Yoga Wisdom and Quotes
Conversations and reflections in English, inspired by 13 short sayings from classic yoga texts.
Each saying comes with a plain-English explanation, questions to talk about, key vocabulary and a model answer. Use them in a lesson, with a partner, or as a starting point for your own writing.
How to Use This Page
The sayings come from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Bhagavad Gita and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. The explanations are in our own words: translations of these texts vary, and every reader finds their own meaning in them.
1Read
Read the saying and the explanation. Look up any new words in the key word list.
2Think & talk
Answer the questions out loud or with a partner. Give reasons and examples from your own life.
3Compare
Then open the model answer. Which phrases could you use in your own answer next time?
Movement & Awareness
How we hold a pose says a lot about how we meet life: with effort, with ease, or with both.
Steady and comfortable
sthira sukham asanam
In plain English: A posture should be both stable and comfortable. Strength and ease belong together.
Talk about it- When do you feel steady but tense? When do you feel relaxed but unstable?
- Where else in life do you need both stability and ease?
Show a model answer
For me, the hardest part is the balance. In standing poses I often try too hard, and my shoulders get tight. I've noticed the same at work: when I'm under pressure, I hold on too tightly. I'm learning that being steady doesn't mean being stiff.
Effort that softens
prayatna shaithilya ananta samapattibhyam
In plain English: A posture is mastered by relaxing unnecessary effort and letting the attention widen.
Talk about it- Which pose do you find hard to relax into, and why?
- Can trying too hard ever stop you from improving? Give an example.
Show a model answer
When I started yoga, I thought more effort meant more progress. Now I think the opposite is often true. In a forward bend, I go further when I breathe out and let go than when I pull myself down.
Practice & Patience
Progress in yoga, as in language learning, comes from regular practice over a long time.
Practice over time
sa tu dirgha kala nairantarya satkara asevito dridha bhumih
In plain English: Practice becomes firmly rooted when it is done for a long time, without long breaks, and with care and respect.
Talk about it- What helps you to practise regularly? What stops you?
- Is it better to practise for ten minutes every day or for two hours once a week? Why?
Show a model answer
I think short, regular practice works better. If I do ten minutes every morning, it becomes a habit, like brushing my teeth. When I wait for a free afternoon, it usually never comes.
Practice and letting go
abhyasa vairagyabhyam tan nirodhah
In plain English: The mind becomes calm through two things together: steady practice and letting go of attachment.
Talk about it- What do you find harder: keeping up your practice, or letting go of expectations?
- How could this idea help someone who is learning a new language?
Show a model answer
For language learners, practice means speaking every day, and letting go means not worrying about every mistake. When I stopped trying to sound perfect, I started to speak much more.
Mind & Breath
Many yoga texts describe a close link between the breath and the state of the mind.
Calming the mind
yogas chitta vritti nirodhah
In plain English: Yoga is the settling of the constant movements of the mind.
Talk about it- What kinds of thoughts keep your mind busy?
- When does your mind feel quiet? What are you doing at those moments?
Show a model answer
My mind is busiest at night, when I go over everything I have to do the next day. It feels quietest when I'm walking in nature or concentrating on my breathing at the end of a class.
Breath and mind
chale vate chalam chittam, nishchale nishchalam bhavet
In plain English: When the breath is unsteady, the mind is unsteady. When the breath is still, the mind becomes still.
Talk about it- How does your breathing change when you are stressed or nervous?
- Have you ever used your breath to calm down? What happened?
Show a model answer
Before presentations, my breathing becomes fast and shallow. A few slow breaths, with a longer breath out, help me to feel calmer. It's a simple technique, but it really works for me.
Action & Letting Go
The Bhagavad Gita describes yoga not only as practice on the mat but as a way of acting in daily life.
Focus on the action
karmany evadhikaras te ma phaleshu kadachana
In plain English: You are responsible for your actions, not for their results. Do your best, and let go of the outcome.
Talk about it- Is it possible to work hard without thinking about the result?
- When has focusing too much on a result made something harder for you?
Show a model answer
Before an exam, I used to think only about the grade, and I couldn't concentrate. Now I try to focus on doing each task well. The result is still important, but it isn't something I can fully control.
Balance in success and failure
samatvam yoga uchyate
In plain English: Yoga means staying balanced and even-minded, whether things go well or badly.
Talk about it- How do you usually react when something goes wrong?
- Is it good to stay calm in every situation, or are strong emotions sometimes useful?
Show a model answer
I don't think staying balanced means feeling nothing. For me it means not letting one bad day decide how I feel about everything. I can be disappointed and still keep going.
Skill in action
yogah karmasu kaushalam
In plain English: Yoga is skill in action: doing what you do with care, attention and wisdom.
Talk about it- Who do you know who does their work with real skill and care?
- Can everyday tasks, like cooking or cleaning, be a kind of yoga?
Show a model answer
My grandmother cooked with complete attention. She never hurried, and everything she made tasted wonderful. When I think of skill in action, I think of her in the kitchen.
Kindness & Relationships
Yoga is also about how we treat other people, and how we deal with difficult thoughts.
Four attitudes
maitri, karuna, mudita, upeksha
In plain English: The mind stays clear when we meet happy people with friendliness, those who suffer with compassion, good actions with joy, and harmful actions with calm distance.
Talk about it- Which of the four attitudes comes most naturally to you? Which is hardest?
- Why can it be difficult to feel happy about someone else's success?
Show a model answer
Compassion comes quite naturally to me. Calm distance is the hardest. When someone behaves badly, I often get angry and keep thinking about it for hours, which only makes me feel worse.
Choosing the opposite thought
vitarka badhane pratipaksha bhavanam
In plain English: When negative thoughts disturb you, practise thinking of their opposite.
Talk about it- What is a negative thought you often have? What could its opposite be?
- Is this idea realistic, or can it become a way of ignoring real problems?
Show a model answer
When I think “I'll never speak English well,” I try to replace it with “I understand much more than I did last year.” It doesn't solve everything, but it changes my mood and helps me keep practising.
Growth & Self-Study
Several yoga texts describe practice as a path of discipline, self-reflection and personal responsibility.
Discipline, self-study, surrender
tapah svadhyaya ishvara pranidhanani kriya yogah
In plain English: Yoga in action has three parts: committed effort, studying yourself, and accepting that not everything is in your hands.
Talk about it- Which of these three parts is most important for you right now?
- How can studying yourself help you learn a language?
Show a model answer
Self-study is the most useful for me. When I record myself speaking English, I notice the same mistakes again and again. It isn't always pleasant, but it shows me exactly what to work on.
Lift yourself up
uddhared atmanatmanam
In plain English: Raise yourself up by your own efforts. You can be your own best friend, or your own worst enemy.
Talk about it- In what ways can a person be their own best friend? Their own worst enemy?
- What do you say to yourself when something is difficult?
Show a model answer
I can be very critical of myself. When I make a mistake, I sometimes talk to myself in a way I would never talk to a friend. I'm trying to be more patient with myself, in yoga and in English.
Useful Phrases for Discussing Ideas
Use these phrases to give your opinion, explain a quote and react to other people's ideas.
Interpreting
- I think this means that…
- For me, the key idea is…
- I'd interpret it as…
- In other words…
Connecting to your life
- This reminds me of a time when…
- In my experience…
- I can relate to this because…
- I've noticed that…
Agreeing & questioning
- I completely agree, because…
- I see what you mean, but…
- I'm not sure that’s always true.
- That depends on the situation.
Write Your Own Reflection
Choose one saying and write a short text of 80–120 words. These prompts can help you start.
- The saying I chose is… I chose it because…
- For me, it means…
- An example from my yoga practice (or my daily life) is…
- This week, I would like to…
Would you like feedback on your text? Send it to me or bring it to your next lesson.
More Yoga English
Continue with related topics and conversation series.
Ideas Worth Talking About
Old ideas become new again when you put them into your own words. Choose one saying this week, think about it, and talk about it in English.
Read. Reflect. Speak.
Yoga English overview Book a lesson