In our Weekly Sangha Denise was reading a section about meditation from the book “Self Realization in Kashmir Shaivism: The Oral Teachings of Swami Lakshmanjoo“. Here is the excerpt for those that couldn’t make it or want to read it again . . .
You need not struggle to fix your mind upon that point from which it has begun to waiver. In the initial stage of your exercise you only need to sit still with one-pointed effort (ekāgra). In one hour you will understand and experience, through one-pointedness, the bliss of the dawning of awareness. As it is further stated in the Bhagavad Gītā:
You must sit erect for meditation with enough strength to maintain that position and, at the same time, you must fix your gaze in the direction of the tip of your nose in order to restrain your eyes from wandering.2
Bhagavad Gītā 6:14
The posture has to be quite steady, straight, and motionless; one-pointed, with the mind fully concentrated on the guru-śabda or guru-dhāraṇā. Though the literal meaning of the text is that the aspirant should direct his sight in the direction of his nose (nāsikāgram), it may also be taken to refer to concentration on the word of the master (guru-śabda) or the resonance of unlimited I-Consciousness (guru-dhāraṇā), which the guru embodies and which is to be found in the junction (sandhi). This state of concentration can be achieved only after you have freed your mind of all worldly cares, completed your daily routine activities, and have had your full amount of sleep. Your mind must be absolutely free from all preoccupations. Then alone will you be able to meditate without deviation and gaze within yourself.
In the Bhagavad Gītā the Lord says:
At the time of meditation your mind must be serene, free from the forced obligation to meditate, determined with devotion to discover God Consciousness. In this state, your mind is to be continuously directed toward God Consciousness.3
Bhagavad Gītā 6:15
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2. samaṁ kāyaśirogrīvaṁ dhārayann acalaṁ sthiraḥ /
saṁpaśyan nāsikāgraṁ svaṁ diśaś cānavalokayan //
3. praśāntātmā vigatabhīr brahmacārivrate sthitaḥ /
manaḥ saṁyamya maccitto yukta āsīta matparaḥ //
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