There’s something magical about the right words at the right moment. “The body benefits from movement, and the mind benefits from stillness.” This simple truth captures why yoga has transformed millions of lives worldwide – it’s not just physical exercise but a pathway to inner peace.
We all hit those moments in our yoga practice when motivation wanes or we lose sight of why we started. Whether you’re struggling to hold a challenging pose or finding it hard to quiet your mind during meditation, sometimes we need a gentle nudge to reconnect with our practice.
That’s where yoga quotes come in – they’re like little whispers of wisdom that can ground us, inspire us, and remind us why we roll out our mats day after day. They capture centuries of insight in just a few words, serving as powerful companions on our yoga journey. Let’s explore how these timeless words can transform your practice, deepen your understanding of yoga philosophy, and bring new meaning to your time on the mat.
70+ Yoga Quotes That Will Inspire You
Yoga Quotes for Teaching and Sharing with Students
“A photographer gets people to pose for him. A yoga instructor gets people to pose for themselves.” — Terri Guillemets
“Yoga is a light, which once lit, will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter your flame.” — B.K.S. Iyengar
“Yoga is not about touching your toes, it’s about what you learn on the way down.” — Jigar Gor
“Yoga begins right where I am – not where I was yesterday or where I long to be.” — Linda Sparrow
“The yoga pose you avoid the most you need the most.” — Anonymous
“The most important pieces of equipment you need for doing yoga are your body and your mind.” — Rodney Yee
“The study of asana is not about mastering posture. It’s about using posture to understand and transform yourself.” — B.K.S. Iyengar
“Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.” — B.K.S. Iyengar
“What we want out of yoga is ourselves, not something better than ourselves.” — Douglas Brooks
“My body is my temple and asanas are my prayers.” — B.K.S. Iyengar
“Before you’ve practiced, the theory is useless. After you’ve practiced, the theory is obvious.” — David Williams
“Yoga is the perfect opportunity to be curious about who you are.” — Jason Crandell
Yoga Quotes on Mindfulness and Meditation
“Meditation is a way for nourishing and blossoming the divinity within you.” — Amit Ray
“That’s why it’s called a practice. We have to practice a practice if it is to be of value.” — Allan Lokos
“Silence is not silent. Silence speaks. It speaks most eloquently. Silence is not still. Silence leads. It leads most perfectly.” — Sri Chinmoy
“If you have time to breathe, you have time to meditate.” — Ajahn Amaro
“If it weren’t for my mind, my meditation would be excellent.” — Ani Pema Chodron
“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance.” — Buddha
“The gift of learning to meditate is the greatest gift you can give yourself in this lifetime.” — Sogyal Rinpoche
“Beyond meditation there is the experience of now.” — Ryan Parenti
“Meditation can help us embrace our worries, our fear, our anger; and that is very healing.” — Thich Nhat Hanh
“True meditation is about being fully present with everything that is including discomfort and challenges.” — Craig Hamilton
“When you inhale, you are taking the strength from God. When you exhale, it represents the service you are giving to the world.” — B.K.S. Iyengar
Yoga Quotes on Inner Peace and Calmness
“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” — Buddha
“You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.” — Wayne Dyer
“Inner peace begins the moment you choose not to allow another person or event to control your emotions.” — Kathryn Budig
“Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by cultivating friendliness toward the happy…” — Patanjali
“We all wish for world peace, but world peace will never be achieved unless we first establish peace within our own minds.” — Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
“Calming the mind is yoga. Not just standing on the head.” — Swami Satchidananda
“Peace comes from within, do not seek it without.” — Anonymous
“Travel light, live light, spread the light, be the light.” — Yogi Bhajan
“Yoga is the method to come to a nondreaming mind. Yoga is the science to be in the here and now.” — Osho
“Yoga adds years to your life, and life to your years.” — Anonymous
“Yoga is invigoration in relaxation. Freedom in routine. Confidence through self-control. Energy within and energy without.” — Ymber Delecto
Yoga Quotes on Strength and Perseverance
“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.” — The Bhagavad Gita
“The pose begins when you want to leave it.” — Baron Baptiste
“Body is not stiff, mind is stiff.” — Sri K. Jois
“You are stronger than you know. More capable than you ever dreamed.” — Anonymous
“Yoga begins with listening. When we listen, we are giving space to what is.” — Richard Freeman
“When breath control is correct, mind control is possible.” — Pattabhi Jois
“Go from a human being doing yoga to a human being yoga.” — Baron Baptiste
“Yoga does not always cure stress. It neutralizes it through increasing awareness and changing self-perception.” — Debasish Mridha
“In truth, yoga doesn’t take time – it gives time.” — Ganga White
“Remember, it doesn’t matter how deep into a posture you go – what matters is who you are when you get there.” — Max Strom
“When you listen to yourself, everything comes naturally. It comes from inside… That is yoga.” — Petri Räisänen
Yoga Quotes on Personal Growth and Transformation
“Yoga is not a work-out, it’s a work-in.” — Rolf Gates
“Yoga does not just change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees.” — B.K.S. Iyengar
“The nature of yoga is to shine the light of awareness into the darkest corners of the body.” — Jason Crandell
“Change is not something we should fear. It is something we should welcome.” — B.K.S. Iyengar
“We have never arrived. We are in a constant state of becoming.” — Bob Dylan
“The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in.” — B.K.S. Iyengar
“Yoga is about remembering that we are already one with the divinity and we’ve never left it.” — Sri K. Jois
“The attitude of gratitude is the highest yoga.” — Yogi Bhajan
“Yoga is not just repetition of few postures, it is about exploration and discovery.” — Amit Ray
“Yoga is about self-acceptance.” — Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa
“What I’m looking for is not out there; it is in me.” — Helen Keller
Yoga Quotes on Connection and Unity
“Yoga means addition. Addition of energy, strength and beauty to body, mind and soul.” — Amit Ray
“Yoga is the bringing together of that which was never separate.” — Richard Miller
“We are all just walking each other home.” — Ram Dass
“When you listen to yourself, everything comes naturally… That is yoga.” — Petri Räisänen
“What we see in the world around us is just a reflection of what is inside of us.” — Sharon Gannon
“Yoga is a mirror to look at ourselves from within.” — B.K.S. Iyengar
“Yoga is the dance of every cell with the music of every breath that creates inner serenity and harmony.” — Debasish Mridha
“Yoga is the artwork of awareness on the canvas of body, mind, and soul.” — Amit Ray
“The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind and the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life.” — B.K.S. Iyengar
“Yoga happens beyond the mat, anything you do with attention to how you feel is doing yoga.” — Anonymous
“Yoga is not about self-improvement, it’s about self-acceptance.” — Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa
If you’re looking for more inspiration for your practice, check out the variety of yoga classes available on Perspire.tv, where you can find instructors who incorporate these philosophical elements into their teaching.
