Yoga is a practice that aims at building better control and coordination of the body and mind. However, for first timers, practicing the poses and maintaining concentration at the same time can be hard.
This is where the Drishti yoga technique comes into the picture. With Drishti, you can ensure that your gaze as well as your concentration does not flatter while performing yoga as well as doing any other activity that requires your dedicated attention.
How does Drishti work?
This ancient yoga technique allows the eyes to focus on an unmoving point while in a particular yoga asana. It helps the mind to make a conscious decision to keep the eyes fixed on a particular point and the mind locked in a specific state while performing different yoga postures. Simply put, it focuses on training your mind to attain a dream like state that forces your eyes to remain locked on a specific point for extended periods of time.
Using Drishti to perfect balance and coordination
Ok so Drishti involves focusing the eyes on a specific point while performing yoga. But where exactly will this point be? Traditionally, there are 9 points aka areas where the eyes are trained to focus on. These include the tip of the nose (Nasagram Drishti), navel (Nabhi Chakra Drishti), hand (Hastagram Drishti), toes (PadayaragramDristhi), thumbs (Angushthamadhyam Drishti), between the eyebrows (Ajna Chakra Drishti), far to the right (Parshva Drishti), far to the left (Parshva Drishti) and up to the sky (Urdhva Drishti). Training the eyes to focus on any of these points while performing yoga asana will help in maintaining proper balance and control of both the body and mind.
Benefits of Drishti
The main aim of the Drishti yoga technique is to improve balance and coordination. Studies have revealed that the ancient yoga technique can improve balancing abilities in both adults and kids. It improves stillness which is very essential when performing complicated yoga postures.
Drishti helps increase single pointed focus in individuals, a potent tool that helps improve concentration in everyday activities as well. In addition to concentrating the mind, Drishti helps draw energy inwards, allowing the body to work along with the senses in order to perform better.
This, in turn, improves discipline while empowering the body to not give in to emotional or physical pain. It helps the body transcend above these barriers to attain a higher consciousness and enlightenment.
Practicing Drishti the right way
Here are some steps to help you understand how to practice and perfect the Drishti yoga technique. We will take the Padayaragram Drishti (toes) form into account here.
Sit down with your legs outstretched. If you feel tension in the legs, opt to bend them a bit. You may also sit on a blanket if you feel uncomfortable on the floor. Make sure that the toes are pointed upwards though.
Gaze at your toes and slowly move your torso forward. Keep gazing at the toes, concentrating on the lines between them and the floor until the latter being to blur (it will feel as if you are looking at a point beyond your toes). Keep moving your torso forward, not shifting your gaze. Your body will automatically start to move in the direction of your gaze. Inhale slowly and feel your spine elongating as you move forward.
Stop at regular intervals to exhale and allow your body to soften a bit albeit while keeping your gaze still fixed on the lines between your toes and the floor (a bit softly now though). As you do so, you will start noticing how your body intensifies the moment you start concentrating on the toes again and inhaling as you move forward.
The Drishti yoga technique allows you to achieve better balance and coordination while performing yoga. The technique trains your eyes and mind to eliminate visual distractions by concentrating only on a specific point while performing different yoga postures.