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The Perfection of Yoga
yogī yuñjīta satatam 
    ātmānam rahasi sthitaḥ 
    ekākī yata-cittātmā 
    nirāśīr aparigrahaḥ
“A transcendentalist should always try to concentrate his mind on the Supreme Self; he should live alone in a secluded place and should always carefully control his mind. He should be free from desires and feelings of possessiveness.” (Bg. 6.10) From this verse we can understand that it is the duty of the  yogī  to always remain alone. Meditational  yoga  cannot be performed in an assembly, at least not according to  Bhagavad-gītā . It is not possible to concentrate the mind in the meditational system upon the Supersoul except in a secluded place. In India, there are still many  yogīs  who assemble at the Kumba Mela. Generally they are in seclusion, but on rare occasions they come to attend special functions. In India there are still thousands of  yogīs  and sages, and every twelve years or so they meet in particular holy places—Allahābād, etc.—just as in America they have businessmen’s conventions. The  yogī , in addition to living in a secluded place, should also be free from desires and should not think that he is performing  yoga  to achieve some material powers. Nor should he accept gifts or favors from people. If he is properly executing this meditational  yoga , he stays alone in the jungles, forests or mountains and avoids society altogether. At all times he must be convinced for whom he has become a  yogī . He does not consider himself alone because at all times the Paramātmā—Supersoul—is with him. From this we