During my first visit to Mysore, Karnataka, South India in the summer of 2006, I visited the Ranga Rao residential school for blind girls. I unknowingly arrived in time for their yoga class. It was incredibly inspirational to watch as these girls (who are at least 45% blind) gracefully transitioned from asana to asana at the instructor’s request. According to the school’s director, yoga has become a therapeutic, strengthening, and calming force in many of the girls’ life.

Girls at Ranga Rao in urdhva dhanurasana (chakrasana or full wheel)

Seeing these children in such command of their bodies made me think about how dependent I am on my outer gaze in my own asana practice. Thus, I decided to experiment and practice with my eyes closed. At first, my body felt foreign and my sense of center easily faded. Throughout the session, however, I began developing a deeper awareness of my inner drishti, or gaze and became much more conscious of the subtleties of my breath and my overall physical alignment. I admit that I should be more disciplined and practice like this routinely, as it will bring deep benefits, starting on a physical and mental level.

Me in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, North India. July 2007

I do, however, make a point to integrate brief tests of balance with closed eyes into my regular practice and classes. These short challenges have strengthened my core and, more importantly, my overall sense of balance and inner drishti. Here are two techniques I like:

1. Balancing on the toes with closed Eyes

This is a little technique I have learned my dear friend and mentor David Hollander. Stand in tadasana (heels and balls of the feet touching). Keeping the arms by the side or raising them in prayer in front of the chest, lift the toes.
Close the eyes. Begin to focus on how the weight is distributed between the feet. Are you putting more pressure in the front of the foot than the back? Are you rolling onto the outside edges of the feet?
Try to find balance here for a few deep breaths.
Place the toes back on the ground, starting from the big toes and working your way out. Open the eyes.

Lift the heels, trying to bring the heels towards each other.
Now, experiment with closed eyes. Try to maintain balance for at least 5 deep breaths.
With the eyes still shut, slowly release the heels to the ground.

Tip: Keep the abdominal muscles strongly engaged and the tailbone and lower ribs tucked in. (Avoid allowing the butt or lower chest to stick out.) Keep the chin parallel with the floor. Imagine a string pulling your body up from the crown of the head (like a martinet).

2. Vrksasana (Tree Pose) with closed eyes.

15 year-old Anand, from Deenabandhu Trust, practcing vrksasana with closed eyes.

Assume vrksasana (If needed, click here to for Yoga Journal’s instructions).
Find balance with the hands folded in namaskar in front of the chest or the arms above the head (only if your shoulders remain relaxing down the back).
Now, try to find balance with the eyes closed. Hold for as long as comfortable.

Tips: Keep the abdominal muscles strongly engaged and the tailbone and lower ribs tucked in. (Avoid sticking out the butt or lower chest.)
If you’re feeling particularly unsteady, stand with the back or side body near a wall.
Remember, some days are different than others.
Keep trying, keep smiling.

Girls at Ranga Rao in padmasana (lotus pose). Setting up for matsyasana (fish pose).