Mindfulness is the practice of living in the present moment. When you are mindful, you are completely aware of what is happening around you and within you. Mindfulness quotes can help us to live more mindfully and to appreciate the present moment and practice of mindfulness.
Mindfulness also means accepting your life and not being critical or judgmental. In essence, mindfulness practice is simple and straightforward, but it may take time to develop. Having inspiration in the form of powerful mindfulness quotes can help you see the benefits of the practice and give you the power to keep going in everyday life.
In this blog post, we will share some of our favorite mindfulness quotes with you. We hope that they will inspire you to live more mindfully and enjoy each and every moment! Thinking more deeply about the meanings of these quotes will inspire you to practise mindful behaviour each and every day. With time, you – and those around you – will really feel the benefits.
1. You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” Jon Kabat-Zinn
Jon Kabat-‐Zinn is widely regarded as being the father of modern mindfulness in the West. He’s also the founder of the original Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course.
He was known for his wise sayings and quotes, they sum up how to deal with the ups and downs of life quite nicely. Life’s many changes and challenges are represented by the waves. When faced with choppy seas, instead of drowning in them we can get on our surfboard and learn to deal with them by riding the waves. We may fall off our surfboards from time to time, but we will always be able to get back up again, and with practice, learn how to navigate life’s ever-changing waters better than before.
2. “Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.” Mother Theresa
This mindfulness quote from nun and missionary Mother Teresa teaches us to enjoy the eternal moment and not to want more than what we have. It can sometimes be difficult to fully embrace the now, and not worry about the future, but these words remind us that we should try and live simply and in the here and now.
It also reminds us to be grateful for what we have, even if it’s not much. By always being more appreciative in life, we can learn to be less self-centred and materialistic, and become happier with our lives overall. So when we realize what we have and appreciating it rather than focusing on what we want we
3. “The things that matter most in our lives are not fantastic or grand. They are moments when we touch one another.” Jack Kornfield
Jack Kornfield is a mindfulness teacher and author. He founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in 1975 along with Sharon Salzberg and Tara Brach. He played a key role in introducing mindfulness and mindfulness meditation to Western culture.
This quote shows that money or expensive things aren’t really important, they are indeed nice to have but what matters the most is when we connect and touch the hearts of those around us. When we understand the feelings of others and share how we feel with them, it creates a special moment/connection that can stay with us forever.
4. “The only way to live is by accepting each minute as an unrepeatable miracle.” Tara Brach
This mindfulness quote from respected teacher and author Tara Brach is essentially saying that we must learn to appreciate that our time on Earth is limited and we should make the most of every minute.
This quote also hints at the power of gratitude, suggesting we should be grateful for the gift of life and all the wonder it brings. When problems and thoughts start to cloud your mood and mind, remember this quote and try to bring yourself back to the idea of appreciating every moment of our existence.
5. “We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.” The Buddha
Gautama Buddha understood that we are what we think and the way in which we think is very important.
Being in the present moment is an excellent way to avoid negative thoughts, and to accept positive ones, by appreciating our current experience. But we can’t always avoid thinking about the past or future. When we remember suffering or pain it’s best for us to accept, forgive, and/or think about ways of creating a better alternative in the future.
When we remember positive memories, it’s usually best to address them with thanks and gratitude rather than longing or wishing for things to return to the way they used to. Understand that your thoughts influence the person you become. To experience more happiness and gratitude, your thoughts must reflect the values of those things.
6. “The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.” Thich Nhat Hanh
Thích Nhất Hạnh is a Buddhist monk, author, and mindfulness teacher (whose many students include Jon Kabat-Zinn) who was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967 by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The wisdom of Thích Nhất Hạnh has provided countless quotes on mindfulness, this quote is all about remaining centred and focusing on what we give and receive from each other, despite any changes or upsets in our mind. By bringing your attention to the person in front of you, you can show them you are there with them in the actual moment. Some times just being present can soothe the anxiety of life for someone else.
