T HE N EXT F RONTIER : INNER COHERENCE
Simple methods to help the Conscience lead us— one breath, one choice at
a time.
By Ram Lev (LeonaRd PeRLmutteR)
Inner coherence is experienced when the Four Functions of the Mind are coordinated so the Conscience can provide us the thought to think, word to speak, and action to take that will lead us for our highest good.
In a world of constant notifications and opinions, our minds rarely rest. Information pours in, demanding reaction before reflection. We’ve gained knowledge but lost wisdom. and as the noise grows louder, the inner voice that once guided humanity—the quiet authority of the Conscience—has been all but forgotten.
the Conscience is not a religious concept or a moral referee. It is a practical faculty of the human mind, capable of reflecting intuitive wisdom from a deeper level of awareness. every one of us possesses this capacity, yet most of us have never been taught how to use it. We memorize, imitate, and perform—but seldom pause to ask whether our choices are aligned with truth, health, or peace of mind.
after fifty years of studying and teaching the science of the mind, I’ve found that most of our confusion stems from misunderstanding how our own mental instruments work. the mind functions through four interrelated
parts: the e go, the Senses, the unconscious, and the Conscience. each has value, but when untrained they operate chaotically. the ego craves control and recognition. the Senses chase pleasure and distraction. the unconscious recycles fears and habits. together they produce a relentless inner noise that drowns out clear discernment.
amid this clamor, the Conscience— the mind’s only decision-maker—must still act. It has no choice but to affirm the loudest or most persistent voice. this isn’t moral weakness; it’s simply the mechanical reality of an untrained mind. a s we’ve allowed e go, Senses, and u nconscious habit to dominate, the Conscience has been reduced to a rubber stamp for impulse.
When the four functions of the mind are coordinated, however, a remarkable transformation occurs. the ego, Senses, and u nconscious quiet themselves enough for the Conscience to reflect intuitive guidance from what yoga Philosophy calls the superconscious
mind—a dimension of intelligence that transcends thought yet informs it perfectly. When that unerring wisdom is reflected into the conscious mind, we know what to do and what not to do. and at that auspicious moment the only remaining challenge is willpower: the courage to act on what we know to be true, even when comfort or fear argue otherwise.
this process is neither mystical nor reserved for monks. It can be learned, practiced, and verified through personal experimentation and experience. the practices of am I m editation®, breath awareness, and self-observation are the laboratory methods. When applied with consistency, they re-establish order in the mind. Choices grow clearer. Habits soften. Peace becomes less an idea and more a daily possibility.
What’s missing from our modern education is precisely this training in the use of the mind. We teach how to gather information, not how to integrate it. We reward the speed of reaction, but ignore the quality of reflection. the result is a society rich in data yet poor in wisdom— where our most brilliant tools often serve our least examined impulses.
that is why, in 2020, the american meditation Institute established national Conscience month—a public education initiative dedicated to reminding
americans that freedom, without inner guidance, quickly becomes chaos. each January, the month invites individuals, schools, and communities to experiment with pausing before reacting, to ask: What does my Conscience say?
as we approach its seventh anniversary in January 2026, the message of national Conscience month feels more urgent than ever. the challenges facing our world—political polarization, ecological crisis, mental illness—are symptoms of a deeper fragmentation within the human psyche. the Conscience is the bridge back to wholeness. When individuals learn to coordinate the mind’s functions and act from inner clarity, compassion follows naturally.
Reclaiming the forgotten power of the mind begins not with new technology, but with renewed attention. It begins with the simple decision to listen inwardly before we speak, buy, vote, or judge. When we give the Conscience space to reflect Super Conscious Wisdom, our actions begin to serve both personal and collective well-being.
the next frontier of freedom is not outer conquest, but inner coherence. as Conscience month reminds us, every moment offers a choice: to react from habit or to act from understanding. the mind, properly trained, knows the difference.
How I Experimented With THE BHAGAVAD GITA
BY ANANDA MATA (AMY LASKOWITZ)
Chapter 5, Verses 8 and 9
Those whose consciousness is unified think, “I am always the instrument.” They are aware of this truth even while seeing or hearing, touching or smelling, eating, moving about or sleeping, breathing or speaking, letting go or holding on, even opening or closing the eyes. They understand that these are the movements of the senses among sense objects.
In the declaration, “I am always the instrument,” these verses aim to lift the veil of illusion, maya, that deludes the personality into believing it is an individual entity operating in the world separate from the Higher Self. When yoked to the knowledge of oneness, the aspirant operates in the realm of sensory objects with detachment as the imperishable witness.
