B.K.S. Iyengar Quotes - Page 4

Breath is the king of mind.

The light that Yoga sheds on life is something special. It is transformative. It does not just change the way we see things; it transforms the person who sees.

Mind is the king of the senses; breath is the king of the mind; and the nerves are king of the breath.

You must be as joyful when you fail again and again as you are joyful when you succeed. It is often when you fail that you move toward the goal without being aware of it. You must feel joy even when you have not fully succeeded but only moved toward achievement of your goal.

Yoga allows you to find an inner peace that is not ruffled and riled by the endless stresses and struggles of life.

After a session of yoga, the mind becomes tranquil and passive.

As leaves move in the wind, your mind moves with your breath.

If you have the right mind, your body can do anything.

It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence.

Through surrender the aspirant's ego is effaced, and . . . grace . . . pours down upon him like a torrential rain.

The ultimate goal of yoga is to realize the brilliance of your soul.

Know your capacities and continually improve upon them.

Do not stop trying just because perfection eludes you.

A lamp does not flicker in a place where no wind blows; so it is with a yogi, who controls his mind, intellect and self, being absorbed in the spirit within him.

Training of the mind and body leads to awareness of the soul

It is through the body that everything comes to the mind. It is through and with your body that you have to reach realization of being a spark of divinity. How can we neglect the temple of the spirit?

Yoga is the rule book for playing the game of Life, but in this game no one needs to lose. It is tough, and you need to train hard. It requires the willingness to think for yourself, to observe and correct, and to surmount occasional setbacks. It demands honesty, sustained application, and above all love in your heart.

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.

Intensity is a mental attitude more than a physical attitude. Many people misunderstand what intensity means. They think it means straining and sweating. No! That is a wrong meaning of the word! Intensity is to get totally involved, fully immersed and absorbed in what one is doing. Intense practice means a fast and keen mode in adjusting, correcting, and progressively proceeding.

Yoga allows you to find a new kind of freedom that you may not have known even existed.

First yoga deals with health, strength and conquest of the body. Next, it lifts the veil of difference between the body and the mind. Lastly, it leads the Sadhaka to peace and unalloyed purity.

Abhyasa (practice) is a dedicated, unswerving, constant, and vigilant search into a chosen subject pursued against all odds in the face of repeated failures, for indefinitely long periods of time.

Yoga is as old and traditional as civilization, yet it persists in modern society as a means to achieving essential vitality. But yoga demands that we develop not only strength in body but attention and awareness in mind.The yogi knows that the physical body is not only the temple for our soul but the means by which we embark on the inward journey toward the core.

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

Do not aim low, you will miss the mark. Aim high and you will be on a threshold of bliss.