Every time you step onto your yoga mat, you take another step on your journey of transformation…whether or not you are aware of it. And that journey will be unique for each one of us. I love this vision of the beauty and multiple benefits of yoga from yoga teacher Kia Miller (from Stephanie Spence’s inspiring book, Yoga Wisdom).
“Through the practice of yoga, I have learned how to positively relate to my body, my breath and my mind. My body has become lighter, more flexible and strong. My breath has become my refuge and like a trusted friend — I have learned how to work with the breath in order to change my energetic and mental states. I have learned how to use the breath to get myself to sleep or to wake up! I have learned techniques that enable my mind to be focused and calm. Having such a positive relationship with my body and my inner being ripples out into all my encounters with life.”
Yoga offers you the possibility of so much beauty and joy and positive growth…you just have to practice it to discover what yoga can bring to your own journey. And yet it can sometimes be a challenge to motivate yourself to get on the mat. So how can you find that motivation? In my experience, these tips can help:
Here are some great quotes I’ve collected over the years that I hope will inspire and motivate you in your practice. Some you may recognize. Many of these quotes I’ve collected from teachers I admire and love to learn from; I’ve discovered them by joining their classes, workshops or retreats…or by reading their books. Each of these little nuggets of wisdom share diverse perspectives on the yoga journey. They remind us of how yoga is SOOO much more than the poses, remind us of why we all need to have a home yoga practice. And the one thing they all have in common is the life-transforming, soul-healing power of yoga.
All you have to do now is get on your mat!
30 YOGA QUOTES TO INSPIRE YOUR PRACTICE
1 - “Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.” – The Bhagavad Gita
2 - “Yoga takes you by the scruff of the neck and takes you on a journey whether you like it or not.” – Vanda Scaravelli
3 - “The inner teachings of yoga bring creativity, passion, and the sacred into the everyday and reflect the gratefulness and connection I feel to my own body.” – Shiva Rea
4 - “Yoga’s supreme objective is to awaken an exalted state of spiritual realization, yet the tradition also recognizes that the state does not exist in absolute isolation from the world and worldly matters. Thus the science of yoga teaches you how to live and how to shape your life with a commanding sense of purpose, capacity, and meaning. In short, yoga has less to do with your body or with being able to still you mind than it has to do with the happiness that unfolds from the realization of your full potential.” – Rod Stryker
5 - “Yoga is a system of living that will help you navigate all parts of your journey of life. Anyone can do it. It’s free. No one owns it. No matter what life throws at you, yoga teaches you how to make the healthiest of life choices.” – Stephanie Spence
6 - “I think it’s interesting that the opposite of being active in yoga is not being passive. It’s being receptive.” – Cyndi Lee
7 - “Yoga is a sophisticated system that extends far beyond doing yoga postures; it is literally a way of living. Yoga is designed to bring you more and more awareness of not only your body but also your thoughts. The teachings are a practical, step-by-step methodology that bring understanding to your experience.” – Deborah Adele
8 - “The intention of Yoga practice is to reveal the true nature of the self and to live as that true nature.” – Donna Farhi
9 - “Yoga is really the art of waking up. Getting back to the true you. It can be that simple. Yoga offers up a way to see the world that is working for you instead of against you. Yoga reminds me that everything is connected, so we must live, act, dance, and breath with awareness. If the journey really is the reward, then by golly I choose to enjoy the journey.” – Adriene Mishler
10 - “Yoga is the perfect opportunity to be curious about who you are” — Jason Crandell
11 - “I believe our hunger for yoga, and our eagerness to embrace yoga as a spiritual practice, are a testament to our growth and our desire for change….We need a new paradigm, one that will replace our present attachment to imbalance. Yoga is the study of balance, and balance is the aim of all living creatures, it is our home.” – Rolf Gates
12 - “It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self and intelligence.” – B.K.S. Iyengar
13 - “The success of Yoga does not lie in the ability to perform postures but in how it positively changes the way we live our life and our relationships.” – T.K.V. Desikachar
