Practice
Drishti
Dṛṣṭiदृष्टि· DRISH-teegaze, focused sight
Drishti is a focused point of gaze used during yoga practice to steady the mind and aid balance.
The Sanskrit dṛṣṭi comes from the root dṛś, "to see," and means "sight," "view" or "gaze." In yoga it names a chosen point of visual focus — where the eyes softly rest during a posture or movement — and, by extension, a settled, inward-turned quality of looking that steadies the whole practice.
A dṛṣṭi gives the gaze a home, so the eyes stop wandering and the attention follows them into stillness. Traditional lists name several points — the tip of the nose, the space between the brows, the navel, the hand, the far horizon — each paired with particular postures to steady both balance and mind.
The idea of fixing the gaze appears in the haṭha texts; the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā and Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā describe practices such as gazing at the nose-tip or the brow-centre, and the meditative śāmbhavī mudrā turns the gaze inward. The modern systems of named dṛṣṭis draw on this older thread.
In practice you let the eyes rest at the assigned point without straining — a soft, slightly unfocused gaze rather than a hard stare. Steadying where you look tends to steady where you attend, which is why dṛṣṭi supports both physical balance and a quieter, less distractible state of mind.
Dṛṣṭi is a focusing aid, not a rule to enforce rigidly; forcing the eyes or over-fixing the gaze creates tension and can strain them. If a prescribed point causes discomfort, soften or adjust it. The aim is ease and gathered attention, so let the gaze stay relaxed rather than gripping.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I close my eyes or use a dṛṣṭi?
- Both have a place. A dṛṣṭi keeps the eyes softly open on a fixed point, aiding balance in active postures; closing the eyes suits still, inward practices. Choose whichever helps attention settle without strain in the pose you are actually doing.
- What are the common dṛṣṭi points?
- Traditional points include the tip of the nose, the space between the eyebrows, the navel, the hand or thumb, the far horizon, and toward each side. Each is paired with certain postures to steady balance and gather attention, and the gaze should always stay soft, never strained.