Lately, I've been really getting into reading, as a dyslexic who mostly hated reading this is quite the revelation! I was one who would only pick up classic books like Dickins or Shakespeare as a thought of, well if it’s going to take me so long to read the thing - it may as well be one of the greatest books ever written! But seriously, my love of the written word is growing! I have always loved classics, but now self help books, inspiring health books, sci fi and poetry are an accessible form of creative writing. As a teen I mostly wrote poetry instead of a journal and still do. I am learning this to be true…
‘YOUR VOICE IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL TOOLS YOU HAVE.’
I believe the territory poets and writers encounter through the medium of language is similar terrain the yogi encounters along the 8-limbed path or the artist meditating to source. In that both writers, artists and yogis enter mystery in all it's manifestations, and seek to navigate the strange, beautiful, paradoxical human experience, just like through my own art. Yoga is a deeply humbling, inspiring, and soul-fulfilling experience. Though sometimes we all need some inspiration, some beautifully put together words to fire up your soul!
Here is a selection of my favourite yoga quotes and poems, I hope they inspire you and would love to hear your favourites too…
“The future depends on what we do in the present. ”
This just says it all. We love it so much it’s even on our packaging! From yoga to your entire lifestyle - it is a mantra I use myself to inspire my practice, to keep as green a lifestyle as possible and think about my carbon footprint. We are all living our own creations.
“Wisdom is knowing I am nothing. Love is knowing I am everything. And in between the two, my life moves.”
Too true. Love - I know is everything it surrounds us and is our most fundamental expression. Love is the whole reason into being. The air we breathe, our creation, it’s all LOVE. Though if we are too obsessed and moving towards the endless gratification of love without the pain of grief, the loss of love or without the nothing - we would not know the immense joy in love or appreciate it. This means balance.
“Everything changes. Everything is connected. Pay attention.”
This resonates on many levels. Sometimes we need to just sit and be - pay attention to what is happening around us, everything is interconnected. Silence can give us the space we need to listen to our soul and connection to spirit. Yoga for me, really helps secure that connection between mind and body and taking the time out to check on my inner self and connect to source and especially to nature.
“To know that we are not our thoughts is the first step toward freedom.”
“It is not fashionable in so-called spiritual circles these days to talk of struggle. But the ancient yogis did not hesitate to acknowledge that life is full of struggle and pain. And yet, these early practitioners found that struggle itself could be transmuted into the most noble characteristics of the human being. Indeed, an optimal life is not possible without struggle. Liberation and struggle are two sides of the same coin.”
Stephen Cope… Amen! This one is key in today’s world of seemingly perfect beings and instagram filtered faces. Instagram and yoga seem to go very well, hand in hand - guilty as charged! Though I do love to source inspiration, new sequence ideas and Asanas, that being said, I also feel extremely inadequate and try not to focus on social media too much in my life and carve out my own path and practice.
“Yoga is like music: the rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life.”
“Master your breath, let the self be in bliss, contemplate on the sublime within you. ”
I love these two quotes from the man himself and also for their simplicity. The mastering of breath is such an essential part to not just yoga, but being. Learning skills and developing your breath work is equally as important to the mind body and soul and can literally take you to places you didn’t even know existed. If you don’t take a breath class alongside your yoga practice, I would highly recommend! You can find some local class listings on our facebook page.
“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.”
Yoga can assist and help guide you throughout your life, what starts as some exercise or cooling down stretches between excercise can help you to fill a void, connect to yourself, connect your energy lines and feel the fire move from your soul. Your lifestyle more natural, your life more full and your feet truly feeling grounded.
“Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.”
Learning kindness to ourselves is the first step on the journey of compassion. All practices of yoga and meditation start with the self. That is not in a selfish approach, that is in a way of thinking about the self, the self talk and the first voices we hear throughout the day and just being kind to yourself so you can spread the word of kindness, peace, joy and love to others.
“To live in this world
you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it
against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go.”
Beautiful words, which makes a lovely poem to say during Savasana or corpse pose as it’s sometimes called. It really guides you into letting go, surrendering, to feel your body returning to the earth and melt away, words whispered during meditation can be just a beautiful transition for your senses and to assist the body on it’s journey.
Well that is just tip of the iceberg with our favourite yoga poems, quotes and inspirations! If you have any long time loves please comment below and as I grow and develop too on this journey, I hope to share more and more with you all…
Namaste X
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