The Yoga of Meditation

Krishna describes the physical posture and gaze for meditation. 'Samaṁ kāya-śiro-grīvaṁ dhārayan'—holding (dhārayan) the body (kāya), head (śiraḥ), and neck (grīva) straight (samaṁ). This means: the spine should be erect, the head and neck aligned with the body—straight posture, not slouched. 'Acalaṁ sthiraḥ'—motionless (acalam) and steady (sthiraḥ). This means: once you're in the correct posture, hold it steady—don't fidget, don't move, remain still. 'Samprekṣya nāsikāgraṁ svam'—gazing (samprekṣya) at the tip of one's own (svam) nose (nāsikāgram). This means: focus your eyes on the tip of your nose—this helps concentrate the mind. 'Diśaś cānavalokayan'—without looking around (anavalokayan) at the directions (diśaḥ). This means: don't let your eyes wander—keep them focused on the nose tip, not looking around. The posture and gaze support the one-pointed mind—a steady body and focused gaze help maintain concentration.