The Yoga of Meditation

Krishna explains that yoga requires moderation in lifestyle. 'Nātyaśnatas tu yogo 'sti'—there is no yoga (yogaḥ) for one who eats too much (atyśnataḥ). This means: overeating makes you sluggish, heavy, unable to meditate. 'Na caikāntam anaśnataḥ'—and (ca) not (na) for one who does not eat (anaśnataḥ) exclusively (ekāntam). This means: not eating at all, or eating too little, makes you weak, unable to sustain practice. 'Na cāti-svapna-śīlasya'—and (ca) not (na) for one who sleeps too much (ati-svapna-śīlasya). This means: excessive sleep makes you lazy, dull, unable to be alert. 'Jāgrato naiva cārjuna'—and (ca) not (na) for one who does not sleep (jāgrataḥ), O Arjuna (arjuna). This means: not sleeping enough makes you exhausted, unable to focus. Yoga requires balance—moderate eating, moderate sleep. Neither extreme works—too much or too little of either prevents yoga.