Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 6: The Path of Meditation

Bhagavad Gita 6.10

yogī yuñjīta satatamātmānaṃ rahasi sthitaḥ | ekākī yatacittātmā nirāśīraparigrahaḥ ||

A yogi should constantly discipline the self, staying in a quiet place, alone, with mind and body under control, free from expectations and possessions.

Modern context

Now the practical instructions begin. Meditation needs some solitude: a quiet place and a time alone. Most people today almost never have this. Every spare moment is filled by a screen or a conversation. The verse also names two inner conditions that matter as much as the outer quiet: no expectations, and nothing being held onto. A person who sits down expecting something special, or still holding on to the day's concerns, has brought a crowd into the quiet room.