With this knowing, the aspirant neither craves the objects of the senses nor seeks to manipulate outcomes in the
sensory world. all actions are carried out by the gunas. In this state of oneness, when actions are predetermined by the sattva guna and all fruits are surrendered, the lower self expands its awareness to merge with the Higher Self, and realizes that it “does nothing at all.”
a few weeks ago my eight year old daughter woke up in the middle of the night looking for relief. She was crying, saying that her ears were hurting. She was in obvious pain. She was pointing to her ear lobes, right where her ears had
been pierced in the late spring, five months before. after taking a quick look, I noted that the backings of both her earrings were missing and I wondered if she had been tossing and turning so much that she had irritated the tissue. I started to remove the front of the earring and immediately realized that the backs of her earrings were not missing at all. they were inside the tissue of the lobe.
When I communicated my assessment to my husband, maya acknowledged that she had been so worried about losing these particular earrings that her best friend had gifted her, that she had pushed the backings too far.
With the realization that she had two earring backings inside her ear lobes, the lower self arrived on the scene to narrate how bad the situation was. a cascade of stress hormones rushed through my body. I was paralyzed with fear. my husband was distraught. It was almost 11 o’clock at night. the pediatrician’s office was closed. the children’s eR was over an hour away and even if we had left that moment, by the time she was treated and we returned home, she would likely not sleep at all that night. She was exhausted, she was crying, and she was looking for immediate relief.
aware of the rajasic nature of the scene unfolding before me, I knew I needed to quiet the unskillful suggestions of the lower self and restore a moment of quiet stillness. I closed my eyes and went to the breath. I allowed the mantra to come in. Having previously birthed three 8-9 pound babies without ever needing a stitch, I was reminded of the human body’s exceptional ability to stretch, particularly when the stretching is done gently and calmly.
m y intuition was telling me to assess whether I could gently coax the backings out by stretching the tissue without causing a tear. If I found she
was in too much pain, or if the skin was not yielding, I committed to putting her in the car. I soothed my daughter and washed my hands. I asked the amy personality, with all her fears and anxieties, to leave the room for that particular moment. It was not her time to guide this action.
yoked as the witness, with all my love and quiet concentration, I went to the mantra. I said a silent prayer asking for guidance. all of the rajasic noise went quiet. With the mantra as the guide, I gave my efforts over to the Higher Self and with calmness and gentleness, slowly stretched the skin and guided the backings out the same holes they had entered. maya remained quiet and calm through the entire effort.
In less than fifteen minutes both backings had been freed, her ears were sanitized, antibiotic ointment had been applied and she was snuggled in a long embrace that eased her back to sleep. that night it was very clear to me that my personality had believed herself to be separate and afraid, and therefore not reliably capable of helping her daughter. Her fear and attachment to her child’s well-being invited the state of restless activity known as rajas guna, and in that state of separate agitation, skillful action was not attainable.
In those moments when we become aware that the restless, anxious state of mind known as rajas predominates, and that we have forgotten the truth of our Higher Selves, we must turn to the Higher knowledge and respond as the witness. yoked to that remembrance, we find the strength, the clarity and the courage to act skillfully in the world. and regardless of the outcome, our inner peace is undisturbed, we add love to the world, and we meet the darkness with light.
Spiritual Poetry by
Vyasa Bob Iwaniec DC
The desire game
you
Keep playing
yet the result Is the same
there ain’t no winning
the desire game
Jesus loves you
there is no “undo”
that’s how We learn
Jesus Loves you now, It's your turn
You caught me at a bad time
Remember, everyone Is a manifestation of the divine
Sometimes however We catch them
at a
Bad time
Faith or fear? (Choose wisely)
Faith and fear
Both ask us
to believe in something
We cannot see
Would you care to take a guess,
Which will keep you bound and which will set you free?
Why I’m here (Why we’re all here)
Heartache despair
anger
Fear
I’ve
Been there…
that’s why
I’m here
From proving to knowing
From proving to knowing,
that’s the goal
From proving
that you’re something
to knowing
that you’re whole
Bob Iwaniec (Vyasa) has practiced Yoga Science for over 20 years, and teaches at
January 2026 will mark the 7th Annual observance of National Conscience Month. Throughout the month Americans from all walks of life will be imagining new ways to celebrate the benefits of experimenting with their Conscience to guide their thoughts, words and deeds.
