Here is your list of 150 popular Yoga quotes, categorised as most popular, quotes from popular Yoga masters, quotes on philosophy, mindfulness and meditation, quotes on Yoga as a way of life and everything else that is Yoga … including fun and laughter 🙂 Whether you use them in your yoga blogs, posts, or share it with your students and friends, or just refer to it for some inspiration… these are sure to motivate you and help you deepen your connection with your Yoga practice! So indulge, connect, and be inspired!
Most Popular Quotes (10)
“Yoga is 99% Practice & 1% theory.” Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
“Yoga is the journey of the Self, to the Self, through the Self.” The Bhagavad Gita
“Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.” B.K.S. Iyengar
“In truth, Yoga doesn’t take time – it gives time.” Ganga White
“Surrender to Yoga, for where is the conflict when the truth is known.” Sri T.Krishnamacharya
“The attitude of gratitude is the highest yoga.” Yogi Bhajan
“Just breathe.”
“Yoga takes you into the present moment, the only place where life exists.”
“Yoga is not about touching your toes, it’s about what you learn on the way down.” Judith Lasate
“Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live.” Jim Rohn
Quotes from T.Krishnamacharya (8)
“Inhale, and God approaches you. Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you. Exhale, and you approach God. Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God.”
“Where is the delusion when truth is known? Where is the disease when the mind is clear? Where is death when the Breath is controlled? Therefore surrender to Yoga.”
“Rid your body of its impurities, let your speech be true and sweet, feel friendship for the world, and with humility seek wealth and knowledge.”
“Teach what is inside you, not as it applies to you, to yourself, but as it applies to the other”
“In the practice of Yoga one can emphasize the body, the mind or the self and hence the effort can never be fruitless.”
“Meditation results in marvels.”
“Master your breath, let the self be in bliss, contemplate on the sublime within you.”
“Nowadays, the practice of yoga stops with just asanas. Very few even attempt dharana and dhyana [deeper meditation] with seriousness. There is a need to search once more and reestablish the practice and value of yoga in modern times.”
Quotes by Sri.K.Pattabhi Jois (7)
“Practice and all is coming.”
“If we practice the science of yoga, which is useful to the entire human community and which yields happiness both here and hereafter – if we practice it without fail, we will then attain physical, mental, and spiritual happiness, and our minds will flood towards the Self.”
“Anyone can practice. Young man can practice. Old man can practice. Very old man can practice. Man who is sick, he can practice. Man who doesn’t have strength can practice. Except lazy people; lazy people can’t practice Ashtanga yoga.”
“Simply be present with your own shifting energies and with the unpredictability of life as it unfolds.”
“In Order to be effective, truth must penetrate like an arrow-and that is likely to hurt.”
“Body is not stiff, mind is stiff.”
“The Ashtanga yoga system should never be confused with “power yoga” or any whimsical creation which goes against the tradition of the many types of yoga shastras (scriptures). It would be a shame to lose the precious jewel of liberation in the mud of ignorant bodybuilding.”
Quotes from Sri.B.K.S.Iyengar (10)
“My body is my temple and asanas are my prayers.”
“Action is movement with intelligence. The world is filled with movement. What the world needs is more conscious movement, more action.”
“Yoga is like music. The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul creates the symphony of life.”
“Yoga does not just change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees.”
“It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence.”
“Breath is the king of mind.”
“Yoga allows you to find a new kind of freedom that you may not have known even existed.”
“Yoga allows you to rediscover a sense of wholeness in your life, where you do not feel like you are constantly trying to fit broken pieces together.”
“Yoga is a light, which once lit, will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter the flame.”
“There is no difference in souls, only the ideas about ourselves that we wear.”
Quotes by T.K.V.Desikachar (11)
“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.”
“The quality of our breath expresses our inner feelings.”
“Yoga exists in the world because everything is linked.”
“The ultimate goal of yoga is to always observe things accurately, and therefore never act in a way that will make us regret our actions later.”
“Yoga exists in the world because everything is linked.”
“When we follow the breath, the mind will be drawn into the activities of the breath. In this way prāṇāyāma prepares us for the stillness of meditation.”
“In sum, Patanjali suggests that we channel our curiosity and our mental powers into areas of fruitful interest as a means of calming the mind.”
“To live the life of Yoga, to repeat, is about a faith that continuously guides the teacher toward practices leading to the harmony of body, mind, and spirit.”
“Another meaning of the word yoga is “to tie the strands of the mind together.”
“The first step is to recognize that certain tendencies of our mind are responsible for producing painful effects. If these tendencies are not curtailed, we may reach a point of no return.”
“The breath relates directly to the mind and to our prāṇa, but we should not therefore imagine that as we inhale, prāṇa simply flows into us. This is not the case. Prāṇa enters the body in the moment when there is a positive change in the mind.”
