Here are 135 of the best meditation quotes I could find. The goal? To inspire you to slow down, relax and enjoy the moment as it is. Enjoy your reading!
Quiet the mind, and the soul will speak. Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati
Learn to be calm and you will always be happy. Paramahansa Yogananda
When you truly know yourself, you don’t try to impress people anymore. One way to know yourself is to meditate. Maxime Lagacé
Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. James Allen
Whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. What is soft is strong. Lao Tzu
When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a candle in a windless place. Bhagavad Gita
When you own your breath, nobody can steal your peace. Unknown
Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul. Marcus Aurelius
Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges. So relax. Bryant McGill
When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. Lao Tzu
Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality. Thich Nhat Hanh
The best meditation is effortless. The best meditation is a gentle awareness. Maxime Lagacé
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. Buddha
Learn to slow down. Get lost intentionally. Observe how you judge both yourself and those around you. Tim Ferriss
Suffering is due to our disconnection with the inner soul. Meditation is establishing that connection. Amit Ray
The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. James Allen
Related quote topics: Zen, inner peace, solitude
A few thoughts on meditation…
Since a young age, most of us are used to being busy all the time.
In the modern world, doing nothing and relaxing may even seem strange and useless for some people.
Fortunately, I’ve been lucky enough to discover meditation after I’ve listened to many interviews by Tim Ferriss.
80% of the time, his podcast guests (all world-class in their fields) told Tim that they practiced meditation.
That’s when I decided to give it a shot.
How did I start?
By doing 5 minutes each morning just before starting to work.
Meditation experts agree that consistency is better than intensity.
After around 30 days, I noticed that my mind and general anxiety had improved significantly.
I then increased to 10-15 minutes.
Today, I still practice meditation for 15-20 minutes every day and even more sometimes.
Beside my daily run, it’s one of the habits that contribute the most to my well-being.
And you, what does your meditation practice look like?
Meditation Video
1 Year of Meditation: What I’ve Learned
The Best Meditation Quotes And Thoughts
Whatever state I am in, I see it as a state of mind to be accepted as it is. Nisargadatta Maharaj
Meditation is the art of doing nothing. Naval Ravikant Click to tweet
Praying is talking to the Universe. Meditation is listening to it. Paulo Coelho
You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible. Deepak Chopra
A few conscious-hearted, sincere, and energetic men and women can do more in a year than a mob in a century. Swami Vivekananda
To really do nothing, with perfection, is as difficult as doing everything. Alan Watts
Be here now. Be someplace else later. Is that so complicated? David M. Bader
Live the actual moment. Only this actual moment is life. Thich Nhat Hanh Click to tweet
You have a treasure within you that is infinitely greater than anything the world can offer. Eckhart Tolle
Wisdom comes with the ability to be still. Just look and listen. No more is needed. Eckhart Tolle
Don’t seek, don’t search, don’t ask, don’t knock, don’t demand – relax. Osho Click to tweet
Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we are already. Pema Chödrön
The mind is definitely something that can be transformed, and meditation is a means to transform it. 14th Dalai Lama
In practicing meditation, we’re not trying to live up to some kind of ideal – quite the opposite. We’re just being with our experience, whatever it is. Pema Chödrön
A quiet mind is more important than a positive mind. Deepak Chopra Click to tweet
Buddha spent six years meditating on the essence, causes, and cures for human anguish. In the end, he came to the realization that suffering is not caused by ill fortune, by social injustice, or by divine whims. Rather, suffering is caused by the behavior patterns of one’s minds. Yuval Noah Harari (Sapiens)
When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere. Francois de La Rochefoucauld
You are more than just your mind. You are more than just your habits. You are more than just your preferences. You’re a level of awareness. Naval Ravikant
To be concentrated means to live fully in the present. Erich Fromm
Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment. Alan Watts
Paradise is not a place, it’s a state of consciousness. Sri Chinmoy
What Is Meditation?
