When I learned how to surf, it wasn’t until I got up on the board that I realized I was missing one very important piece of information—I didn’t know how to stop.
I was sharing a wave with another novice surfer. The two of us locked eyes and knew exactly what we were in for. “Don’t hit me,” she yelled at me. “I caaaaan’t stoooooop!” I responded. Then, the inevitable. I ran into the back of her board and the two of us toppled over. Luckily, she laughed it off.
When I paddled back to my teacher, I asked him how to stop. He didn’t answer my question directly. Instead, he said: “Wherever you look, that’s where you’re going to go. So if you’re heading toward something you don’t want to hit, look the other way.” He went on to explain that when you turn your head, everything shifts, your shoulders, your hips, your body weight … even your intention.
“Whoa,” I thought. At the time I was living in the city, burning the midnight oil at my job as a financial journalist and I never looked farther than my next deadline. I suddenly realized why I felt I was on a hamster wheel running from one deadline to the next.
In yoga, where you look is called your drishti. It can guide you physically—as in crow pose where it’s important to look up so you can stay up. If you look down, well, let’s just say you’ll follow your gaze. Your drishti can also be an inner compass. It can guide you through life’s challenges, through relationships and to a path toward self confidence. It can frame your outlook on life, help you stay focused on what’s important and what matters most to you.
This session, we’re going to be learning all about drishti at Yoga Playhouse. Bring your yogi in to have some fun and learn how to look where they want to go.