7. “The mind is like water. When it is turbulent it’s difficult to see. When it’s calm, everything becomes clear.” Prasad Mahes
Prasad presents this quote as a metaphor for the mind, the nature of mind like water can become agitated and clouded by thoughts and chaos. However, your mind has the ability to let go of these thoughts and become a calm mind when in a state of stillness or pause.
Understand your emotions, let them calm down and in turn you, you will be able to ‘see’ and think clearer. Just take a second to breath and clear out the chaos.
8. “In Carnage, you can bloom, like a flower in the dawn.”
Sometimes there are motivating quotes floating around the world and no one is there to claim them. This line stood out as a favorite quote but sadly the author wasn’t linked. It shows that even when facing hard events or unexpected happenings in daily life, you can thrive and get through it. Then in the end you have bloomed into something beautiful and stronger than before. These negative emotions or bad events in our life can feel like obstacles, however, use them to realise that they don’t define you and they are just a step on your true path to where you want to be.
9.“You have a treasure within you that is infinitely greater than anything the world can offer.” Eckhart Tolle
German-born Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher and author and one of the most-quoted people when it comes to mindfulness.
This is one of those powerful quotes that we should be reminded of in day to day life. As it’s in your day to day life that we have an anxious struggle with our value. Especially in hard times we don’t appreciate ourselves and our self worth. This quote tells us to have a profound realization that we are in fact a treasure, each and every one of us.
10.“If someone comes along and shoots an arrow in your heart, it’s fruitless to stand there and yell at that person. It would be much better to turn your attention to the fact that there is an arrow in your heart.” Pema Chodron
Pema Chödrön, Buddhist teacher, author, nun and mother, has inspired millions of people across the globe who have been touched by the example and message of practicing kindness in these turbulent times.
When something happens, our reaction immediately comes into play and leads us to lash out at whatever hurts us. However, that is not usually the best course of action. We can see that we aren’t necessarily reacting to the event itself, but rather to how it makes us feel. We wouldn’t feel the need to lash out if it didn’t affect us emotionally.
Can we look closely at the arrow in our heart, and think about what happened before we take action? Yanking it out won’t do anything good, and it might cause more damage. So, when we can let our feelings show themselves and come to a place of clarity, we will know what’s best for us and what would truly heal us in the end.
Final Thoughts
Now there is no real secret of life that can be taught but we can appreciate the wonders of life and open our eyes to see the value of ourselves and others. Whether you have daily mindfulness practice or you enjoy contemplating inspirational quotes, we hope at least one of these quotes resonates with you! They can help to expand your thinking of sense of self and maybe help you to understand encounters with reality. They are in no way tips for life but they are more words to take into account for different states of mind or situations. Did any of the quotes in this post connect with you? Take a moment to think about what inspires you and why, because we have limited time in our human life but that doesn’t mean we cant enjoy every second!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why is it good to be mindful?
Mindfulness can help to: relieve stress, treat heart disease, lower blood pressure, reduce chronic pain, improve sleep, and alleviate negative thoughts.
How can I be mindful?
It is as simple as thinking more and accepting things the way they are, and taking little things into account that you would usually ignore. Try to understand why something happened, take a breath before reacting, or thinking before you speak.
What is a Happy life quote?
Only you can decide if something will make you happy or help you to feel happier but here is one that resonated with us: The secret to happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one does. Essentially love what you do and do what you love!
MindOwl Founder – My own struggles in life have led me to this path of understanding the human condition. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy before completing a master’s degree in psychology at Regent’s University London. I then completed a postgraduate diploma in philosophical counselling before being trained in ACT (Acceptance and commitment therapy).
I’ve spent the last eight years studying the encounter of meditative practices with modern psychology.
I graduated from the University of Salford with a 2:1 Honours in English and Creative Writing. Since I graduated I have honed my skills as an editor and writer through creating copy for websites, blogs, and social media for the University of Salford and Noctivigant Press.
With joining MindOwl, I have been able to learn and grow in the area of Mindfulness, this has widened my perspective and broadened my horizons on many topics such as positive thinking, mental health, and emotional intelligence.