tatraikāgraṁ manaḥ kṛtvā yata-cittendriya-kriyaḥ upaviśyāsane yuñjyād yogam ātma-viśuddhaye
"...there, making the mind one-pointed, with thought and senses controlled, seated on that seat, one should practice yoga for self-purification."
What This Means:
Once seated, make your mind one-pointed. Control your thoughts and senses. The purpose? Self-purification—clearing away the mental debris that obscures your true nature.
Going Deeper:
Ekagra (one-pointed) is the key. Scattered attention cannot reveal truth. The practice purifies (vishuddhi) the self, not by adding something but by removing the impurities that cloud awareness. Yoga is fundamentally a cleansing process.
How To Apply This:
Choose a focus—breath, mantra, sensation. When the mind wanders (it will), gently return to one-pointedness. Don't fight distractions; just keep coming back. This patient return IS the practice.
Key Sanskrit Terms: