46 Quotes About Meditation

The idea that traumatic residues–or unresolved stories–can be inherited is groundbreaking. Sharon Salzberg

Until we begin to question our basic assumptions about ourselves and view them as fluid, not fixed, it’s easy to repeat established patterns and, out of habit, reenact old stories that limit our ability to live and love ourselves with an open heart. Sharon Salzberg

Imagine yourself having a fight with your romantic partner. The tension of the situation makes your limbic system run at full throttle and you become flooded with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenalin. The high levels of these chemicals suddenly make you so damn angry, that you burst out in front of your partner saying, “I wish you die, so that I can have some peace in my life”. Given the stress of the situation through highly active limbic system, your PFC loses its freedom to take the right decision and you burst out with foul language in front of your partner, that may ruin your relationship. In simple terms due to your mental instability, you lost your free will to make the right decision. But when the conversation is over, and you relax for a while, your stress hormone levels come down to normal, and you regain your usual cheerful state of mind. Immediately, your PFC starts analyzing the explosive conversation you had with your partner. Healthy activity of the entire frontal lobes, especially the PFC suddenly overwhelms you with a feeling of guilt. Your brain makes you realize, that you have done something devilish. As a result, now you find yourself making the willful decision of apologizing to your partner and making up to him or her, no matter how much effort it takes, because your PFC comes up the solution that it is the healthiest thing to do for your personal life. From this you can see, that what you call free will is something that is not consistent. It changes based on your mental health. Mental instability or illness, truly cripples your free will. And the healthier your frontal lobes are, the better you can take good decisions. And the most effective way to keep your frontal lobes healthy is to practice some kind of meditation. Abhijit Naskar

No connection is always easy or free of strife, no matter how many minutes a day we meditate. It’s how we relate to conflict, as well as to our differing needs and expectations, that makes our relationships sustainable. Sharon Salzberg

If you don't know the effect of words, you are behind times. If you want positivity, speak positively If you don't know the effect of thoughts, you are behind times. If you want positivity, think positively If you don't know the effect of meditation, you are behind times. If you desire something, listen to your God. Val Uchendu

Meditation is an interesting practice. It is so simple that anyone can learn how to do it. You sit still, relax, concentrate, gently struggle with the mind, and create moments of peace. That’s it. I have revealed my trade secret. Of course there is a little more to it, but not much. However, that doesn’t mean that meditation is easy. By comparison, swimming is also simple, yet, it takes years of practice to become good at swimming, especially if you want to swim at sea. Running is even simpler. Nonetheless, we all know that in order to become a good runner, practice is imperative. And for both you need coaches. The same is true about meditation. Simple is not the same as easy. . Gudjon Bergmann

Although the repetition of a word or phrase is a preparatory practice and is itself not meditation, choosing a word or phrase that honors your belief system can be the linchpin you need for your mediation practice, providing both motivation and philosophical coherency. Gudjon Bergmann

Meditation is a state, often defined as deep dreamless sleep awake. But, in the same way that you cannot sleep on demand, you cannot meditate on demand–that is, you can’t reach the state instantly in the same way that you can raise your right hand. The practices preceding meditation are relaxation, stillness and mental focus. Those are all things you can do. They are the preparation. Then, if you the circumstances are right, you can transition from the waking to the meditative state. Gudjon Bergmann

If people think they can “do” meditation, then they become frustrated every time they don’t achieve the state. In the same way that making more of an effort to fall asleep–trying to force yourself to sleep–often backfires, the meditative state becomes more elusive the more you try. On the other hand, if people understand that meditation is a state, then their only job is to create the right circumstances. They focus on what they can do–relax, sit still, concentrate–and then sometimes the state comes, while sometimes it does not. Either one is fine. Gudjon Bergmann

Meditation should be on the same list as brushing your teeth, sleeping and eating. Meditation is an addition to your routine, not a final goal to accomplish. Once meditation is in your routine, then your mind will feel fuzzy if you don’t meditate, in the same way that your teeth feel fuzzy when you don’t brush. Gudjon Bergmann

In its purest form the term meditation means two things; (1) the state of meditation, which resembles deep dreamless sleep while awake, and, (2) the practices that lead to the state, usually a combination of relaxation and concentration techniques. Gudjon Bergmann

Meditation is good for the elderly, great for adults, even greater for children, and greater still for pregnant women. So, meditate and be well. Abhijit Naskar

Meditation is a secular practice, not a religious practice. Abhijit Naskar

Meditation is the vitamin for your mind. Abhijit Naskar

Do not force your mind to get rid of random thoughts, because your brain is simply not capable of doing so. Instead, when you sit to practise meditation, let the thoughts come and go, just don’t serve them tea. Over time, that background noise inside your head would disappear. Abhijit Naskar

Meditation is to leave the noise and to meet with the silence. Mehmet Murat Ildan

Our minds tend to race ahead into the future or replay the past, but our bodies are always in the present moment. Sharon Salzberg

The environment we create can help heal us or fracture us. This is true not just for buildings and landscapes but also for interactions and relationships. Sharon Salzberg

We can use meditation as a way to experiment with new ways of relating to ourselves, even our uncomfortable thoughts. Sharon Salzberg

If we really look at our actions with eyes of love, we see that our lives can be more straightforward, simpler, less sculpted by regret and fear, more in alignment with our deepest values. Sharon Salzberg

Paying attention to the ethical implications of our choices has never been more pressing–or more complicated–than it is today. Sharon Salzberg

Causing harm is never just a one-way street. Sharon Salzberg

If we harm someone else, we’re inevitably also hurting ourselves. Some quality of sensitivity and awareness has to shut down for us to be able to objectify someone else, to deny them as a living, feeling being–someone who wants to be happy, just as we do. Sharon Salzberg

When we do our best to treat others with kindness, it’s often a struggle to determine which actions best express our love and care for ourselves. Sharon Salzberg

When we feel conflicted about a particular decision or action, our bodies often hold the answer–if we take the time to stop and tune in. Sharon Salzberg

Meditation can be a refuge, but it is not a practice in which real life is ever excluded. The strength of mindfulness is that it enables us to hold difficult thoughts and feelings in a different way–with awareness, balance, and love Sharon Salzberg

Simple things relieve eyes; simple things ease mind, simple things create meditation, simple things are simply miraculous! Mehmet Murat Ildan

The quieter the mind the louder the soul. Matshona Dhliwayo

Short prayers with long legs travel far. Matshona Dhliwayo

The tongue never rests. It speaks even when we sleep. It speaks through the mind even when the mouth keeps shut Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

After your daily bread, if you ask God for anything, ask 'him' to make you right in the head. Fakeer Ishavardas

Truth in, untruth out. Seek thus, within-without Fakeer Ishavardas

How would you like a friend or loved one talking to you only when they needed something? That’s kind of how most use prayer or meditation. Since there is ALWAYS something for which to be grateful, how about praying or meditating on that? Charles F. Glassman

How would you like a friend or loved one talking to you only when they needed something? That’s kind of how most of use prayer or meditation. Since there is ALWAYS something for which to be grateful, how about praying or meditating on that? Charles F. Glassman

I understand that for beginners it isn't that easy to sit down, close your eyes, and settle into stillness. Your thoughts have gotten used to making SO MUCH NOISE! They have enjoyed too much influence over you to simply fade the first time you try. Russell Simmons