Home Site Map 7 Skills 4 Steps Short course 50+ Meditations Relaxation Breathing Witnessing Contemplation OM mantra Tantra Yoga Sutras

Coordinate
Coordinate the various aspects and levels of ourselves...

Yoga meditation is the art and science of systematically 
observing, accepting, understanding, and training 
each of the levels of our being, 
such that we may coordinate and integrate 
those aspects of ourselves, 
and dwell in the direct experience 
of the center of consciousness.

Home  Yoga Meditation  Back  Next

(To tour 16 aspects describing Yoga Meditation practice, click Next
in the line above, or click on one of the words or phrases above.)

Contents of this page: 
Coordinate the levels of our being 
Coordinate the aspects ourselves WITHIN each level 
Reduce the competition among desires 
Coordinate all of the aspects and all of the levels

Coordinate the levels of our being 

We are multi-leveled beings. We have senses, body, breath, conscious and unconscious aspects of mind. Often, it seems, these are going in different directions.

To train these aspects of ourselves to coordinate, rather than compete with one another is a very useful thing to do. This practice of coordinating is done both at meditation time, as well as in daily life by the student of yoga meditation. 

This means:

• The senses coordinate WITH the body, WITH the breath, 
     and WITH the mind.
• The body coordinates WITH the senses, WITH the breath, 
     and WITH the mind.
• The breath coordinates WITH the senses, WITH the body, 
     and WITH the mind. 
• The mind coordinates WITH the senses, WITH the body, 
     and WITH the breath. 

Coordinate the aspects ourselves WITHIN each level 

The various parts or systems of our physical body can also seem to be acting in opposition. As the saying goes, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. We want our physical aspects to be coordinated as well. 

Our sense may be going in different directions. While trying to do one thing, our eyes or ears are going somewhere else, and we end up frustrated or confused.

Our thoughts and emotions, conscious and unconscious, may be going in different directions. We want our emotions and thoughts to be balanced, coordinated.  

This means:

• All of the senses coordinate, or work together, as a team, 
  as a whole.
• All of the parts or systems of the physical body work together, as a team, as a whole.
• Inhalation and exhalation are twin laws of life, and work together, as a team, as a whole. 
• The four functions of mind (info) coordinate, like fingers on a hand, as a team, as a whole.

Reduce the competition among desires 

The body is driven by the sensory-motor mind (manas) to do actions in the world. Each motion of the body is an expression of some internal desire. It simply means that each action happens because some part of us "wanted" to do it. 

To gradually coordinate our actions, speech, and thoughts in positive ways is an act of balancing those inner desires, wants, wishes, and expectations such that they do not cause disturbances. 

Coordinate all of the aspects and all of the levels  

For any organization, such as a school or a business to be successful, it is necessary that the members within each department are not negatively competing with one another. It is also essential that that the departments not go off in different directions. Some amount of independence of individuals or departments may be useful, but too much leads to confusion, chaos, and the inability to stay on course toward chosen goals. 

It is most useful if all of the aspects and all of the levels of our being, while free to do their individual roles, are not so independent as to cause problems. Better that they work together, in a coordinated way. 

[Home] [Top] [Back] [Next]

-------