Falling out and Falling IN

One of the key components of Ashtanga yoga involves keeping our eyes focused on a particular gazing point or “dristi.” This one-pointed focus is designed to pull your attention off of the world around you thereby assisting you in focusing within. I have experienced great difficulty in keeping my attention off of my surroundings. This is primarily due to my “falling out” of the pose when I let my gaze move from the wall to the tip of my nose.

In those few moments where I have successfully kept my focus on the prescribed point of focus has lead to some interesting observations. For one, when your eyes aren’t tethering you upright in space (whether your forward folding or upright, symmetrical in space or revolved) you must rely on your abdominal muscles to find balance. Another thing I’ve noticed is a reduction in pushing or pulling myself further into any given pose. I think this is because you can’t quite tell how far into the pose you are; you’re too focused on trying not to tip over.

Even though I have experienced the benefits, I still find it a difficult task. Perhaps this is because breathing properly, with bandhas engaged, the diaphragm moving up and down, and air actually entering my lungs takes a insurmountable amount of energy. And then there is the asana: the posture, alignment, entry, exit, etcetera, etcetera. It’s endless. It’s hard. And still…

When my practice is done, I am left completely at ease. For a moment or two, I am able to “fall IN” and just be. That, my dear friends, is good.