Yoga Glossary · Breath & Energy
Drishti (focal point)
The steady gazing point that anchors attention — and makes balance possible.
Drishti is the directed gaze used in asana practice: in each pose the eyes rest softly on a prescribed point — the thumbs, the navel, the tip of the nose, a point on the floor ahead. The gaze is steady but soft, a place for the eyes to land rather than a target to stare down.
Functionally, drishti is balance equipment and attention training in one. A fixed visual reference stabilizes the vestibular system (try Tree Pose while looking around the room), and keeping the gaze still keeps the mind from shopping the room. Traditional sequences assign a drishti to every pose, turning the eyes into part of the choreography.
In practice
- In any balance, pick one unmoving point at eye level before you lift the foot — balance improves instantly.
- Soft eyes, not a death stare: the gaze rests; the face stays relaxed.
- When the mind wanders in a hold, the eyes usually wandered first. Bring the gaze back and the pose follows.
Related terms
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The Yoga Glossary is an educational study reference. Definitions are standard yoga and anatomy knowledge in plain language; nothing here is medical advice.