Bhagavad Gita 6.11 · Krishna
A seat not too high, not too low
शुचौ देशे प्रतिष्ठाप्य स्थिरमासनमात्मनः।
नात्युच्छ्रितं नातिनीचं चैलाजिनकुशोत्तरम्॥
śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya sthiramāsanamātmanaḥnātyucchritaṃ nātinīcaṃ cailājinakuśottaram
In a clean place, set a firm seat for yourself, not too high, not too low, layered with sacred grass, a skin and cloth.
What it means
Krishna gets down to detail. Before you work with the mind, prepare the ground. Choose a clean place. Make a seat that is steady. Not raised high like a throne, not low on the damp earth. The old layers were grass, deerskin and cloth. The principle is simple. A settled body helps settle the mind.
The story
Picture an old forest hermitage in the epic. Each morning a sage sweeps a small patch of ground, lays down fresh grass, and sits. Nothing fancy. Just the same clean spot, day after day, waiting for him.
In your life
Tom keeps meaning to meditate but always ends up on the sofa with the television. This weekend he clears one corner of his bedroom, places a cushion and a folded blanket, and leaves it ready.
A steady seat invites a steady mind.