More quotes from the Bhagavad Gita (2)
“Yoga is a skill in action.” The Bhagavad Gita
“The wise man lets go of all results, whether good or bad, and is focused on the actions alone.” The Bhagavad Gita
Quotes from Patanjali Yoga Sutra (7)
“Yoga is the restraining of the operations of mind born of conditioning.” Patanjali Yoga Sutras 1:2
“One becomes firmly established in practice only after attending to it for a long time, without interruption and with an attitude of devotion.” I.14
“Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by cultivating friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked.” 1.33
“Ignorance [avidya] is the root element of all of the other afflictions. Whether it is like or dislike and such, or deep sleep, weakness, dissoluteness or loftiness – no matter what type – all rise out of ignorance.” 2:4
“With non-acceptance of unnecessary things, the knowledge emerges of what I was, what I have become, and what I will be.” 2:39
“All of the fruits of the [above-mentioned] yogic powers can be obstacles to samadhi. They will definitely create more karma if used recklessly.” 3:38
“The posture becomes perfect, when the effort of achieving it vanishes.” Yogabhashya
Quotes by Swami Satchidananda (4)
“Peace comes not from doing, but from undoing; not from getting, but from letting go.”
“Let us accept all the different paths as different rivers running toward the same ocean.”
“Yoga believes in transforming the individuals before transforming the world. Whatever change we want to happen outside should happen within.”
“Calming the mind is yoga, not just standing on the head.”
Quotes from Hatha Yoga Pradipika (3)
“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.”
“Whether young or old, very old, sick or feeble, one can attain perfection in all the yogas by practising.”
“Anyone who practices can obtain success in yoga but not one who is lazy. Constant practice alone is the secret of success.”
Quotes from Spiritual Masters (12)
“It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles…” Buddha
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.” Buddha
“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.” Buddha
“If you are quiet enough, you will hear the flow of the universe. You will feel its rhythm. Go with this flow. Happiness lies ahead. Meditation is key.” Buddha
“Anything that is troubling you, anything which is irritating you… that is your Teacher.” Buddha
“Have only love in your heart for others. The more you see the good in them, the more you will establish good in yourself.” Paramhansa Yogananda
“Live quietly in the moment and see the beauty of all before you. The future will take care of itself…” Paramhansa Yogananda
“Do not feel lonely. The entire universe is inside you.” Rumi
“Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.” Rumi
“The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.” Rumi
“The inspiration you seek is already inside you, be silent and listen.” Rumi
“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” Lao Tzu
Quotes by Swami Sivananda Saraswati (4)
“This world is your body. This world is a great school. This world is your silent teacher.”
“Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.”
“The harder the struggle, the more glorious the triumph. Self-realization demands very great struggle.”
“Always do good to others. Be selfless. Mentally remove everything and be free. This is divine life. This is the direct way to Moksha or salvation.”
Quotes on Yoga by Swami Vivekananda (4)
“Tell your body that it is strong, tell your mind that it is strong, and have unbounded faith and hope in yourself.”
“…there is a continuity of mind, as the Yogis call it. The mind is universal. Your mind, my mind, all these little minds, are fragments of that universal mind, little waves in the ocean …”
“…it is quite necessary that we should find a posture in which we can remain long. That posture which is the easiest for one should be the one chosen.”
“He who does so, says the Gita, cannot be a Yogi: He who fasts, he who keeps awake, he who sleeps much, he who works too much, he who does no work, none of these can be a Yogi (Gita, VI, 16).”
Quotes on Yoga by Osho (5)
“Yoga is the science to be in the here and now.”
“Whatsoever you do with awareness is meditation.”
“Yoga means to encounter the reality as it is.”
“Yoga means now you will have to be a harmony. You will have to become One.”
“You can enter yoga, or the path of yoga, only when you are totally frustrated with your own mind as it is. If you are still hoping that you can gain something through your mind, yoga is not for you.”