Famous Yoga Teachers and Their Most Inspirational Quotes
B.K.S. Iyengar (1918-2014) – The founder of Iyengar Yoga revolutionized how we approach alignment and props in yoga. His precise, methodical approach made yoga accessible to people of all abilities. “Yoga allows you to find an inner peace that is not ruffled and riled by the endless stresses and struggles of life.”
Krishnamacharya (1888-1989) – Often called the “father of modern yoga,” he taught many influential teachers including B.K.S. Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois. “Teach what is appropriate for an individual.”
Pattabhi Jois (1915-2009) – The developer of Ashtanga Yoga emphasized the importance of daily practice. “Practice and all is coming.”
Donna Farhi – A contemporary teacher known for her thoughtful, accessible approach to yoga philosophy. “Yoga is a technology for arriving in this present moment. It is a means of waking up from our spiritual amnesia, so that we can remember all that we already know.”
What Is The Yoga Philosophy and the Power of Words
Yoga is more than just poses, it’s a life philosophy that’s been practiced for thousands of years. The word yoga means “union,” symbolizing the harmony of body, mind, and spirit.
Recent research confirms that those who are deeply involved in yoga’s teachings, not just the physical practice, report greater emotional resilience, spiritual well-being, and a stronger sense of meaning, especially in times of crisis. It’s a reminder that yoga is not just what we do on the mat, but how we live off it.
Words have always been central to yoga’s transmission. Ancient yogis understood that sound carries energy, they called this concept “Nada Yoga” or the yoga of sound. They believed certain vibrations could literally transform consciousness. This is why mantras and chants remain powerful tools in yoga practice today.
“Words are the most powerful drug used by mankind,” Rudyard Kipling once said. In yoga, we see this truth play out. The right quote or teaching can shift our perspective instantly, helping us move from frustration to acceptance or from distraction to presence. When a teacher offers the perfect words during a challenging pose, suddenly we find new reserves of strength or patience we didn’t know we had.
How Yoga Quotes Inspire Your Practice
Have you ever been struggling in a pose when your teacher says something that completely shifts your experience? That’s the power of yoga quotes in action. Meaningful words can transform our practice in several important ways:
- They set our intention. Starting practice by reflecting on an inspiring quote helps focus the mind and heart on what matters. Instead of just going through the motions, we bring purpose to our movement.
- They deepen our awareness. A thoughtful quote can pull us back to the present moment when our minds wander during practice. Suddenly, we’re not just stretching – we’re exploring the connection between breath, body, and mind.
- They provide perspective during challenges. When holding a difficult pose feels impossible, remembering words about perseverance or acceptance can help us breathe through discomfort rather than giving up.
- They connect us to something larger. Yoga quotes remind us that we’re part of a lineage of practitioners stretching back thousands of years, all seeking similar truths about human existence.
- Many practitioners find that certain quotes become personal mantras, returning to mind exactly when needed – during a stressful workday, in difficult conversations, or when facing life challenges. The wisdom absorbed on the mat extends far beyond it.
How to Integrate Yoga Quotes into Your Daily Routine
Yoga quotes aren’t just for class – they can become powerful tools in your everyday life. Here are some simple ways to keep this wisdom with you:
- Morning intention setting: Choose a quote that resonates with what you need that day. Write it on a sticky note or set it as your phone wallpaper. Let it guide your actions throughout the day.
- Create a quote corner: Designate a small space in your home – maybe near your yoga mat or meditation cushion – where you display meaningful quotes. Change them weekly to keep the inspiration fresh.
- Journal reflections: Copy a quote at the top of your journal page, then write about what it means to you personally. How might you embody this wisdom today?
- Breath pairing: During challenging moments, pair a short quote with your breath. For example, inhale “I am” and exhale “at peace.”
- Share with friends: Text a meaningful quote to a friend who might need it. Sometimes the words that moved you are exactly what someone else needs to hear.
The beauty of working with yoga quotes is that different words will speak to you at different times. The quote that feels powerful during a period of change might be different from what resonates during times of stability. Let your intuition guide you to the wisdom you need most.
Bottom Line
The ancient wisdom captured in yoga quotes offers us something precious – perspective. In a world that often values doing over being, these timeless words remind us to slow down, breathe, and connect with what truly matters. Whether you’re a dedicated yogi or just beginning your practice, let these quotes be companions on your journey. They’re not just pretty words but practical tools for transformation – reminders of the wisdom that already lives within you. Choose one quote from this collection that speaks to your heart right now. Write it down, carry it with you, or simply hold it in your thoughts as you move through your day. Notice how it shifts your perspective and perhaps even your actions.