A habitual pattern starts either with some wrong conclusions in our thinking or picking up certain thinking patterns as part of our socialization process, and we have not given enough thought to these. Certain habitual patterns are OK, in fact even good to have. Like you may have a habitual pattern of exercising or meditating every morning, and that’s good. Or having a cup of tea in the morning; that’s not a problem. A habitual pattern becomes a problem if it becomes a conditioning. It becomes a conditioning if I get disturbed or upset when I cannot do it. It’s only these patterns that are unhealthy conditioning or patterns that prevent me from building up healthier patterns. These are the patterns I need to break.
Analysis is necessary because I have to see how valid or invalid this pattern is. Is it harming me or not? What is it doing to my life? And I try to see the limitation of the whole thing in a logical and rational way. But if I’m behaving in a certain pattern in spite of understanding it, then I need to do some contemplation, etc., to soak up that knowledge and make that knowledge a part of me. Like the golla that needs to soak up the rasa to become a sweet rasagolla.
How long do I continue this analysis? I do it until I’m not responding in a conditioned manner any more, but am responding more deliberately. Along with contemplation, this is also important –that I learn to respond deliberately, consciously, and not unconsciously, which is what habitual patterns are about.
So, along with my understanding, my contemplation to soak up that understanding and to break that pattern, I have to learn a healthier way of responding or living deliberately and consciously until it becomes natural for me. I continue this until I reach that point when I am spontaneous. Then I will know when to stop.