to move beyond predetermined dependencies and realize their true potential.

How can one get rid of vasanas? The first step is becoming aware of these patterns.

Vasanas are deeply ingrained tendencies that automatically control our reactions and choices and create recurring patterns in the following key areas:

1. The emotional sphere (emotional autopilot):
   • Outbursts of anger over trivial matters.
   • Chronic anxiety without objective cause.
   • Constant feelings of guilt even when there's no reason for guilt.

   In essence: inadequate, uncontrollable emotional reactions to occurring events.

2. Intrapersonal relationships (recurring scenarios):
• The same problems with different partners (unavailability, dependence, betrayal).
• Recurring conflicts with colleagues, friends, and family (feeling disrespected or used).
• Difficulty with boundaries: inability to say "no" or, on the contrary, getting defensive and aggressive.

In essence: unconscious attraction or provocation of familiar painful relationships.

3. Professional activity (invisible barriers):
   • Fear of success/failure: sabotaging one's own achievements of turning down opportunities.
   • Imposter syndrome: lacking confidence in one's own achievements and expecting exposure.
   • Learned helplessness: believing that all efforts are futile ("it won't work anyway").
   In essence: deep-seated attitudes that block the realization of one's potential and satisfaction with their job.

The key features here are automatism and repetition. Reactions and choices occur "on autopilot," following a familiar pattern even if the person understands their destructiveness. Recognizing this cyclicality, the primary indicator of active vasana, is the first step to working with troublesome patterns.

Methods of working with vasanas in yoga

Yoga offers a holistic and time-tested arsenal of methods for recognizing and transforming deep subconscious tendencies, or vasanas. This work requires patience and consistency but leads to liberation from automatic reactions and helps achieve true freedom of choice. Now, let's examine the key areas of practice.

• Asanas: working through the body. Physical poses in yoga are not only exercises but tools for accessing the subconscious. For instance, certain asanas can help release muscle tension, which is often a bodily reflection of ingrained psychological patterns. Balasana (child's pose) calms the overstimulated mind, creating a safe space for introspection, while twists such as Ardha Matsyendrasana gently work the abdomen and spine, promoting the release of stagnant energy and emotional blockages. Inverted asanas such as Sarvangasana (shoulder-stand) literally shift our perspective, helping us see situations from a new angle and loosen our rigid thinking. Regular asana practice thus helps develop sensitivity to inner states and teaches one to recognize the subtle ties between the body and mind.
• Pranayamas: transforming energy. Breathing techniques directly affect our state of mind and the movement of prana, the life force which nourishes our mental patterns. Nadi-shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) balances the energy channels that flow through our body, harmonizing emotions and reducing impulsive reactions. Similarly, the cleansing technique of Kapalabhati (breath of fire) effectively dispels obsessive thoughts and anxiety. Bhramari, a calming technique that involves humming like a bee, calms the nervous system and helps break the cycle of automatic negative reactions. Mindful breathing teaches us to pause between the stimulus and response, which is key to weakening the grip of vasanas.
• Meditation and introspection: recognizing patterns. Working with vasanas is impossible without developing mindfulness, and meditative practices are the basis for mindfully observing the contents of the mind without identifying with them. Vipassana (insight meditation) trains the ability to witness one's thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations without attachment, impartially viewing recurring patterns at their source. Mantra meditation uses the power of sound vibrations to focus the mind and positively reprogram the subconscious. An integral part of it is Svadhyaya (self-study), a deep and honest analysis of one's motives, reactions, and deeds. This may include reflecting on certain questions such as: what is the deep-seated need for this reaction? How do I know this scenario? What can this situation teach me?
• Awareness in everyday life: consolidating changes. Transformation doesn't just happen on the mat. For this reason, it's important to integrate mindfulness into your routine. This includes learning to pause before reacting automatically to a stimulus and instead thinking the situation through to find a better response. Keeping a journal of your states and triggers can help you uncover hidden behavioral patterns, and regular gratitude practice can shift the focus from scarcity and negativity to abundance and positivity, weakening negative vasanas. Gradually, if these practices are employed, your old automatisms will be replaced with new, healthier behavior patterns.

Step-by-step work process

Working with vasanas is a slow, steady, step-by-step path.

• It begins with an honest recognition of your automatic reactions and triggers.
• It is then followed by acceptance of what is observed, understanding that it's part of the experience and avoiding self-reproach.
• The third step is exploration: a deep study of causes and context of the pattern's emergence, i.e. its "roots." A transformation occurs based on this understanding, a conscious effort to replace the old model with a new, more desirable one using all of the yogic tools listed above.
• The final step is integration, when the new behavior pattern is reinforced through regular, conscious repetition and becomes fully natural.

Working with deep layers of the psyche requires caution. Special caution should be exercised in cases of severe mental disorders, acute stages of crisis (e.g. deep depression, severe anxiety), or recent psychological trauma. In these cases, initiate practice only after consultation with a doctor and under the guidance of an experienced and sensitive mentor. Remember that the key strategies for success are gradualism, regularity of practice, and patience with oneself. If necessary, especially when working with deep traumas, yogic practice can be effectively combined with professional psychotherapy. The support of a knowledgeable teacher (guru) or experienced yoga instructor who understands the psychological aspects of this practice is invaluable on this path.

Working with vasanas is a path of profound transformation that leads to quality changes in all areas of life. This process requires patience and systematic practice but brings tangible results, such as:

• heightened awareness--- the ability to observe emotions without identifying with them;
• emotional freedom--- liberation from negative emotions and habitual patterns;
• harmonious relationships--- building healthy relationships without projecting the past;
• unlocking potential--- realizing one's creative and professional talents.

This path begins with slow, steady efforts to recognize patterns and leads into a state in which purified energies help the consciousness evolve. By beginning this path, a person not only gains personal freedom but also the ability to act from a state of balance and awareness, bringing positive changes to the world around them.