V: 27

Chapter 5, Verse 27

"Shutting off sense
From what is outward,
Resting the inner gaze
Between the brows,
They stabilize
The ebbing and flowing
Of the breath."

Swami Satchidananda:

When Krishna speaks of focusing between the eyebrows, the gist of what he is saying is to steady the mental gaze. The focus need not necessarily be between the eyebrows. It may be the Crown Chakra at the top of the head. It may be the Heart Chakra. It may be Manipura Chakra in the solar plexus region. When the mentality is steadied, the mind is still and the breath is still. If we are unable to still the mind and thus quiet the breath, we can go about it in the reverse direction: quieting the mind through the regulation of the breath. That's why we do Pranayama [breath control techniques] before meditation, because the movements of the breath and the mind are intertwined.

Eckhart Tolle:

The air you breathe is of Nature, as is the breathing process itself. Bring your attention to your breathing and realize that you are not doing it. It is the breath of Nature. If you had to remember to breathe, you would soon die, and if you tried to stop breathing, Nature would prevail. You reconnect with Nature in the most intimate and powerful way by becoming aware of your breathing and learning to hold your attention there. This is a healing and deeply empowering thing to do. It brings about a shift in consciousness from the conceptual world of thought to the inner realm of unconditioned consciousness.