Quotes on Yogic way of living (10)
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” M.K. Gandhi
“Fools live in fear, a wise man lives in strength.” Yogi Bhajan
“I close my eyes in order to see.” Paul Gauguin
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” M.K.Gandhi
“The future depends on what we do in the present.” M.K.Gandhi
“The Self in you is the same as the Self Universal. Whatever powers are manifested throughout the world, those powers exist in germ, in latency, in you…. If you realize the unity of the Self amid the diversities of the Not-Self, then Yoga Will not seem an impossible thing to you.” Annie Wood Besant
“In stillness all conflict must end.” Phillip Urso
“There is always room for change, but you have to be open to that change.” Kathryn Budig
“True meditation is about being fully present with everything that is–including discomfort and challenges. It is not an escape from life.” Craig Hamilton
“A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it. It just blooms.” Zen Shin
Quotes by other Yoga Teachers (21)
“True Yoga is not about the shape of your body, but the shape of your life. Yoga is not be performed; yoga is to be lived.” Aadil Palkhivala
“The most important pieces of equipment you need for doing yoga are your body and your mind.” Rodney Yee
“Let your practice be a celebration of life.” Seido lee deBarros
“Remember, it doesn’t matter how deep into a posture you go – what does matter is who you are when you get there.” Max Strom
“For me, yoga is not just a workout – it’s about working on yourself.” ~ Mary Glover
”Yoga is the perfect opportunity to be curious about who you are.” Jason Crandell
“You cannot do yoga. Yoga is your natural state. What you can do are yoga exercises, which may reveal to you where you are resisting your natural state.” ~ Sharon Gannon
“To perform every action artfully is Yoga.” Swami Kripalu
“Yoga does not remove us from the reality or responsibilities of everyday life but rather places our feet firmly or resolutely in the practical ground of experience. We don’t transcend our lives; we return to the life we left behind in the hopes of something better.” Donna Farhi
“Yoga is a way of moving into stillness in order to experience the truth of who you are.” Erich Schiffmann
“Yoga is almost like music in a way; there’s no end to it.” Sting
“If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.” Shunryu Suzuki
“The very heart of yoga practice is ‘abyhasa’ – steady effort in the direction you want to go.” Sally Kempton
“Yoga means addition – addition of energy, strength and beauty to body, mind and soul.” Amit Ray
When you listen to yourself, everything comes naturally. It comes from inside, like a kind of will to do something. Try to be sensitive. That is yoga.” Petri Räisänen
“That’s why it’s called a practice. We have to practice a practice if it is to be of value.” Peace Pilgrim
“Yoga is invigoration in relaxation. Freedom in routine. Confidence through self-control. Energy within and energy without.” Ymber Delecto
“Yoga is a dance between control and surrender — between pushing and letting go — and when to push and to let go becomes part of the creative process, part of the open-ended exploration of your well-being.” Joel Kramer
“The pose begins when you want to get out of it.” Baron Baptiste
“Yoga is about clearing away whatever is in us that prevents our living in the most full and whole way. With yoga, we become aware of how and where we are restricted — in body, mind, and heart — and how gradually to open and release these blockages. As these blockages are cleared, our energy is freed. We start to feel more harmonious, more at one with ourselves. Our lives begin to flow — or we begin to flow more in our lives.” Cybele Tomlinson
“Yoga teaches you how to listen to your body.” Mariel Hemingway
On Yoga Today (10)
“Vogue and Self are putting out the message of yoginis as buff and perfect. If you start doing yoga for those reasons, fine. Most people get beyond that and see that it’s much, much more.” Patricia Walden
“A lot of exercise is mindless; you can have music or the radio on and not be aware. But if you’re aware in anything you do – and it doesn’t have to be yoga – it changes you. Being present changes you.” Mariel Hemingway
“Corpse pose restores life. Dead parts of your being fall away, the ghosts are released.” The Quote Garden
“A photographer gets people to pose for him. A yoga instructor gets people to pose for themselves.” T. Guillemets
“Yoga is not just repetition of few postures – it is more about the exploration and discovery of the subtle energies of life.”Amit Ray
“Most people have no idea how good their body is designed to feel.” Kevin Trudeau
“Although yoga has its origins in ancient India, its methods and purposes are universal, relying not on cultural background, faith or deity, but simply on the individual. Yoga has become important in the lives of many contemporary Westerners, sometimes as a way of improving health and fitness of the body, but also as a means of personal and spiritual development.” Tara Fraser
“Yoga is not about tightening your ass. It’s about getting your head out of it.” Eric Paskel
“Yoga is not about touching your toes. It is what you learn on the way down.” Jigar Gor
“All kidding aside, if everyone did yoga, we would have world peace.” Rory Freedman
Anonymous (10)
“You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.”
“The pose begins when you want to leave it.”
“In the darkness, I am light.”
“You will never influence the world by trying to be like it.”
“Give this world good energy.”
“Inhale the future. Exhale the past.
“Quiet your mind. Free your body.”
“Inner peace begins the moment you choose not to allow another person or event to control your emotions.”
“Your body can do it. It is your mind you need to convince.”
“Life is better when you bend.”
Funny Yoga Quotes (12)
If you think I’m funny now, you should see me when I miss Yoga.
If you fall…I’ll be there – Yoga mat.
Yoga because punching people is frowned upon.
Log out. Shut down. Do Yoga.
Somedays you eat salad and go do Yoga. Somedays you eat cupcakes and refuse to put on pants. This is called balance.
Yoga class helps me calm down from the agonizing stress of trying to get to yoga class on time.
You’ve mastered the Selfie, now ‘Master thyself.
I’m all for Namaste, but if you interrupt Shavasana, the light in my heart will strike down upon you with great fury.
All my friends complaint about not feeling good, and are freaking out about their lives, and I’m just like, “There’s Yoga pose for that!”
Frist I do Yoga, then I do things.
Talk to me when all your chakras are aligned.
“I really regret going to a Yoga class today… said no one ever.”