Specializing in a Drishti (Definition, Goal and Use) • Yoga Fundamentals

We were all distracted or unfocused in moments of our yoga practice and felt our eyes wander around the room. While letting your attention and eyes wander is not harmful, it certainly does not help in increasing your mental focus and concentration. Yoga classes see a direct correlation between an unfocused gaze and an unfocused mind. To combat the addictive and stimulating nature of the eyes, yoga offers a way to use a drishti or focal point to bring your focus inward. By focusing your gaze on one point, you can develop a deep state of concentration, refine your alignment, sharpen your awareness, and turn your asana practice into powerful moving meditation.

What is a drishti?

The Sanskrit word drishti is commonly translated as "view", "gaze" or "focus point". It is a specific point where you need to hold your eyes or your inner vision that is most commonly used during meditation or while holding a yoga posture. The ancient yogis discovered that our attention naturally follows where our eyes are directed, and that the quality of our gaze is directly reflected in the quality of our mental thoughts.

There are two main categories of focus. A Bahya Drishti is an external point of view used in externally oriented yoga practices. An Antara Drishti is an internal point of view used in contemplative and meditative practices to promote pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses).

The purpose of using a drishti

When the eyes are focused on a single point, the mind is prevented from being stimulated by any other external object. And when the gaze is focused on a single point in the body, our consciousness pulls inwards and the mind remains undisturbed by external stimuli. So, Using a drishti allows the mind to focus and get into a deep state of concentration. And the constant use of Drishti develops dharana (yogic concentration) and ekagraha (one-sided focus), essential yogic techniques used to calm the mind and induce meditation states.

When practicing yoga poses, a focus guides and refines the movement and alignment of the asana. It can be used as a primary cue allowing the rest of the body to follow suit.

A drishti is commonly used in meditation to focus and concentrate the mind. The most useful points for deepening meditation are the breath (diaphragm) and the third eye center. External focal points can also be used, e.g. B. the tip of the nose, a candle, a yantra or a mandala.

How to use a drishti

In yoga postures, a drishti is used to deepen the primary movement of the pose and to keep the mind busy and focused. To use a drishti in a yoga pose, simply select the point where aligning the posture naturally directs your eyes.

The use of drishtis in yoga postures is said to be slowly developed over time. First one needs to develop and focus on the alignment of the asana, then on the breath and finally on the drishti. Using a focus point is especially helpful when holding a posture for long periods of time and is extremely helpful when practicing balancing poses. When you fix your eyes on the focus point you have chosen, you let the attention and focus of your mind converge on the same point. Let the movement of your spine follow the direction of your eyes.

The 9 Drishtis

Nine specific drishtis are used and described in Ashtanga and other yoga schools:

1. Nasagrai DrishtiLook at the tip of the nose as it is used in Chaturanga with the dog facing up and asanas facing forward.
2. Angusta Ma Dyai DrishtiLook at the middle of the thumbs as used in Warrior I and Chair.
3. Pahayoragrai DrishtiTake a look at the toes as used in the hand-to-toe position and most seated forward bends.
4. Nabi Chakra Drishti, look at the navel as used in Downward Facing Dog.
5. Hastagrai DrishtiConsider the hands as used in Triangle and Warrior II.
6. Parsva Drishti (left)Look to the left as used in seated spinal rotations.
7. Parsva Drishti (right)Look to the right.
8. Urdhva DrishtiLook up as it's used in Warrior Angle, Balancing Half-Moon, and Prayer Twist.
9. Naitrayohmadya or Broomadhya DrishtiLook at the third eye (Ajna Chakra) or forehead as used in Fish, Upward Forward Fold, and Reverse Warrior II.

Drishti in Ashtanga Yoga

Yoga teacher Kino MacGregor has created a video discussion on the use and meaning of the nine traditional focuses of the Ashtanga tradition. In this short 2 minute video you will learn how and why to use this tool to intensely train the mind so that it is not distracted by the distractions of the outside world. Check out the video below:

Other priorities

It is not essential to memorize and use these traditional focuses. It is more important to play and experiment with how you use your eyes and what the effects are. In general, direct your gaze towards the stretch or movement in the yoga pose. Just like changing a pose based on skill or injury, you may need to adjust the traditional drishti point as well. It is more important to focus your attention on a single point than where you are looking in your asana.

For more internal practice, you can also focus your inner eye on one of the seven chakra centers. Pranayama breathing exercises and mantra yoga can use Nasagrai Drishti or the diaphragm as focuses. A guided yoga nidra relaxation uses over sixty focus points that can also be rotated for a meditation or mindfulness practice. The traditional Yoga Nidra script by Satyananda Saraswati describes the following Drishtis: "Thumb, second finger, third finger, fourth, fifth, palm, wrist, elbow, shoulder, armpit, waist, hip, thigh, thigh, knee, calf, ankle, Heel, sole, toe, one, two, three, four, five. "

Tips on Using a Drishti

Using a focal point does not strain your eyes. The muscles around the eyes should be relaxed and the gaze should be soft. In general, it is recommended to use Bahya (external) viewing for externally oriented yoga practices and Antara (internal) viewing for contemplative and meditative practices. However, having your eyes closed and using Antara Drishti in yoga postures is also valuable as this creates a deep state of meditation and inner focus while holding the pose.

In Bhakti Yoga, Drishti is used in a slightly different way: a constant loving and longing gaze is directed towards the concept, name or image of God. Drishti can also be viewed in a broader context in order to have the correct view or perspective of one's life. By developing the ability to adjust one's perspective to accommodate the constant changes in the world, we can avoid unnecessary attachments that make us suffer.

Whenever you notice your focus and mind swaying, gently and compassionately bring it back to your attention point. Every time you catch yourself hiking and bring your eyes back, build your focus. The more you train your mental focus, the stronger it becomes and the easier this yoga technique becomes.