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Integral Yoga
S. SATCH: No, no, none of these practices should be done with any strain. They should be done up to one's capacity; gradually, gently, with no forcing.
L.M.: Or, our minds might rebel.
S. SATCH: Yes, yes, and next is controlling the senses-the body, the breath, the senses. And of course, controlling the mind: the mind works through the senses. You control the senses one by one, and through that process you control the mind. So then, how do you take care of your sight, your speech, your sense of smell and hearing, all the senses? You don't have to simply follow the senses wherever they lead you. Instead, should demand that the senses do you whatever you want. Suppose the eye says, I want to go see a movie. And you say, no, I have to go to church. Who wins ultimately? If you win, then you have control over your eyes; and if the eyes win, you lose control over them. The habit of eating is also like that. You have nice sumptuous food, and after the meal somebody brings you a delicious cake. So you feel like eating it.
L.M.: Definitely, we do.
S. SATCH: But you say to your mind: no, you have eaten so much good food, you can have it later. But the mind says: I want it now. If you succumb to that, you are not in control of your mind-through your tongue.
L.M.: So it is a disciplining.
S. SATCH: It is disciplining the senses. Then comes the practice of meditation itself—that begins with concentration. As soon as you try to control your mind, it doesn't want to stay one way, in one place. It will run here and there. You will think of something, and within a few seconds, it will go somewhere else. You think of a rose, you admire the rose and how beautiful it is. But immediately, your mind will jump to somebody who gave you the rose a few days back; then will think of him instead of the rose. You think: Where did I meet him? Your mind roams around, all over. Then you realize that I started with the rose, but now the mind is running away. Bring it back to the rose. That is, you fix or focus on a certain point. The mind runs here and there; and you bring it back to the point again and again. That is concentration—or dharana—according to the Yoga system.
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