The Yoga of Meditation

Krishna continues the meditation guidelines by describing the ideal seat. 'Śucau deśe'—in a clean (śucau) place (deśe). This means: the environment matters—it should be clean, pure, free from distractions. 'Pratiṣṭhāpya sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ'—having established (pratiṣṭhāpya) a firm (sthiram) seat (āsanam) for oneself (ātmanaḥ). This means: the seat should be stable, steady, not wobbly. 'Nātyucchritaṁ nātinīcam'—neither too high (nātyucchritam) nor too low (nātinīcam). This means: the height should be moderate, comfortable for sitting. 'Cailājina-kuśottaram'—covered with (uttaram) cloth (caila), deer skin (ajina), and kusha grass (kuśa). This means: the seat should be covered with natural materials that provide comfort and insulation. The seat is important—it's your foundation for meditation. If it's unstable, too high, too low, or uncomfortable, it will distract you from practice. A proper seat supports long meditation sessions.