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Drishti
YogaLondon on 30 September, 2010 |

Drishti is one of the five main ingredients of Vinyasa yoga. When directly translated drishti means ‘Vision’. In terms of your yoga practice it is an outward focal point for an inward gaze.

Drishti is a technique for seeing the world as it really is. The gaze should be directed on specific points, but the focus should be soft. The mind can then be directed inwards to the internal feel of each pose. In this way drishti is a method of developing Pratyahara (sense withdrawal).

Note: As seeing the actual drishti point is unimportant this technique is even to be used by practitioners who are blind.

Every asana from the Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga system has a prescribed drishti. As you move from pose to pose you're constantly changing the gaze, but consciously. In total there are nine different looking places as listed below:

Nasagrai : tip of the nose

Nabi Chakra : the navel

Hastagrai : the hand

Padayoragrai : the toes

Angusta ma Dyai : the thumbs

Urdhva / Antara Drishti : up to the sky

Parsva Drishti : far to the right

Parsva Drishti : far to the left

Ajna Chakra / Broomadhya : between the eyebrows

Should the eyes be open or closed during asana?

It is best to keep the eyes open during asana practice. When the eyes close it is easy to become lost in a day dream or incessant thoughts. But the gaze should not be left to wonder around of its own accord, checking out who is 'best' in a pose or looking for the clock. By focusing the eyes on specific drishti points in each pose you focus both the outward gaze and the mind.

Benefits of drishti:

• A holiday for the mind - Most of our daily life is spent constantly analyzing our surroundings; searching out and being ready for any danger that may arise.

• Relieves repetitive strain – for students who are constantly looking at a computer screen it exercises the eyeballs by focusing both in different directions and at different distances.

• Aids balance - The walls, floor and ceiling can be used as reference points to keep balance and alignment.

• Reduces identification with the body – In many gym settings a mirror will span a whole wall. Using drishti can help you remove the focus from the outer image of the body, and redirect it to the inner feel of the pose.