Here’s a special opportunity for high school seniors across the nation! You’re now invited to participate in a unique and creative way by writing a short essay about using your Conscience instead of old habits. Think of a real situation in your life or create an imaginary scenario in which you allowed (or chose not to allow) your Conscience to guide your thoughts, words and actions. What were the results? What were the benefits? Did you experience any unexpected consequences? What did you learn from your experiment?
One talented student will receive a $2,795. scholarship,* awarded for an original essay of 1,000 words or less. *$2,000 scholarship for Higher Education, and $795 scholarship for the AMI Meditation Foundation Course
Submission Instructions: No membership or purchase of any kind is required to take part in the National Conscience Month Essay Contest. Essay submissions should be sent by email to ami@americanmeditation.org. Submissions should be sent as a PDF attachment. Submissions must be received no later than Tuesday, February 3, 2026. The contest winner will be notified by email. Submissions may be featured by the American Meditation Institute either online or in print in connection with National Conscience Month programming and promotions, and the right to reproduce submissions is reserved by AMI. For complete information visit: ConscienceMonth.org E-mail essays to: ami@americanmeditation.org Essays must include: your name, address, phone number and high school name.
The Right Tools at the Right Time for a Happy, Healthy, Rewarding Personal and Professional Life
Developed by Ram Lev / Leonard Perlmutter
Derived from his award-winning books: The Heart and Science of Yoga and YOUR CONSCIENCE ®
Yoga Science & Philosophy–WEEK 1
Learn to expand your creative consciousness
How to use the mind for the best choices
Understanding pain as an agent for healing
Increasing energy, will power & creativity
Antidotes for worry, stress and depression
AMI Meditation®–W EEK 2
Systematic procedure for AMI Meditation®
Diminishing distractions with your Mantra
Learning the one-minute meditation
Building focus and fearlessness
Breathing Techniques–WEEK 3
Breath as Medicine
How breathing irregularities foster dis-ease
Three-part diaphragmatic breath
Yoga Psychology & Ayurveda–WEEK 4
Coordinate the Four Functions of the Mind to access the power and Inner Wisdom of Your Conscience
Use the power of NOW to build and heal relationships
Ayurvedic Medicine & Nutrition for your health
Easy-Gentle Yoga Exercises–WEEK 5
Yoga stretches to detox the lymph system and benefit your muscles, nerves, joints, glands & internal organs
Physiological benefits of yoga postures
Mind / Body Self-Care Plan–WEEK 6
The healing power of prayer
The practical benefits of contemplation
Creating a therapeutic self-care plan for yourself
Learning to budget your time
Integrating spirituality into daily life
FOUND ATION COURSE – Live on ZOOM & A MI Home Center
Endorsed by Dean Ornish MD, Bernie Siegel MD, Larry Dossey MD
Ram Lev (Leonard Perlmutter)
Ram Lev is an American spiritual teacher, a direct disciple of medical pioneer Swami Rama of the Himalayas, and a living link to the world’s oldest health and wisdom spiritual tradition. A noted educator, philosopher and Yoga Scientist, Ram Lev is the founder of the American Meditation Institute, developer of The Foundation Course curriculum, and originator of National Conscience Month. He is the author of the award-winning books, The Heart and Science of Yoga® and YOUR CONSCIENCE, and the Mind/Body/Spirit Journal, Transformation. A rare and gifted teacher, Ram Lev’s writings and classes are enlivened by his inspiring enthusiasm, vast experience, wisdom, humor and a clear, practical teaching style. Ram Lev has presented courses at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, numerous medical colleges, Kaiser Permanente, the Commonwealth Club of California, the U. S. Military Academy at West Point and The New York Times Yoga Forum with Dean Ornish MD.
CLINICALLY PROVEN PROGRAM DEVELOPED
• Anyone experiencing stress, uncertainty, anxiety or burnout
• Professionals and caregivers seeking sustainable self-care & mental clarity
• People navigating life transitions: career change, retirement, grief, or new beginnings
• Leaders and changemakers striving to lead with wisdom and purpose
• Students of yoga, meditation, or Ayurveda looking to deepen their understanding
• Physicians, NPs, PAs seeking Continuing Medical Education 18 CME credits
CALENDAR
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FREE: Every Sunday 9:30 -11:00am ET GUIDED MEDITATION & SATSANG
TANTRIC HEALING
Advanced “Yoga
Nidra”
Practices To Benefit Mind and Body
Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev) –– AMI Founder
Level II: This advanced 2-week course provides instruction on the subtle energy healing of Tantra, a system of powerfully effective tools for self-care and stress management. These therapeutic practices minimize tension, facilitate energy flow, calm the mind, awaken creativity, enhance memory and retard the aging and disease processes. You’ll receive instruction in the practices of yoga nidra, shitali karana, shavayatra, and tantric visualization.
