्रतिष्ठाप्य स्थिरमासनमात्मनः ।

sthiram asanam atmanah

naty-ucchritam nati-nicam

cailajina-kusottaram

tatraikagram manah krtva

yata-cittendriya-kriyah

upavisyasane yunjyad

yogam atma-visuddhaye

śucau—in sanctified; deśe—in the land; pratiṣṭhāpya—placing; sthiram—firm; āsanam—seat; ātmanaḥ—self-dependant; na—not; ati—too; ucchritam—high; na—nor; ati—too; nīcam—low; caila-ajna—soft cloth and deerskin; kuśottaram-kuśa grass; tatra—thereupon; ekāgram—one attention; manaḥ—mind; kṛtvā—doing so; yata-citta—controlling the mind; indriya—senses; kriyaḥ—activities; upaviśya—sitting on; āsane—on the seat; yuñjyāt—execute; yogam—yoga practice; ātma—heart; viśuddhaye—for clarifying.

To practice yoga, one should go to a secluded place and should lay kuśa-grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should neither be too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The yogī should then sit on it very firmly and should practice yoga by controlling the mind and the senses, purifying the heart and fixing the mind on one point.

dharayann acalam sthirah

sampreksya nasikagram svam

disas canavalokayan

prasantatma vigata-bhir

brahmacari-vrate sthitah

manah samyamya mac-citto

yukta asita mat-parah

samam—straight; kāya-śiraḥ—body and head; grīvam—neck; dhārayan—holding; acalam—unmoved; sthiraḥ—still; samprekṣya—looking; nāsikā—nose; agram—tip; svam—own; diśaḥ—all sides; ca—also; anavalokayan—not seeing; praśānta—unagitated; ātmā—mind; vigata-bhīḥ—devoid of fear; brahmacāri-vrate—in the vow of celibacy; sthitaḥ—situated; manaḥ—mind; saṁyamya—completely subdued; mat—un