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MAY 2005 TOPIC OF THE MONTH

Drishti
Gazing points

Drishti = view/sight, yogic gazing

One of the key elements of the Ashtanga practice is the training of the mind to focus by use of gazing points or Drishtis. Drishti eliminates visual distractions and develops concentration. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who eyes were darting about? Did you feel as though they were listening to you?
The point of gaze or focus has little to do with our external sight, the real looking is inward. Those of us with sight are easily distracted (fuzz on our toes, clock, what someone else looks like in a pose . . .) these distractions pull us away from the inner spiritual work. Practicing Drishti helps us to keep our focus in life, to not be pulled or pushed around by every person or event in our life be it good or bad, up or down.

“Don’t look around to see where everyone else is, it won’t help!”
Focusing on your drishti will save you a lot of suffering! When our eyes wonder in class, we tend to compare ourselves to where someone else is in their practice, causing us suffering, or we tend to look at our abdomen in Sarvangasana causing us suffering . . . or we tend to let the ego thrive because we can put our head on the floor in Prasarita Padottanasana and our neighbor can not, this too causes us suffering!

Gazing will improve vision by exercising the eye muscles and the optic nerve while it increases blood flow. Some positions may strengthen the neck (trikonasana gaze point).
Your gaze should be a soft gaze, and as a general rule of thumb, let your gaze move in the direction of the stretch. When your head moves, the gaze will follow. The proper gaze point for any asana is the one that most benefits the energetic movement of the asana. Reaching upward into the sun salute, for example, the gaze is at your thumbs, this requires your arms to be in correct alignment, if your arms are behind your ears (stressing your shoulder joint) you won’t see your thumbs! You won’t be able to lift your chest and open your heart either!
There are 9 drishtis:
1. Nasagrai – nose tip, center of ida and pingala nadis, used most often (the nose drishti helps draw us inward –into our own body).
2. Broomadhya – Ajna Chakra, third eye
3. Nabi Chakra – Navel as in Adho Mukha Svanasana
4. Hastagrai – Hand as in Trikonasana
5. Padhayoragrai – Toes
6. Parsva Drishti – Far Right and
7. Parsva Drishti – Far left as in Ardha Matsyendrasana
8. Angusta Ma Dyai – Thumbs as in the start of Surya Namaskara
9. Urdhva Drishti or Antara Drishti – Up to the sky as in Utkatasana

The gaze points are not to be directly looked at, but rather gazed beyond. Gazing is not the same as looking, looking is dual, there is a looker and an object being looked at. Gazing in contrast is “looking” beyond the mundane objects, gazing toward that hazy realm of perception beyond the clearly focused (yearning for a vision of God). If you are “looking” at the tip of your nose for the Nasagrai Drishti, then your eyes will cross, if you are gazing toward the tip of your nose, your eyes will not cross. Gazing is a fascinating, helpful method for intensifying concentration, gazing is a method of confining vision in order to expand it beyond object orientation.
By maintaining breath, bandhas, and gaze you will develop the ability (strength) to detach from the fluctuations of the mind and body as you practice. This same detachment will help you to become more loving and not attach importance to your anger, fear, or any emotions that prevent you from becoming sweeter and sweeter.

