How to Meditate Using Gita Teachings

Prepare Your Environment

The Gita emphasizes the importance of a proper meditation environment. Verse 6.11 instructs: "In a clean spot, having established a firm seat, neither too high nor too low, covered with cloth, deerskin, and kusha grass..."

• Choose a Clean Place: Find a quiet, clean area free from disturbances. This could be a dedicated corner of a room, a peaceful outdoor spot, or any place where you won't be interrupted.
• Create a Stable Seat: Use a cushion, meditation bench, or chair. The key is stability - you should be able to sit comfortably without wobbling or discomfort.
• Moderate Temperature: The environment shouldn't be too hot or cold. Comfortable conditions support longer, more focused practice.
• Reduce Distractions: Turn off phones, close doors, and inform household members of your practice time. Even brief interruptions can disrupt deep concentration.

Assume Proper Posture

Verse 6.13 provides specific postural guidance: "Holding the body, head, and neck erect and still, gazing at the tip of one's nose without looking around..."

• Spine Alignment: Keep your back, neck, and head in a straight line. This isn't rigid military posture but a natural alignment that allows energy to flow freely.
• Comfortable Position: Sit cross-legged if comfortable, or on a chair with feet flat on the floor. The goal is stability without strain.
• Hands Position: Rest hands on knees or in your lap. Traditional mudras (hand positions) like chin mudra can enhance focus.
• Relaxed Shoulders: Release tension from shoulders, jaw, and face. Physical relaxation supports mental relaxation.
• Eyes: Gently close the eyes or keep them half-open with a soft downward gaze. The Gita mentions focusing on the tip of the nose or between the eyebrows.

Regulate the Breath

While the Gita doesn't detail specific pranayama techniques, it references breath control as part of meditation. Verse 4.29 mentions "offering the outgoing breath into the incoming" as a form of practice.

• Natural Breathing: Begin by simply observing your natural breath without trying to change it. Notice the rhythm, the temperature, the sensation.
• Slow, Deep Breaths: Gradually deepen and slow your breathing. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system, calming the mind.
• Equal Breathing: Try making inhalation and exhalation equal in length. Count 4 seconds in, 4 seconds out, adjusting as comfortable.
• Breath Awareness: Use the breath as an anchor. When the mind wanders, gently return attention to the breath.

Withdraw the Senses

The Gita describes sense withdrawal (pratyahara) as essential for meditation. Verse 2.58 uses the image of a tortoise withdrawing its limbs: "When one can completely withdraw the senses from their objects, as a tortoise withdraws its limbs, one's wisdom becomes steady."

• Release External Focus: Stop actively listening to sounds or noticing physical sensations. Let external stimuli fade to the background.
• Internal Shift: Redirect attention from the outer world to the inner landscape of mind and consciousness.
• Gentle Detachment: Don't fight sensations; simply choose not to engage with them. This is passive non-engagement, not forceful suppression.

Focus the Mind

Verse 6.12 instructs: "Making the mind one-pointed, controlling the activities of the mind and senses, one should practice yoga for self-purification."

• Choose a Focus: The Gita offers several options: the breath, the space between eyebrows (ajna chakra), the heart center, the divine form, or a sacred mantra like Om.
• Single-Pointed Attention: Whatever focus you choose, give it your complete attention. When the mind wanders - and it will - gently return to your chosen focus.
• Devotional Focus: For those inclined toward bhakti (devotion), Chapter 12 recommends meditating on the divine form with love and surrender.
• Self-Inquiry: Advanced practitioners may focus on the question "Who am I?" or rest in pure awareness itself.

Deal with the Wandering Mind

Arjuna voices what every meditator experiences in verse 6.34: "The mind is restless, turbulent, powerful, and obstinate. I consider it as difficult to control as the wind."

Krishna's response in verse 6.35 is both honest and encouraging: "Undoubtedly, the mind is restless and difficult to control. But it can be controlled by practice and detachment."

• Expect Wandering: The mind will wander. This is normal, not failure. Every meditator experiences this.
• Return Without Judgment: Verse 6.26 instructs: "Whenever and wherever the mind wanders, one should bring it back and fix it on the Self."
• Patience Over Force: Don't fight the mind aggressively. Gentle persistence is more effective than harsh discipline.
• Celebrate the Return: Each time you notice wandering and return to focus, you're strengthening the meditation muscle. This IS the practice.

Establish Regular Practice

Verse 6.25 emphasizes gradual, consistent practice: "Little by little, with patience and repeated effort, the mind becomes still, fixed in the Self."

• Daily Commitment: Practice at the same time each day. Morning (brahma muhurta, 4-6 AM) is traditional, but consistency matters more than specific timing.
• Start Small: Begin with 10-15 minutes. A short practice done daily is more valuable than occasional long sessions.
• Gradual Increase: As concentration develops, naturally extend your sitting time. There's no need to force longer sessions prematurely.
• Trust the Process: Verse 6.40 promises: "One who strives on this path does not come to grief either in this world or the next. No effort on the path of self-realization is ever wasted."