Karma and Habitual Patterns

Nicolai Bachman

Introduction to Yoga Sutras

Nicolai Bachman explores what karma is, why the theory of karma can explain the inexplicable, and how karma provides incentive to live a kind and honest life. Karma is much more than physical action – not just what we do, think, or say, but also how we interpret what’s coming in. Where these karma impressions are stored in ourselves, they can create habitual patterns (known as samskaras).

We should aspire to create positive samskaras, and avoid creating negative ones. Understanding how our reactive, habitual patterns can work for us or against is the first step in transforming ourselves into beings who can act consciously.