Drishti

Accompanying the external focus on physical details each asana provides
for the action-hungry mind, is an internal focus which is often
overlooked.  This internal focus manifests through the use of the eys
generally, and through the direction and quality of hte gaze specifically.  It
is called drishti, which, when translated from the rich language of
Sanskrit, can mean "view," "opinion," and "gaze."  Drishti is closely
related ot the word Darshana("seeing"), a word that points to ordinary and
nonordinary states of vision, as well as signifying a system of
philosophy(hence a worldview).  Patanjali, the rootguru of yogic philosophy,
even mentions a correlative concept, Drashtuh ("The Seer" or "The
Witness"): "Then the seer dwells in his own true splendour (tada drastuh
svarupe avashtanam)[Yoga Sutra I.ii].  Thus, once the fluctuations of the
mind have settled, the indwelling eye of consciousness sees clearly
reality as it is.

Nine gaze opints are employed to draw the attention from external
objects to internal sensations and processes.  They are:

(1) Nasagrai(tip of the nose)
(2) Angustha ma drai (tip of the thumb)
(3) Broomdhya (third eye)
(4) Nabi chakra (navel)
(5) Urdhva (up)
(6) Hasta grai (hand)
(7) Padhayo agrai (toes)
(8) Parsva (to the left and to the right sides)

For example, in urdhva mukha svanasana (up dog), the drishti is the
third eye, while in adho mukha svanasana (down dog), the drishti is the
navel.  This inner focus leads to the cultivation of concentration
(dharana) and meditation (dhyana, while combining it with asana and
pranayama.

Drishti can be employed in such practices as meditative gazing upon an
object until tears spill from the eyes (trataka), and meditation uopn a
divine image for devotion.

More importantly, since we live in a world full of visual stimuli
ranging from natural vistas to television, from the seemingly profane to the
seemingly sacred, the engagement of the eyes warrants thoughtful
consideration.  How often do you meet another's eyes and then release the
connection because of the appeal to life that shines through each person's
eyes?  How often do you see truly the beauty of a sunset, the
tranquility of a field blanketed in snow, the wonder filled complexity of the
night sky on a spring night?  The eyes offer an invitation to engage more
deeply with the environment, with those people near you, and to wake up
from the hazy blank stare we settle into without knowing it.

written by Rex Samuels