14 - "With all the wisdom of yoga -- that is to say, the results of constant yoga practice -- the realization of lots of sacred knowledge, some self-control, and armed with full compassion, an amazing spiritual enthusiasm is always present and, thus, you can easily overcome any challenge...I mean all of them!" – Sri Dharma Mittra
15 - “Here is, in truth, the whole secret of Yoga, the science of the soul. The active turnings, the strident vibrations, of selfishness, lust and hate are to be stilled by meditation, by letting heart and mind dwell in spiritual life, by lifting up the heart to the strong, silent life above, which rests in the stillness of eternal love, and needs no harsh vibration to convince it of true being.” – Patanjali
16 - “I don’t believe that yoga is a journey at all, in fact calling it a journey seems counterproductive. Journey suggests that we have some place to go, but of course we’re already there or here, we just don’t know we are, or we know we are but don’t experience it directly and forcefully. There is no path and there is no journey; all exists in the ever-present origin.” – Richard Rosen
17 - “Why home practice? It’s only home practice. When you go to class you get ideas, you hear another voice, you break open another way of seeing something. But without home practice, there’s really no way to digest that. Without making it your own, yoga doesn’t mean anything. It’s just an exercise class." – Rodney Yee
18 - “We all need a place we can move, strengthen, and enjoy our physicality - be demonstrative and not pressured by anyone else’s business or judgments. That’s what home practice can bring.” – Sarah Powers
19 - “Home practice arises spontaneously out of a need to do the best you can in this life. There’s no program to make you do that - it’s all up to you.” – David Life
20 - “That’s why it’s called a practice. We have to practice a practice if it is to be of value.” – Peace Pilgrim
21 - "I can't imagine life without practice. I've been practising meditation for about forty five years, and I depend on my daily immersion in the inner witness, in non-dual consciousness. It has carried me through every personal crisis of these past years, from daily stress to illness to radical life changes. It is where I go for answers to questions, to chill out, to get help from within, and to simply enjoy the sacred self." – Sally Kempton
22 - "Home practice allows you to be who you want to be. You can do what you want to do. You can become who you want to become. Doing your own practice helps you to unwind tension so that there's space." – Colleen Saidman-Yee
23 - "When I practice at home, I truly listen and honor where I am emotionally and physically. Some days my practice is restorative and healing, and other days it is a more fluid, high-energy experience." – Faith Hunter
24 - “Do not kill the instinct of the body for the glory of the pose. Do not look at your body like a stranger, but adopt a friendly approach towards it. Watch it, listen to it, observe its needs, its requests, and even have fun. Play with it as children do, sometimes it becomes very alien and swift. To be sensitive is to be alive.” – Vanda Scaravelli
25 - “When the breath wanders the mind also is unsteady. But when the breath is calmed the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves long life. Therefore, one should learn to control the breath.” – Hatha Yoga Pradipika
26 - “The practice is simply this: keep coming back to your breath during the day. Just take a moment. This will give your mind a steadiness and your breath a gracefulness… There’s so much to let go of, isn’t there? Your nostalgia and your regrets. Your fantasies and your fears. What you think you want instead of what is happening right now. Breathe.” – Rodney Yee
27 - “Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts.” – Thích Nhất Hạnh
28 - “Yoga begins with listening. When we listen, we are giving space to what is.” – Richard Freeman
29 - “Yoga is a way of moving into stillness in order to experience the truth of who you are.” – Erich Schiffmann
30 - “The practice of asana invites us to embody all of life’s greatest and most enduring qualities, including courage, willpower, self-awareness, concentration, surrender or letting go, the pursuit of excellence, the empowerment that comes from overcoming resistance (both internal and external), and skillful action.” – Rod Stryker
RELATED RESOURCE:
25 Quotes to Inspire Your Journey of Transformation
BOOK LIST:
Yoga Wisdom: Warrior Tales Inspiring You On and Off Your Mat, Stephanie Spence - this award winning book is really inspiring, from Stephanie’s own journey to the wonderful teachers she has encounters on her “yoga road trips”.
Yoga at Home, Linda Sparrow- I love this book, it’s filled with ideas and advice from many different teachers to inspire your home practice
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