A good quote has the power to inspire. And no matter how experienced a meditator you may or may not be, sometimes you just need help to get you to your seat. Luckily, inspirational quotes aren’t scarce. Here are some powerful mindfulness quotes to inspire your next meditation.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is an awareness that comes from purposefully, non-judgmentally paying attention to the present moment. It is filling your senses and placing all of your energy into this very moment. Mindfulness is not a concept but a way of being. It is a choice on how we choose to live in relationship to our mind, thoughts, emotions, and body.
At it’s core, mindfulness is simple. When put into practice, it’s a bit more difficult because it touches every facet of our lives. Mindfulness allows you to reconnect with yourself and others. It re-awakens you to what it is to be you, living in this world, right now.
Interested in learning more about meditations and mindfulness or need help putting it all into practice? Check out our Meditation for Anxiety Management course today!
40 Mindfulness Quotes to Inspire Your Next Meditation
Whether you need inspiration, insight, or guidance – may these quotes provide you the value that you need.
Mindful Quotes for When Your Mind is Full
- “Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality.” – Thich Nhãt Hanh
- “When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves.” – Jack Kornfield
- “Nothing ever goes away until is has taught us what we need to know.” – Pema Chödrön
- “Don’t believe everything you think. Thoughts are just that – thoughts.” – Allan Lokos
- “Step outside for a while – calm your mind. It is better to hug a tree than to bang your head against a wall continually.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru
- “Nothing can harm you as much as your own thoughts unguarded.” – Buddha
- “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” – Jon Kabit-Zinn
- “We might be scanning our body…and then asking, “What is happening?” We might also ask, “What wants my attention right now?” or, “What is asking for acceptance?” – Tara Brach
Positive Mindful Quotes for When the Negativity is too High
- “Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we are already.” – Pema Chödrön
- “You cannot control the results, only your actions.” – Allan Lokos
- “The feeling that any task is a nuisance will soon disappear if it is done in mindfulness.” – Thich Nhãt Hanh
- “What would it be like if I could accept life – accept this moment – exactly as it is?” – Tara Brach
- “How you look at it is pretty much how you’ll see it.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru
- “Every experience, no matter how bad it seems, hold within it a blessing of some kind. The goal is to find it.” -Buddha
- “Emotion arises at the place where mind and body meet. It is the body’s reaction to mind.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside.” – Ramana Maharshi
Quotes about Present Moment Awareness for When You’re Distracted
- “The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn
- “Life is a dance. Mindfulness is witnessing that dance.” – Amit Ray
- “Be where you are, otherwise you will miss your life.” – Buddha
- “Mindfulness is the aware, balances acceptance of the present experience. It isn’t more complicated than that. It is opening to or receiving the present moment, pleasant or unpleasant, just as it is, without either clinging to it or rejecting it.” – Sylvia Boorstein
- “Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn
- “Meditation is to be aware of what is going on: in your body, in your feelings, in your mind, and in the world. Live the actual moment. Only this actual moment is life.” – Thich Nhãt Hanh
- “In today’s rush, we all think too much – seek too much – want too much – and forget about the joy of just being.” – Eckhart Tolle
Mindful Quotes about Love
- “Wisdom says we are nothing. Love says we are everything. Between these two our life flows.” – Jack Kornfield
- “There is something wonderfully bold and liberating about saying yes to our entire imperfect and messy life.” – Tara Brach
- “A few simple tips for life: feet on the ground, head to the skies, heart open…quiet mind.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru
- “The Way is not in the sky, the Way is in the heart.” – Buddha
- “Treat everyone you meet as if they were you.” – Doug Dillon
- “Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.” – Carl Jung
Mindful Quotes for Enlightenment
- “Every time we become aware of a thought, as opposed to being lost in a thought, we experience that opening of the mind.” – Joseph Goldstein
- “Each step along the Buddha’s path to happiness required practicing mindfulness until it becomes part of your daily life.” – Henepola Gunarantana
- “Mindfulness is about being fully awake in our lives. It is about perceiving the exquisite vividness of each moment. We also gain immediate access to our own powerful inner resources for insight, transformation, and healing.” – Jon Kabit-Zinn
- “Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free: Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate.” – Chuang
- “Pure awareness transcends thinking. It allows you to step outside the chattering negative self-talk and your reactive impulses and emotions. It allows you to look at the world once again with open eyes. And when you do so, a sense of wonder and quiet contentment begins to reappear in your life.” – Mark Williams
- “No one has ever been angry at another human being we’re only angry at our story of them.” – Byron Katie
These mindfulness quotes can inspire you to get meditating, or offer a new perspective to consider later. Either way, allow these quotes to give you what you need on your personal journey.