Meditation is all about connecting with your soul. Deepak Chopra Click to tweet
Meditation is the soul’s perspective glass. Owen Feltham
Meditation is the ultimate mobile device; you can use it anywhere, anytime, unobtrusively. Sharon Salzberg
Meditation is intermittent fasting for the mind. Too much sugar leads to a heavy body, and too many distractions lead to a heavy mind. Time spent undistracted and alone, in self-examination, journaling, meditation, resolves the unresolved and takes us from mentally fat to fit. Naval Ravikant
Meditation is to be aware of every thought and of every feeling, never to say it is right or wrong but just to watch it and move with it. Jiddu Krishnamurti
Meditation is freedom from thought and a movement in the ecstasy of truth. Meditation is explosion of intelligence. Jiddu Krishnamurti
Meditation is not a withdrawal from life. Meditation is a process of understanding oneself. Jiddu Krishnamurti
Meditation is a death – death of all that you are now. Of course there will be a resurrection, but that will be a totally new, fresh original being which you are not even aware is hidden in you. Osho
Meditation is a way for nourishing and blossoming the divine within you. Amit Ray
Meditation is not spacing-out or running away. In fact, it is being totally honest with ourselves. Kathleen McDonald
Mindfulness meditation is the embrace of any and all mind states in awareness, without preferring one to another. Jon Kabat-Zinn
That’s an essential survival thing. Jerry Seinfeld
Part 2. Mediation Quotes That Are…
The Most Famous Meditation Quotes
Seeking for a famous meditation quote? Check out those by Dalai Lama, Bruce Lee, Carl Jung, etc.
Confine yourself to the present. Marcus Aurelius
Sleep is the best meditation. 14th Dalai Lama Click to tweet
All of man’s difficulties are caused by his inability to sit, quietly, in a room by himself. Blaise Pascal
On what meditation did for him: Everything. You know, one of the great things of meditation is it makes stress very easy to get rid of. It just kind of floats away instead of like finding a home in your mind. You learn how to just let go of things. Jerry Seinfeld
If you just sit and observe, you will see how restless your mind is. If you try to calm it, it only makes it worse, but over time it does calm, and when it does, there’s room to hear more subtle things – that’s when your intuition starts to blossom and you start to see things more clearly and be in the present more. Your mind just slows down, and you see a tremendous expanse in the moment. You see so much more than you could see before. Steve Jobs
The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness. Lao Tzu
Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens. Carl Jung
There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. Albert Einstein
Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more. Mother Teresa
Through meditation, the higher self is experienced. Bhagavad Gita
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If it weren’t for my mind, my meditation would be excellent. Pema Chödrön Click to tweet
One hour of contemplation surpasses sixty years of worship. Muhammad
We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far. Swami Vivekananda
I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind. Antoine de Saint-Exupery Click to tweet
Within you there is a stillness and sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself. Hermann Hesse
Reading makes a full man, meditation a profound man, discourse a clear man. Benjamin Franklin
Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. Bruce Lee
If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few. Shunryu Suzuki
Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity. Voltaire
The best cure for the body is a quiet mind. Napoleon Bonaparte
Short Meditation Quotes
One-liners, short meditation quotes, sayings, phrases, thoughts and captions for your bio, social status, self-talk, motto, mantra, signs, posters, wallpapers, backgrounds.
Meditate. Slow down. There’s no rush. Maxime Lagacé
Meditation is the action of silence. Jiddu Krishnamurti Click to tweet
Life is available only in the present moment. Thich Nhat Hanh
Breathe and let be. Jon Kabat-Zinn
Wherever you go, there you are. Jon Kabat-Zinn
Meditation is the act of stopping to deny what is. Sven Schnieders
Meditation is waiting on God. Mahatma Gandhi
Self-observation is the first step of inner unfolding. Amit Ray
Be present above all else. Naval Ravikant Click to tweet
Mind only thinks, meditation lives. Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
The act of meditation is being spacious. Sogyal Rinpoche
Do your practice and all is coming. K. Pattabhi Jois
Turn off your mind and get to know yourself. Thibaut
The quiet mind is richer than a crown. Robert Greene
A meditator is both an artist and a warrior. Thich Nhat Hanh
Inspirational Meditation Quotes
Whatever anyone does or says, I must be emerald and keep my colour. Marcus Aurelius Click to tweet
Truth is the offspring of silence and meditation. Isaac Newton
Tranquil as a forest, but on fire within, once you find your center, you are sure to win. David Zippel
Whenever we attain a higher vision, the lower vision disappears of itself. Swami Vivekananda
