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…

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 in meditation 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 practice. Yoga and Meditation 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 and meditation 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 yoga and meditation kits eco packaging! From yoga, meditation to your entire mindful lifestyle - it is a meditation 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. We are hear to feel love. I heard those words during a meditation once loud and clear! 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. This quote humbles me to my meditation practice to my daily walking meditation to really think about my balance in love. 

“Everything changes. Everything is connected. Pay attention.”

This resonates on many levels. Sometimes we need to just sit in meditation and be - whether that is in meditation or mindful moments - pay attention to what is happening around us, everything is interconnected, I feel this most in the meditation or Savasana. Silence can give us the space we need to listen to our soul and connection to spirit. How often do we practice silence nowadays?! Yoga and meditation 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. I love to take my meditation practice outside to reflect under a tree or in my garden. 

“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! We glamourise life so much nowadays, always to be happy and cheerful and never down... that just not life. This one is key in today’s world of seemingly perfect beings and instagram filtered faces. Instagram, meditation and yoga seem to go very well, hand in hand - guilty as charged, it all looks so beautiful on screen and if it inspires someone new to try asana and meditation, well thats great! I do love to source inspiration, new sequence ideas, meditation 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 meditation and yoga 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 and meditation, but being. Learning skills and developing your breath work in meditation and movement 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 or meditation 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 and meditation can assist and help guide you throughout your life, what starts as some exercise or cooling down stretches between exercise 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, your impact on the world, 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. Reflect on your innate kindness or not in your next meditation practice and see what words may come through. 

“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.”