I am by no means a yoga enthusiast, but I was admittedly intrigued when I was introduced to the Sanskrit word drishti, which translates to “sight”. If you attend yoga regularly, you may already be aware of this yogic practice. Drishti is a gazing practice used to help assist with balancing poses, such as Tree Pose. Drishti is also used to promote a meditative state. By choosing our focus, we are better able to go within.
This sentence bears repeating: By choosing our focus, we are better able to go within.
Humans are on sensory overload. We have a 24 hours news cycle and multiple avenues of technology that compete for our constant attention. Add to the mix our family, friends, co-workers – even our pets! Being constantly accessible to the mini-computers we carry around all day means that our focus is divided. If we don’t make the conscious decision to choose our focus, we live in imbalance. We lose touch with our most vital energy: our heart space.
Drishti is not limited to yoga; it is a mindfulness practice that we use to cultivate our inner wisdom. How can we apply drishti to our own lives?
- Take a few moments each day to soften your gaze. Purposefully pick something within your sight and focus on the object. It could be a flower or candle flame. Let your gaze settle on that object.
- Create technology free space. Make a commitment to turn your gaze away from social media and other distractions. Allow yourself to be on “airplane mode”. Then use this time to open your heart space through meditation, journaling, or a daily reading.
- Find your tribe. In this application, we are not using drishti in the literal sense. Instead, we are connecting with others. This may mean that you choose to spend time with a dear friend that you haven’t seen in awhile, or participate in a group activity that you have neglected.
As it is written in The Little Prince, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” To truly see what is essential, we must set an intention to discover our drishti.
Remove distractions. Find your focus. Open your heart space.
| Sara Goldstein works for Therapeutic Oasis of the Palm Beaches. She edits and designs “52 Weeks of Mindfulness” for Sacred Treehouse. Sara is a writer, reader, and lover of poodles. Although she practices yoga infrequently, she enjoys meditation and mindfulness practice. |