One morning, you’ll hit mental inbox zero, and that is a pretty amazing feeling. It’s a state somewhere between joy, bliss, and peace. Once you have that, you won’t want to give that up. If you can get a free hour of bliss every morning, just by closing your eyes…that’s worth its weight in gold. That will change your life. Naval Ravikant
If every eight year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation. 14th Dalai Lama
Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed. Thich Nhat Hanh
By the practice of meditation, you will find that you are carrying within your heart a portable paradise. Paramahansa Yogananda
If you meditate regularly, even when you don’t feel like it, you will make great gains, for it will allow you to see how your thoughts impose limits on you. Your resistances to meditation are your mental prisons in miniature. Ram Dass
Every heart has a divine intelligence and natural guidance system. With every prayer, every meditation and every thought of love, we tune in to ours. Marianne Williamson
To be calm is the highest achievement of the self. Zen proverb Click to tweet
Concentration is a cornerstone of mindfulness practice. Your mindfulness will only be as robust as the capacity of your mind to be calm and stable. Without calmness, the mirror of mindfulness will have an agitated and choppy surface and will not be able to reflect things with any accuracy. Jon Kabat-Zinn
Whenever anyone has offended me, I try to raise my soul so high that the offense cannot reach it. Rene Descartes
Sitting like a mountain let your mind rise, fly and soar. Sogyal Rinpoche
You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather. Pema Chödrön
Wise Meditation Sayings
To become different from what we are, we must have some awareness of what we are. Eric Hoffer
Be the master of mind rather than mastered by mind. Japanese proverb Click to tweet
Be the witness of your thoughts. You are what observes, not what you observe. Buddhist proverb
Wisdom tends to grow in proportion to one’s awareness of one’s ignorance. Anthony de Mello
The whole life is a succession of dreams. My ambition is to be a conscious dreamer, that is all. Swami Vivekananda
The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it. Sydney J. Harris
Even in the midst of disturbance, the stillness of the mind can offer sanctuary. Stephen Richards
Meditation is turning off society and listening to yourself. It only “works” when done for its own sake. Hiking is walking meditation. Journaling is writing meditation. Praying is gratitude meditation. Showering is accidental meditation. Sitting quietly is direct meditation. Naval Ravikant
The advantage of meditation is recognizing just how out of control your mind is. Naval Ravikant
Meditation could be said to be the Art of Simplicity: simply sitting, simply breathing and simply being. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
The only difference between meditation and ordinary social interaction is that the friend you’re gradually coming to know is yourself. Mingyur Rinpoche
Meditation is the only intentional, systematic human activity which at bottom is about not trying to improve yourself or get anywhere else, but simply to realize where you already are. Jon Kabat-Zinn
Instead of “Let it go,” we should probably say “Let it be”; this recognizes that the mind won’t let go and the problem may not go away, and it allows you to form a healthier relationship with what’s bothering you. Jon Kabat-Zinn
What would it be like if I could accept life – accept this moment – exactly as it is? Tara Brach Click to tweet
Be at least as interested in what goes on inside you as what happens outside. If you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place. Eckhart Tolle
Abraham Lincoln said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe”. You have 24 to chop every day. Sleep, exercise, meditation, reading – those are some of your sharpening tools. Do not chop for 18 hours with a blunt axe. Johnny Uzan
The affairs of the world will go on forever. Do not delay the practice of meditation. Milarepa
Meditation is not a means to an end. It is both the means and the end. Jiddu Krishnamurti
Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone. Alan Watts
See also: 10 lessons from 100 days of meditation
Part 3. How To Meditate? Tips And Steps
One conscious breath in and out is a meditation. Eckhart Tolle
Don’t try to solve anything, just “be”. Maxime Lagacé
I just started with watching my breath and evolved from there. Naval Ravikant
No intentions, just be. There can’t be any formula. It’s available to everyone or not at all. Naval Ravikant
No apps, no noise, no guidance. Sit in a comfortable position first thing in the morning, back upright, but ok to use cushions etc.. One hour at a time, no less. Just surrender to and accept whatever happens. No energy for and no energy against. Resist and reject nothing. Naval Ravikant
No effort. You’re just going to sit there and let whatever happens happen. Naval Ravikant
If you have thoughts that’s perfectly ok. Let the thoughts happen. The key word is Surrender (to whatever is happening). Naval Ravikant
Tell yourself when you sit down, “my job is to do nothing. I’m taking a well deserved break from myself.
