Mindfulness Practice Quotes

“The mind is just like a muscle - the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets and the more it can expand.”
― Idowu Koyenikan, Wealth for All: Living a Life of Success at the Edge of Your Ability

“Life is a dance. Mindfulness is witnessing that dance.”
― Amit Ray, Mindfulness Living in the Moment - Living in the Breath

“Breath is the finest gift of nature. Be grateful for this wonderful gift.”
― Amit Ray, Beautify your Breath - Beautify your Life

“There are two types of seeds in the mind: those that create anger, fear, frustration, jealousy, hatred and those that create love, compassion, equanimity and joy. Spirituality is germination and sprouting of the second group and transforming the first group.”
― Amit Ray, Walking the Path of Compassion

“Open the window of your mind. Allow the fresh air, new lights and new truths to enter.”
― Amit Ray, Walking the Path of Compassion

“Expectation has brought me disappointment. Disappointment has brought me wisdom. Acceptance, gratitude and appreciation have brought me joy and fulfilment.”
― Rasheed Ogunlaru

“It is said that there are four kinds of horses: excellent ones, good ones, poor ones, and bad ones. The best horse will run slow and fast, right and left, at the driver’s will, before it sees the shadow of the whip; the second best will run as well as the first one does, just before the whip reaches its skin; the third one will run when it feels pain on its body; the fourth will run after the pain penetrates to the marrow of its bones. You can imagine how difficult it is for the fourth one to learn how to run!

When we hear this story, almost all of us want to be the best horse. If it is impossible to be the best one, we want to be the second best. That is, I think, the usual understanding of this story, and of Zen. You may think that when you sit in zazen you will find out whether you are one of the best horses or one of the worst ones. Here, however, there is a misunderstanding of Zen. If you think the aim of Zen practice is to train you to become one of the best horses, you will have a big problem. This is not the right understanding. If you practice Zen in the right way it does not matter whether you are the best horse or the worst one. When you consider the mercy of Buddha, how do you think Buddha will feel about the four kinds of horses? He will have more sympathy for the worst one than for the best one.

When you are determined to practice zazen with the great mind of Buddha, you will find the worst horse is the most valuable one. In your very imperfections you will find the basis for your firm, way-seeking mind. Those who can sit perfectly physically usually take more time to obtain the true way of Zen, the actual feeling of Zen, the marrow of Zen. But those who find great difficulties in practicing Zen will find more meaning in it. So I think that sometimes the best horse may be the worst horse, and the worst horse can be the best one.

If you study calligraphy you will find that those who are not so clever usually become the best calligraphers. Those who are very clever with their hands often encounter great difficulty after they have reached a certain stage. This is also true in art and in Zen. It is true in life. So when we talk about Zen we cannot say, 'He is good,' or 'He is bad,' in the ordinary sense of the words. The posture taken in zazen is not the same for each of us. For some it may be impossible to take the cross-legged posture. But even though you cannot take the right posture, when you arouse your real, way-seeking mind, you can practice Zen in its true sense. Actually it is easier for those who have difficulties in sitting to arouse the true way-seeking mind that for those who can sit easily.”
― Shunryu Suzuki

“You have to change your thinking if you desire to have a future different from your present.”
― Germany Kent

“Think about every good thing in your life right now. Free yourself of worrying. Let go of the anxiety, breathe. Stay positive, all is well.”
― Germany Kent

“The key in letting go is practice. Each time we let go, we disentangle ourselves from our expectations and begin to experience things as they are.”
― Sharon Salzberg, Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection

“Mindful leadership keeps you cool and energetic in any situation, so that you can make the best possible decisions.”
― Amit Ray, Mindfulness Meditation for Corporate Leadership and Management

“So few people are really aware of their thoughts. Their minds run all over the place without their permission, and they go along for the ride unknowingly and without making a choice.”
― Thomas M. Sterner, The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life Master Any Skill or Challenge by Learning to Love the Process

“Why settle for a lesser vision? When you are destiny for greatness!”
― Lailah Gifty Akita, Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind

“The study of modern mindfulness meditation and emotional intelligence is deeply rooted in the ancient Vipassana meditation techniques.”
― Amit Ray, Mindfulness Meditation for Corporate Leadership and Management

“Whether it is in your work, or your relationships, or your food choices, or your interaction with any part of nature, or anything that you think, speak, or do, mindfulness has the power to align you with expressing your highest Self, for your personal and our collective highest good.
Via mindfulness we can make the choices today, that will pre-pave the desired outcomes for all of our tomorrows. Via mindfulness we put ourselves in the flow of life, where life is no longer a series of "good" and "bad" moments, but about living with ease, contentment, wellbeing, and inner peace. Ultimately mindfulness requires action, with the first step being to make mindfulness a priority in your life.”
― Evita Ochel

“It's very important as a beginner that you understand right from the start that meditation is about befriending your thinking, about holding it gently in awareness, no matter what is on your mind in a particular moment. It is not about shutting off your thoughts or changing them in any way.”
― Jon Kabat-Zinn, Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment―and Your Life

“Mindfulness won’t ensure you’ll win an argument with your sister. Mindfulness won’t enable you to bypass your feelings of anger or hurt either. But it may help you see the conflict in a new way, one that allows you to break through old patterns.”
― Sharon Salzberg, Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection

“If the desire to change is coming from a place of growth, it's fantastic. But if it's coming from a place of boredom and impatience, then it’s time to practice mindfulness to find that newness again.”
― Todd Perelmuter

“When you don't put the weight of the past on to the present moment, then every moment can feel brand new and incredible.”
― Todd Perelmuter

“The number one rule of meditation is to get rid of expectations. Toss them out the door as you don't need them.”
― Todd Perelmuter

“Remind yourself that you are safe right now, and practice using your five senses (see, hear, smell, taste, touch) to simply notice the present moment, instead of worrying about what might happen in the future.”
― Lauren Martin, Fear is a Volcano

“Dance of life has three components: expression, repetition of certain patterns, and rhythms. When you are mindful, you will know your rhythms, patterns, and expressions.”
― Sri Amit Ray, Power of Exponential Mindset for Success and Leadership

“Your mind is like a key. It can keep you captive, or it can set you free.”
― Zary Greer Manning

“When we invite The Lord of the Silence into a turbulent situation, God promises to give us peace that “surpasses all comprehension”.”
― Shaneen Clarke, The Lord of the Silence: Experiencing Intimacy With God In This Fast-Paced World

“Mindfulness is not a path of chasing. It is the path of beautification. It is a path in the middle, neither chasing nor avoiding.”
― Amit Ray, Mindfulness Living in the Moment - Living in the Breath

“If you want to empower yourself, spend time with people you respect and admire, who live their truth.”
― Andrew Pacholyk, Barefoot A Surfer's View of the Universe

“The world fudges with your mind, that elusive thing that we know exists, but learn very little about.”
― Ana Maria Santuario, FAITH, In Stories That Change

“Drown your ego before it drowns you.”
― Soroosh Shahrivar, Tajrish

“Functioneel denken is een deel van het probleem. Wandelen helpt pas als je wandelt om het plezier van het wandelen. Rusten en gezond eten hebben pas nut als je beseft dat jij dat gewoon verdient. Mindfulness en yoga dienen pas een doel als ze geen specifiek doel dienen.”
― Marijn Sillis, Ik dacht dat ik wist wat burn-out was... tot ik er een kreeg: Anti-zelfhulpboek

“Fear is a pesky little parasite that feeds on those so strong”
― Lee Papa