Spring is a season of rebirth in DC, with an extra dose of pollen and blossom fragrance in every breath to remind us. As part of this recreation of the self, people are hitting their yoga mats hard as they emerge out of DC’s winter hibernation. Some folks are developing yoga as a new habit while old hands are reconnecting with or sustaining their yoga habit.

In order to keep yoga as a healthy habit and to let go of unhealthy habits, it’s a good time to pay attention to the underlying nature of habits. It’s so odd how we keep habits and hold patterns, even down to talking a certain way, without even realizing what we are doing or why we are doing it. Habits are just automatic. We often consider our habits to be part of our identity, part of the way we are. But this just isn’t that true. Habits are just something we do, but they aren’t what we should identify ourselves by. Let’s go a bit deeper than that.

So next time we start operating according to a habit, whether good or bad, let’s pause and look at what state of being that the habitual action is a reflection of. Do we like the state of being our habits are based on? Do we want to remain, being, in that state?

If we ask ourselves these questions, whether we keep our old habits or not, we will be more aware of our habits and what causes them. That’s the kind of self knowledge that yoga is all about.

So what motivates your habits, including your yoga habit?