A little time alone

yogī yuñjīta satatamātmānaṃ rahasi sthitaḥekākī yatacittātmā nirāśīraparigrahaḥ

Let the yogi practise constantly, staying in a quiet place, alone, mind and body gathered, free of longing and possessions.

What it means

Now Krishna turns practical. He begins teaching meditation, the inner side of yoga. The first step is a little solitude. Find a quiet place. Sit alone. Gather your mind. Leave behind, for this time, both your wanting and your owning. It is not exile. It is a daily return to yourself.

The story

During their years of exile in the forest, the Pandavas lived simply, with little to own. Arjuna even went alone into the mountains to practise and pray. The forest stripped away the noise of palaces and left him with himself.

In your life

Elif shares a small flat with two roommates and is never alone. Tomorrow she sets an alarm twenty minutes earlier. Before anyone wakes, she sits by the window with no phone, and simply breathes.