Spine straight, eyes lowered

samaṃ kāyaśirogrīvaṃ dhārayannacalaṃ sthiraḥsamprekṣya nāsikāgraṃ svaṃ diśaścānavalokayan

Hold body, head and neck straight and still. Rest your gaze near the tip of your nose, not glancing around.

What it means

Krishna describes the meditator's posture. Spine, neck and head in one line, still but not stiff. The gaze softens and lowers, as if resting near the tip of the nose. Many teachers say this is not literal staring. It simply stops the eyes from wandering, so the mind can stop wandering too.

The story

At the contest for Draupadi's hand, a fish spins high above a pool. Archers must hit its eye by looking only at its reflection below. Prince after prince fails. Arjuna stands perfectly still, eyes lowered to the water, and the arrow flies true.

In your life

On the morning train, Priya usually hunches over her phone. Today she sits upright, puts the phone away, and lowers her eyes for three stops. The carriage is just as loud. She feels quieter inside.