Here are some more of our favourite quotes and phrases.  Scroll down for a further collection of quotes from BKS Iyengar himself.

“Yoga does not remove us from the reality or responsibilities of everyday life but rather places our feet firmly and 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

“Strive to achieve whatever you think you cannot for it is on the path toward your impossible dream that you will find what you truly seek.”

“When you are preoccupied with end results you pull yourself from the present into an imagined, usually fearful future. Then your anxiety robs your energy, and making matters worse, you lapse into inaction and laziness.” On fear: Bhagavad Gita – Krishna counsels Arjuna

Sometimes we get despondent with our lack of ability in Hatha Yoga practice and that can lead to apathy and negativity. Here is a quote from spiritual mentor, Edgar Cayce to give a little perspective on that negative process our minds take us on when we think we’re not achieving our potential:

“There is progress whether ye are going forward or backward! The thing is to move!”

“People become what they expect themselves to become.”

Mahatma Gandhi

“Nature, in all its functions, is remarkably purposeful. Who then, could possibly imagine that he or she was born into this world for no purpose?”

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.“

Jimi Hendrix

“Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity.“

Voltaire

BKS Iyengar

Here are some famous quotes from the great master of yoga, BKS Iyengar, who has dedicated the last 70 years of his life to the study and practise of yoga and to making this wonderful art, science and philosophy accessible to all people.

“The beauty of a lake reflects the beauty around it. When the mind is still, the beauty of the Self is seen reflected in it.”

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“Intelligence, like money, is a good servant but a bad master. When practicing pranayama, the yogi [makes] himself humble and without pride in his intellectual attainments.”

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“The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in.”

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“When you inhale, you are taking the strength from God. When you exhale, it represents the service you are giving to the world.”

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“The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind & the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life.”

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“Illuminated emancipation, freedom, unalloyed and untainted bliss await you, but you have to choose to embark on the Inward Journey to discover it.”

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“Change leads to disappointment if it is not sustained. Transformation is sustained change, and it is achieved through practice.”

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“It is through your body that you realize you are a spark of divinity.”

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“Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.”

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“Yoga, an ancient but perfect science, deals with the evolution of humanity. This evolution includes all aspects of one’s being, from bodily health to self-realization. Yoga means union – the union of body with consciousness and consciousness with the soul. Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day-to-day life and endows skill in the performance of one’s actions.”

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Quotes from his autobiography, Light on Life:

“The practice of yogasana for the sake of health, to keep fit, or to maintain flexibility is the external practice of yoga. While this is a legitimate place to begin, it is not the end… Even in simple asanas, one is experiencing the three levels of quest: the external quest, which brings firmness of the body; the internal quest, which brings steadiness of intelligence; and the innermost quest, which brings benevolence of spirit.”

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“Often, we hear people saying they remain active and light when they do just a little bit of asana practice. When a raw beginner experiences this state of well-being, it is not merely the external or anatomical effects of yoga. It is also about the internal physiological and psychological effects of the practice.”