LIVE on ZOOM and at the AMI Home Center
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
Henry David Thoreau
NOVEMBER - JANUARY 2025-26
NOV 5 - DEC 10: FOUNDATION COURSE FOR LIFE (6 wks) p.9-10
Wed. Nights, 6:30 -8:30 PM ET Live on Zoom & at AMI
NOV 9 & 16: YOGA SCIENCE LAB (2 wks) see p.12
Sun. Night, 6:30-8:30 PM ET
Live on Zoom – date to be determined
DEC 6 & 13: TANTRIC HEALING (2 wks) p.11
Saturdays, 1:30 - 3:30 PM ET Live on Zoom & AMI Home Center
DEC 8 - JAN 12: GITA/ YOGA PSYCHOLOGY (6 wks) see p. 12
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DEC 21 : JESUS’S SECRET LIFE IN INDIA see p. 13
Sunday, 9:30 - 11:00 AM
Live on Zoom & AMI Home Center
AmericanMeditation.org/sunday Education for Enlightenment®
November-December, 2025 • Vol. XXIX No. 1
PO Box 430, Averill Park, NY 12018
©2025 by Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev) and The American Meditation Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy, Inc.
SATURDAYS, 1:30 - 3:30PM ET $125. (2 WKS)
DEC 6 & 13 LIVE ON ZOOM & AMI HOME CENTER
YOGA SCIENCE LAB ®
How to Practice Meditation-in-Action
Ram Lev and Devi & AMI Faculty Members
Prerequisite: Foundation Course for Life
Level II: In the AMI Meditation® Foundation Course, you learned that your thoughts are your most valuable asset. The Yoga Science Lab® will help you examine your thoughts and expand your ability to focus your attention. The techniques learned in seated AMI Meditation® are applied in every duty and responsibility throughout the day. This process is called Meditation-in-Action. As you experiment with the Truth reflected by your Conscience, you’ll develop decisionmaking skills that will enhance your confidence in all relationships. As you have already learned, to experience real freedom you must be centered in the present moment, know who you are, and follow your Inner Wisdom. The Yoga Science Lab® can help you achieve that freedom!
SUNDAYS, 6:30PM -8:00 PM ET, $75. (2 WKS) NOV 9 & 16
LIVE ON ZOOM
YOGA PSYCHOLOGY
BHAGAVAD GITA STUDY
Ram Lev (Leonard) and Jenness (Devi)
Level II: In continuous six week installments this course presents the profound teachings of the Bhagavad Gita as a handbook on the science of life and the art of living. If you are seeking a manual or guide for the supreme task of living a fulfilling and purposeful life in the world today, this ongoing study will provide you the practical wisdom, tools, meaning, courage and confidence you need. Each week Leonard and Jenness will teach you how to reduce stress and enhance your health and creative abilities, while offering you a fresh, positive perspective on all your personal and business relationships. This course provides the practical blueprint to resolve all of life’s challenges.
MONDAYS, 6:30 - 8:30 PM ET, $150. (6 WKS)
DEC 8 - JAN 12, JAN 19 - FEB 23
LIVE ON ZOOM & AMI HOME CENTER
Watch this 2-Minute Video
“If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you.
If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”
JEsus ThE ChrIsT (GosPEL oF sT. ThoMAs) His Teachings as a Master of Yoga Science & Philosophy Presented by Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness (Devi)
Sunday, December 21, 2025 • 9:30 -11:00AM ET Live on Zoom and at the AMI Home Center O N Z OOM : americanmeditation.org/jesus
MEDITATIon® Foundation Course for Life with Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev)
Testimonials
“My appeal to every caregiver would be to love yourself. Express the same compassion to yourself, as you would for those you care for. And look in the mirror and ask yourself: ‘Are you happy?’ ‘Are you thriving?’ And if not, why is that? AMI’s Foundation Course for Life is news to use! It is the antidote to so many of our day-to-day challenges.”
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“Just as food satisfies hunger, your teaching has filled my need to nourish the soul.”
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“On a scale of 1 to 10, I rate this course a 10. On a scale of A to F, I’d give it an A+. On a scale of bad to good, I would give it a Great!”
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“Phenomenal course! Leonard is an excellent teacher and now a friend. This experience was so enlightening in comparison to the usual medical courses which are packed with data, but often not very useful. This experience has actually changed my life!”
Larry
Iannarone MD
SEE PAGES 9 & 10
