The importance of ‘drishti’

In Ashtanga Practice we often hear the word ‘drishti’, which refers to where our gaze should be during each asana. We’re not going to talk about the points themselves here, whether it’s the toes or the fingers, the nose, etc… rather we will look at drishti as a process.

First of all, the proper instruction is to rest the gaze, rather than really focus on whatever you’re looking at. This, in itself, is quite a profound and unusual process. How often do you normally allow your gaze to rest somewhere? For many beginning students, this is virtually impossible, since they are so used to using their eyes either to examine, to focus, or to take all inputs in as their eyes dart around. But allowing it to rest has an immediate effect on your nervous system. It relaxes the processing work done by the eyes, which then slows down the mind and allows you to notice other things, like your breathing. Then you see, through the breath, how am I experiencing this asana, do I need to shift something to give more space for the breath? This process of drishti is really a training into awareness and self-knowledge, even if only a first step.

Once you manage to rest your gaze during your practice, what is really powerful — and the point of any process we train in during yoga — is to take this new ability to your life off the mat. To rest your gaze in your life. Which means, to give space for awareness in your life. This can be literal… to rest your gaze on something beautiful, like a bouquet of freesias or your child’s smiling face. Or even to rest your gaze on someone in pain, or in anger… simply to rest it there, looking and breathing, without detachment or involvement… as you do in your practice. And then you can rest your gaze onto yourself. Look, breathe… without passion or criticism. Rest the gaze, allow it, without using it. To allow attention… without analyzing it (this is what awareness is). We become aware of so much in our environment when our gaze is resting. The rest of our senses are given some space, and we breathe.

And then the larger, more expansive and existential gaze can be engaged… where do you allow your gaze to rest in your life? Where are you looking towards? And how much do you choose what you look at? Once you embrace the process of resting your gaze, it becomes part of your nature, and you begin to notice what you’re looking at. And this can become an active engagement… it is no longer only resting and looking, it gives rise to choice and action. How passive are you in what you’re seeing? So much of the input we’re bombarded with is not of our choosing. Much of it is pushed into our sight: Facebook scrolling, Media, Netflix, the opinions and views of our families, or our culture. Are you choosing? Are you aware of how these inputs effect you, and do you then make adjustments? Employing the process of drishti: look and breathe… how is my breath? And if my breath is labored, what actions can I take to shift this (life) asana to breathe better, with less strain?

You can read more of Anetta’s reflections in her blog, Freedom in Awareness