“Because every holon is a whole/part, it has two ‘tendencies’ or two ‘drives,’ we might say — it has to maintain both its wholeness and its partness.
 
On the one hand, it has to maintain its own wholeness, its own identity, its own autonomy, its own agency. If it fails to maintain and preserve its own agency, or its own identity, then it simply ceases to exist. So one of the characteristics of a holon, in any domain, is its agency, its capacity to maintain its own wholeness in the face of environmental pressures which would otherwise obliterate it. This is true for atoms, cells, organisms, ideas.
 
But a holon is not only a whole that has to preserve its agency, it is also a part of some other system, some other wholeness. And so, in addition to having to maintain its own autonomy as a whole, it simultaneously has to fit in as a part of something else. Its own existence depends upon its capacity to fit into its environment, and this is true from atoms to molecules to animals to humans.
 
So every holon has not only its own agency as a whole, it also has to fit with its communions as part of other wholes. If it fails at either — if it fails at agency or communion — it is simply erased. It ceases to be.”
Ken Wilber, A Brief History of Everything

“The agency of each holon establishes an opening or clearing in which similar-depthed holons can manifest to each other, for each other: agency-in-communion (all the way down).”Ken Wilber, Sex, Ecology, Spiritualty

1. Contemplative practices like mindfulness meditation or yoga, which can help you develop a clearer sense of your own bodymind, as well as a felt sense of your interconnectedness with the larger world.
2. Engaging in Integral Life Practice, particularly our live practice sessions, which include practices for cultivating multiple dimensions of your being (e.g., physical, emotional, mental, spiritual) in both individual and relational contexts. This can help you develop a more integrated and balanced sense of self and strengthen your capacity for Dynamic Interdependence.
3. Spending time in nature. Being in the natural world helps snap us out of our habitual realities and narrow identities, opening us to experiences of wonderment, awe, and a felt sense of our interconnectedness with all of life. Rites of passage in nature, with the support and challenge of mentors and fellow initiates, can profoundly shift our sense of self and relationship to the world.
4. Participate in rituals and rites of passage that mark the transition into new ways of being. Rituals and ceremonies led by elders can powerfully anchor a rite of passage experience, offering a sense of groundedness as we move into a new phase of our lives. By defining what we are moving from and toward, rituals provide a tangible threshold between life stages. Hearing peers and elders reflect your gifts and new identity can activate an embodied knowing of who you are becoming.
5. Engaging in selfless service or social activism that is grounded in an understanding of the fundamental inseparability of self and other, and that seeks to create conditions that support the full flourishing of all beings. This can help you embody Dynamic Interdependence in your actions in the world, while offering an infinitely renewable source of purpose.
6. Studying and applying integrative frameworks like Integral Theory, which provide maps and models for understanding the multidimensional nature of reality and the interdependence of individual and collective evolution. This can help you develop a more expansive and nuanced perspective on the dynamics of Agency and Communion.

The key is to approach these practices with an open and curious mindset, and to continually reflect on how you can bring greater awareness, skillfulness, and care to the expression of both Agency and Communion in all areas of your life. With ongoing practice and inquiry, you can develop an increasingly integrated and embodied understanding of the dynamic interdependence of self and world, and contribute to the ongoing coevolution of individual and collective wellbeing.