Pose	Sanskrit	Drishti
Sun Salutes	Surya Namaskara
Equal Standing	Samasthitih	Nasagrai
Raised Arms	Uttana Padasana	Angusta Ma Dyai (thumb)
Intense Stretch-fwd bd	Uttanasana	Nasagrai (nose)
Head up - Inhale		Nasagrai
Push Up Position	Chaturanga Dandasana	Nasagrai Head forward
Upward Dog	Urdhva Mukha Svanasana	Nasagrai
Down Dog	Adho Mukha Svanasana	Nabi Chakra
Standing Poses
Big Toe	Padangusthasana	Nasagrai (nose)
Hand Under Foot	Padahastasana	Nasagrai (nose)
Extended Triangle	Utthita Trikonasana	Hastagrai (hand)
Revolved Triangle	Parivrtta Trikonasana	Hastagrai (hand)
Extended Side Angle	Uttihitta Parsvakonasana	Hastagrai (hand)
Revolved Side Angle/ Prayer Twist	Parivrtta Parsvokonasana	Hastagrai (hand)
Expanded Leg Stretch A	Prasarita Padottanasana A	Nasagrai
Expanded Leg Stretch B	Prasarita Padottanasana B	Nasagrai
Expanded Leg Stretch C	Prasarita Padottanasana C	Nasagrai
Expanded Leg Stretch D	Prasarita Padottanasana D	Nasagrai
Intense Side Stretch	Parsvottanasana	Nasagrai
Extended Hand to Big Toe	Utthitta Hasta Padangusthasana	Padhayoragrai (toes) Parsva (side)
Standing Bound Half Lotus	Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana	Nasagrai
Fierce Posture	Utkatanasa	Urdhva (upward)
Warrior I	Virabhdrasana I	Urdhva
Warrior II	Virabhdrasana II	Hastagrai
Seated Postures
Stick Posture	Dandasana	Nasagrai
Intense West Stretch A (Forward Bend )	Paschimottanasana A & B	Padhayoragrai (toes)
Intense East Stretch	Purvottanasana	Nasagrai (nose!)
Bound Half Lotus Intense West Stretch	Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana	Padhayoragrai (toes)
Horizontal Facing One Leg Intense West Stretch	Tiryan Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana	Padhayoragrai (toes)
Single Leg Forward Bend A	Janu Sirasana A / B / C	Padhayoragrai (toes)
Marichyasana A	Marichyasana A	Padhayoragrai (toes)
Marichyasana B	Marichyasana B	Nasagrai (nose)
Marichyasana C	Marichyasana C	Parsva (side)
Marichyasana D	Marichyasana D	Parsva (side)
Boat	Navasana	Padhayoragrai (toes)
Pressure on the Shoulders -Firefly	Bhujapidasana -Tittibhasana	Nasagrai Nasagrai
Tortoise	Kurmasana	Broomadhya (ajna chakra)
Sleeping Tortoise	Supta Kurmasana	Broomadhya
Embryo-in-the-Womb	Garba Pindasana	Nasagrai
Rooster	Kukkutasana	Nasagrai
Bound Angle	Baddha Konasana	Nasagrai
Seated Angle	Upavishta Konasana	Broomadhya
Balanced Seated Angle		Urdhva
Reclining Angle	Supta Konasana	Nasagrai
Lying Down Big Toe Posture	Supta Padagustasana	Padhayoragrai (toes) / Parsva (side)
Both Big Toes	Ubhaya Padangusthasana	Antara (upward)
Upward-Facing Intense West Stretch (Upward-Facing Forward Bend )	Urdhva Mukha Pashimottanasana	Padhayoragrai (toes)
Bridge	Setu Bandhasana	Nasagrai (nose)
Upward Bow	Urdhva Dhanurasana	Nasagrai (nose)
Intense West Stretch (Forward Bend )	Paschimottanasana	Padhayoragrai (toes)
Finishing Asanas
Lying in Mountain	Supta Sama Sthiti (Supta Tadasana)
Shoulder Stand	Salamba Sarvangasana	Nasagrai
Plow	Halasana	Nasagrai
Pressure on the Ear	Karnapidasana	Nasagrai
Upward Lotus	Urdhva Padmasana	Nasagrai
Embryo	Pindasana	Nasagrai
Fish	Matsyasana	Nasagrai/Broomadhya
Extended Leg	Uttana Padasana	Nasagrai
Headstand	Sirasana	Nasagrai
Bound Lotus 10 breaths sitting up	Baddha Padmasana	Nasagrai
Bound Lotus Forward Bend 10 breaths	Yoga Mudra (then arch back)	Broomadhya
Lotus	Padmasana	Nasagrai
Scale	Tolasana	Nasagrai
Corpse/Rest	Savasana

Second Series – Nadi Sodhana
Noose Pose	Pasasana	Parsva
Heron Pose	Krouchasana	Padhayoragrai
Locust Pose A & B	Shalabhasana	Nasagrai (nose!)
Frog Pose	Bhekasana	Nasagrai
Bow Pose	Dhanurasana	Nasagrai
Side Bow Pose	Parsva Dhanurasana	Nasagrai
Camel Pose	Ushtrasana	Nasagrai
Light Thunderbolt Pose	Laghuvajrasana	Broomadhya
Dove Pose	Kapotasana	Nasagrai
Sleeping Thunderbolt Pose	Supta Vajrasana	Nasagrai
Crow Pose A & B	Bakasana	Nasagrai
Bharadvaja’s Pose	Bharadvajasana	Parsva
Half Matsyendra’s Pose	Ardha Matsyendrasana	Parsva
One Foot Behind the Head Pose	Eka Pada Sirsasana	Nasagrai
Two Feet Behind the Head Pose	Dwi Pada Sirsasana	Nasagrai
Yoga Sleep Pose	Yoganidrasana	Broomadhya/Nasagrai
Firefly Pose A-B-C	Tittibhasana	Nasagrai
Peacock Tail Pose	Pincha Mayurasana	Nasagrai
Himalayah Goose Pose	Karandavasana	Nasagrai
Peacock Pose	Mayurasana	Nasagrai
Crocodile Pose	Nakrasana	Nasagrai
Horse Face Pose	Vatayanasana	Urdhva
Iron Bar Pose	Parighasana	Urdhva
Cow Face Pose	Gomukhasana	Nasagrai / Urdhva
Sleeping Elevated Vajra’s Pose	Supta Urdhva Pada Vajrasana	Nasagrai / Parsva
Open Hand Headstand A-B-C	Mukta Hasta Sirsasana	Nasagrai
Bound Hand Headstand A-B-C-D	Baddha Hasta Sirsasana	Nasagrai
Upward Bow	Urdhva Dhanurasana	Nasagrai (nose)

� 2006 Bobbi Misiti | Be Fit Body & Mind YOGA