How to Practice Drishti in Yoga: 8 Types of Drishti

Drishti is a soft, yogic gaze that can help improve focus, concentration, balance, and meditative awareness during a yoga practice. In Sanskrit, the language from which the word “yoga” derived, “Drishti” means “vision,” “eyesight,” or “point of view.” In the ancient Hindu scripture, Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna teaches the warrior Arjuna the importance of keeping one’s posture and spine erect while staring simultaneously at the tip of the nose when in confrontation or battle.

The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali, one of the most revered yogic texts, teaches about the eight limbs of yoga. In the text, practicing Drishti is similar to practicing the fifth limb of yoga, Pratyahara, or withdrawing the mind from the sensory experience of the physical world, and the sixth limb, Dharana, which aims to focus the mind on a single point.

There are different ways of practicing Drishti alongside different yoga postures in Ashtanga yoga. In asana practice, yogis focus their attention and gaze on a different part of the body or direction to enhance concentration and meditative practice. Here is a breakdown of eight common types of Drishti and poses with which to practice them:

1. 1. Nasagra Drishti: This Drishti involves focusing on the nose’s tip. Practice Nasagra Drishti by gazing at the tip of your nose when you are in Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (upward-facing dog pose).
2. 2. Bhrumadhya Drishti: This Drishti involves focusing the internal gaze on the space between the eyebrows, or the energetic center known as the third eye. Practice gazing toward the third eye, or Ajna chakra, during meditation, fish pose, and the forward fold.
3. 3. Nabhi chakra Drishti: This Drishti involves gazing at the navel. Practice gazing directly at your navel, or your Manipura chakra, during Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward-facing dog pose).
4. 4. Hastagrai Drishti: This Drishti involves focusing the gaze on the tops of the hands. In Trikonasana (triangle pose), gaze at your top hand with your arm extended toward the sky.
5. 5. Padayoragrai Drishti: This Drishti involves focusing the gaze on the toes. Practice gazing at your big toes in a seated forward bend, like Paschimottanasana.
6. 6. Parsva Drishti: This Drishti involves focusing the gaze to the left or right. In any seated or reclined spinal twists, gaze sideways to the left or the right, depending on the direction in which you are twisting.
7. 7. Angusthamadhye Drishti: This Drishti involves focusing the gaze on the thumbs. During Surya Namaskars (sun salutations), gaze at your thumbs as you transition from mountain pose to a standing forward fold. You can also gaze at the thumbs in Utkatasana (chair pose).
8. 8. Urdhva Drishti: This Drishti involves gazing up toward the sky. Practice this gaze in Virabhadrasana I (warrior I pose) and Navasana (boat pose).

Practicing a focused, intentional gaze, especially during balancing poses like tree pose, can transform your yoga practice and help you direct the prana, or life force, in your body. Here are some tips for practicing Drishti:

• Gaze softly. Soften your gaze in whichever direction you are looking, and avoid straining the eyes. Intentionally unfurrow your brow and soften the muscles surrounding your eyes.
• Look beyond the material world. Avoid over-focusing on whatever physical object is in the direction of your gaze. Practice gazing beyond that which you can physically see while you are in each yoga asana.
• Focus on an unmoving point. If you focus on the yogi moving next to you and they fall out of the pose, you will likely follow them. Try to find an unmoving point on the ceiling, wall, floor, or on the horizon.
• Gaze forward in certain poses. It can be tempting to look toward your back leg and arm to make adjustments in poses like warrior II. Aim to maintain a forward gaze while in warrior II to reap the physical and spiritual effects of the pose.
• Try an inward gaze. Antara Drishti is a closed-eye internal gaze. With your eyes closed, look up and inward toward the Ajna chakra, or third eye center of divine wisdom and intuition. In Iyengar yoga, master yogis believe this practice can strengthen and facilitate inner vision and wisdom.

Proper form and technique are essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of a yoga practice. If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before practicing yoga. Yoga poses may be modified based on your individual needs.

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