Drishti (yoga)

The ancient manuscript Yoga Korunta was said to contain original teachings on drishti, amongst other yoga concepts.^[6]

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".^[5]

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali define eight limbs of yoga but do not mention the gaze. However, the fifth limb, pratyahara (sense withdrawal), requires withdrawing the senses, and the sixth limb, dharana (concentration), requires holding one's mind onto an inner state, subject or topic.^[2] The mind can for example be fixed on one's breath,^[7] a part of the body such as the navel or the tip of the nose or the tip of the tongue, external objects,^[8] a mantra or a drone. This is an internal concentration of attention, not a gaze.^[9]

The 1737 Joga Pradīpikā uses the same two drishtis, Nasagre (tip of nose) and Bhrumadhye (eyebrow), requiring their use with each of the 84 asanas described in the text.^[10]

Styles of modern yoga as exercise such as Ashtanga (vinyasa) yoga, Iyengar Yoga and Sivananda yoga make differing uses of drishtis.^[11][12][13]

Ashtanga

Each asana is associated in Ashtanga yoga with a particular drishti.^[11] There are eight drishtis (counting the paired Parshva drishtis on the left and right sides as one).^[14]

More information Sanskrit, Gaze at ...

Drishti	Sanskrit	Gaze at	Used in
Angushthamadhye	अङ्गूष्ठमध्ये[15][16]	Thumb	Surya Namaskara A Vinyasa One (Urdhva Vrikshasana)[17]
Bhrumadhye	भ्रूमध्ये[18][16]	Center of the forehead (third eye)	Surya Namaskar uses it on the inhale following Uttanasana, during Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, and again on the inhale after Adho Mukha Svanasana.[19][20]
Nasagre	नासाग्रे[21]	Tip of nose	Many asanas, e.g. Surya Namaskara, Samasthitiḥ,[22] Uttanasana and Chaturanga Dandasana; transition from Virabhadrasana A to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana[20][23]
Hastagrahe	हसतग्रहे[24]	Tips of fingers, or palm of hand[25]	Utthita Trikonasana, Parivritta Trikonasana[26]
Parshva	पार्श्व[27]	Side (left or right)	Marichyasana C,[28] and Marichyasana D[29]
Urdhva	ऊर्घ्व[30]	Upward	Surya Namaskara B Vinyasas; Utkatasana,[31] Virabhadrasana A;[32] Upavishta Konasana B,[33] Ubhaya Padangushtasana[34] and Urdhva Mukha Pashimottanasana.[35]
Nabhicakre	नाभिचक्रे[36]	Navel	Adho Mukha Shvanasana[6]
Pādayoragre	पाडयोरग्रे	Toes	Utthita Hasta Padangushtasana,[37] Paścimottānāsana[38] sequence, Janu Sirsasana[39] sequence, Marichyasana A,[40] Navasana[41] and Supta Padangushtasana.[42]

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