Drishti (yoga)


Drishti, or focused gaze, is a means for developing concentrated intention. It relates to the fifth limb of yoga concerning sense withdrawal, as well as the sixth limb dharana relating to concentration.
In Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, each asana is associated with one of the 8 focused gazes, namely Angusthamadhye, Bhrumadhye, Nasagre, Hastagrahe, Parshva, Urdhva, Nābhicakre, and Padayoragre dṛṣṭi. In some other styles such as Sivananda Yoga, less use is made of dṛṣṭi, and fewer types are employed.

History

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali define eight limbs of yoga but do not mention dṛṣṭi. The sixth limb, dharana, however requires holding one's mind onto an inner state, subject or topic. The mind can for example be fixed on a mantra, one's breath, or a part of the body such as the navel or the tip of the tongue. This is an internal concentration of attention, not a gaze.
In the Bhagavad Gita VI.13, Krishna instructs the hero Arjuna to "hold one's body and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose".
The 1737 Joga Pradīpikā uses the same two dṛṣṭi, Nāsāgre and Bhrūmadhye, requiring their use with each of the 84 asanas described in the text.

Modern

Styles of modern yoga as exercise such as Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Iyengar Yoga and Sivananda Yoga make differing uses of dṛṣṭi.

In Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga

Each yoga āsana is associated in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with a particular dṛṣṭi. There are eight dṛṣṭis.
DṛṣṭiSanskritGaze atUsed in
Aṅguṣṭhamadhyeअङ्गूष्ठमध्येThumbSūrya Namaskāra vinyasas; Ūrdhva Vṛkṣāsana, Utkaṭāsana, Vīrabhadrāsana I
Bhrūmadhyeभ्रूमध्ये'Third eye', between eyebrowsSūrya Namaskāra uses it on the inhale following Uttānāsana, during Ūrdhva Mukha Śvānāsana, and again on the inhale after Adho Mukha Svānāsana.
Nāsāgreनासाग्रेTip of noseMany asanas, e.g. Sūrya Namaskāra, Samasthitiḥ, Uttānāsana and Caturāṅga Daṇḍāsana; transition from Vīrabhadrāsana A to Ūrdhva Mukha Śvānāsana
Hastagraheहसतग्रहेTips of fingers, or palm of handUtthita Trikonasana, Parivritta Trikonasana
Pārśvaपार्श्वSide Utthita Pārśvasahita, Marīcyāsana C, and Marīcyāsana D
Ūrdhvaऊर्घ्वUpwardsUpaviṣṭha Koṇāsana B and Ubhaya Pādānguṣṭhāsana.
Nābhicakreनाभिचक्रेNavelAdho Mukha Śvānāsana
Pādayoragreपाडयोरग्रेToesPaścimottānāsana sequence and Jānu Śīrṣāsana

In Iyengar Yoga

rarely speaks of dṛṣṭi, but in its instructions for some asanas tells the practitioner to look in a certain direction, for example upwards in Trikonasana and forwards in Virabhadrasana II.

In Sivananda Yoga

makes use of two dṛṣṭi, namely Nāsāgre and Bhrūmadhye, for tratak exercise rather than in asana practice. Vishnudevananda cautions that prolonged or incorrect practice may cause problems for the eye muscles or nervous system. Initial practice is often done for only minutes at a time, but is gradually increased to up to ten minute intervals.