It’s hard to recommend a routine as it’s the ultimate single-player game. Try them all and see which one works for you. Naval Ravikant (Try routine 1, routine 2, routine 3)
This will summon a horde of angry people but I would skip TM [Transcendental Meditation] and apps. No systems, no interference. Pick a dark, quiet place, first thing in the morning, just sit and observe (your breath). Let everything go, surrender to what happens. One hour per day for one week straight. Naval Ravikant
Sit down, close your eyes, get in a comfortable position, and whatever happens, happens. If you think, you think. If you don’t think, you don’t think. Don’t put any effort into it. Naval Ravikant
Please, when you practice meditation, don’t make any effort. Allow yourself to be like a pebble at rest. The pebble is resting at the bottom of a river, and the pebble does not have to do anything. While you are a walking, you are resting. While you were sitting, you are resting. Thich Nhat Hanh
If you are scoring points on meditation, you are doing it wrong. Naval Ravikant
When sitting in meditation, say, “That’s not my business!” with every thought that comes by. Ajahn Chah
When you begin to meditate you may notice changes right away. Or nothing much may seem to change. Don’t count on anything dramatic. Most changes happen slowly. Ram Dass
Meditate every single day. Not once in a while. Every single day. Khensu
8 Steps from Sam Harris (Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion)
1. Sit comfortably, with your spine erect, either in a chair or cross-legged on a cushion.
2. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and feel the points of contact between your body and the chair or the floor. Notice the sensations associated with sitting — feelings of pressure, warmth, tingling, vibration, etc.
3. Gradually become aware of the process of breathing. Pay attention to wherever you feel the breath most distinctly — either at your nostrils or in the rising and falling of your abdomen.
4. Allow your attention to rest in the mere sensation of breathing. (You don’t have to control your breath. Just let it come and go naturally.)
5. Every time your mind wanders in thought, gently return it to the breath.
6. As you focus on the process of breathing, you will also perceive sounds, bodily sensations, or emotions. Simply observe these phenomena as they appear in consciousness and then return to the breath.
7. The moment you notice that you have been lost in thought, observe the present thought itself as an object of consciousness. Then return your attention to the breath — or to any sounds or sensations arising in the next moment.
8. Continue in this way until you can merely witness all objects of consciousness — sights, sounds, sensations, emotions, even thoughts themselves — as they arise, change, and pass away.
See also: How To Meditate (Beautiful guide from mindful.org)
See also: Headspace: Meditation and Sleep Made Simple (meditation app)
Part 4. Conclusion
To pray and work in the morning and to labor and rest in the afternoon, and to sit still again in meditation in the evening when night falls upon that land and when the silence fills itself with darkness and with stars. This is a true and special vocation. There are few who are willing to belong completely to such silence, to let it soak into their bones, to breathe nothing but silence, to feed on silence, and to turn the very substance of their life into a living and vigilant silence. Thomas Merton
Just sit, breathe, and pay attention to what it’s like to be you. Nothing to add. Nothing to take away. Nothing to fix, or change or do. Just you – sitting, breathing, paying attention. You are welcome here. Here you belong. Here you are enough. Breathe. Jason Garner Click to tweet
Call to action: Watch The Scientific Power of Meditation (YouTube video) or check out 50 Best Meditation Books of All Time (positivepsychology.com)
Hope you enjoyed these beautiful meditation quotes. If you did, please share them with a friend today!
Table Of Contents
Part 1
Top 16 Images
Video
Best Quotes
What Is Meditation?
Part 2
Meditation Quotes That ARE
Famous
Short
Inspirational
Wise
Part 3
How To Meditate?
Part 4
Conclusion
I really appreciate these wonderful quotes that you have provided for us. I assure this would be beneficial for most of the people 😉
Glad you liked Defran!
Meditation gives our soul peace of mind. Before, when I was not meditating, I was constantly in a rush, but now I feel calm permanently. This is very cool, I really advise everyone to try meditation for themselves. I only managed to meditate on 8 of my attempts, it’s not easy, but it’s definitely worth it. It is also important to finish all your affairs before the meditation, then it will be easier to relax and meditate well. Sometimes I substitute meditation for yoga, but that is still not the case. And your quotes are just wonderful, after them, you immediately want to meditate!
Hi Sophie,
you’re right, meditation gives our soul “space to live”.
Also I’ve found that a daily 10 minute session is enough for me to feel the benefits.
I think people should not be so intimidated by it and start with only a few minutes.
The goal is not the number of minutes we put in it, but more about the habit of doing it.
Thank you,
Maxime
Excellent compilation. One of the best I found. I will use some of them as I post once a week for a meditation group.
I would like to share with you one of my favourites “Awareness is the essence of meditation”, Mingyur Rinpoche.
BTW, I was so surprised with the quote from Voltaire, that I checked if really was from him.
Regards,
Carles
Hi Carles,
no problem for sharing them.
Best,
Maxime