Our focus and effort in asana practice is usually on the body’s alignment and engagement in the pose. While it is important to make a good, strong and safe shape with the body, overemphasizing the physical engagement can limit your progression in yoga. In Yoga Sutra 2.47, Patanjali asks us to relax our effort and exertion to allow our attention to merge with the infinite. This allows us to find an inner calm that will help us progress further into the poses. This is not an easy task, but we have gathered some tips and advice to help you soften the effort and expand your awareness during meditation or hatha yoga.

Patanjali’s aphorisms on asana

Patanjali’s yoga sutras, considered one of the foundational texts on yoga, only discusses the physical posture twice. In sutra 2.46 we learn that a yoga posture should have a balance between sthira—stillness and stability, and sukham—ease, comfort, and openness. The following aphorism, prayatna shaithilya ananta samapattibhyam, discusses the perfection of asana, effortless effort, and merging with the infinite.

We often get caught up in the effort of attaining the perfect shaped pose. Patanjali asks us to let go our effort and exertion to allow our attention expand beyond our bodies to unite with the infinite. This is not an easy task, especially for beginners. It takes practice to find this state of effortless effort, so don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t happen right away.

What does Prayatna Shaithilya Ananta Samapattibhyam mean?

In Yoga Sutra 2.47, “prayatna shaithilya ananta samapattibhyam,” is translated as “Perfection in an asana is attained by the relaxation of effort and the total absorption of awareness on the infinite.” The word-for-word translation of this sutra is:

Prayatna = effort, tension, exertion

Shaithilya = letting go of, relaxing, loosen

Ananta = infinite, boundless, eternal, endless, essential nature

Samapattibhyam = uniting with, focusing on, fusing, coming together, merging, focusing attention on

There are several different ways Sutra 2.47 has been translated over the centuries. Reading different translations, interpretations and commentaries on a sutra can provide a better understanding than relying on a single source. Here are a few of the most popular translations:

• “Perfection in an asana is achieved when the effortful effort to perform it becomes effortless, and the infinite being within is reached.” — BKS Iyengar.
• “By lessening the natural tendency for restlessness and by meditating on the infinite, posture is mastered.” — Sri Swami Satchidananda
• “By loosening of effort and by meditation on the serpent ananta, asana is mastered.” — Swami Satyananda Saraswati
• “As the body yields all efforts and holdings, the infinite within is revealed.” — Nischala Joy Devi
• “Posture becomes firm and relaxed through control of the natural tendencies of the body, and through meditation on the infinite.” — Swami Prabhavananda
• “By slight effort and meditating on the unlimited (posture becomes firm and pleasant).” — Swami Vivekananda

How to achieve Prayatna Saithilya

The word prayatna means “effort, exertion or force.” The word saithilya means “letting go of.” Therefore prayatna saithilya is defined as “the letting go of the need to do with force or effort.” It is a state of active and focused work without tension or any unnecessary effort.

In order to reach this state in asana, one must first understand how to soften your desire, relax extra effort, and accept what you cannot change. Cultivate this softening and non–efforting by finding the space within the engagement of the shape, and accepting your body and the pose as it is. Work towards letting go of trying to make something happen, and instead allowing what is to unfold naturally. This is true whether we’re doing a forward fold, downward dog, or any other yogic practice. In each case, we’re learning to accept the practice and our body as it is, rather than forcing ourselves to try to change it.

It’s easy to get caught up in thoughts like “I should be able to do this”, “I’m not good enough”, or “This isn’t working”. These thoughts create unnecessary tension and stress in our bodies, and prevent us from progressing in the practice. By releasing these negative thoughts, we free our minds to focus on the present moment to find the correct amount of effort in the asana.

We must also put effort into creating a good, safe and aligned shape with our body on our yoga mats. When we practice good alignment, correct form and proper effort, we’re cultivating mindfulness, self-awareness and concentration. We’re also strengthening our muscles, increasing flexibility and improving our overall health.

In Light on Life, B.K.S. Iyengar describes prayatna saithilya as the highest state one can achieve in the posture. “In asana, we are trying to broach the mass of our gross body, to break up the molecules and divide them into atoms that will allow our vision to penetrate within… Initially we need to exert ourselves more as resistance is greater. Of the two aspects of asana, exertion of our body and penetration of our mind, the latter is eventually more important. Penetration of our minds is our goal, but in the beginning to set things in motion, there is no substitute for sweat. When effort becomes effortless, asana is at its highest level.”

It takes time, patience and compassion to learn how to let go of the need to push yourself. You may find yourself getting frustrated if you don’t feel like you’re making progress. Don’t worry! It’s normal to have moments of frustration. You can counteract negative feelings with thinking positive thoughts, affirmations and intentions. Incorporating kindness, compassion, patience and acceptance into our practice will help us cultivate a more relaxed attitude towards our bodies and poses. As we learn to let go of our expectations and desires, we naturally cultivate more effortless effort.

How to experience Ananta Samapattibhyam

The word “prayatna” means “the ultimate truth” or “the infinite oneness”. The word “samapattibhyam” means “connected” or “united”. It refers to the state of being connected to the infinite or our highest self. This is achieved by abiding in our true nature, surrendering to the divine will and allowing spirit to guide our actions.

When we are in a state of prayatna samapattibhyam, we are fully present in the moment and are open to whatever unfolds before us. We are not resisting or pushing against anything. We are simply being. Letting go into the infinite is an act of surrendering control over your life. You give up your ego and become part of something bigger than yourself.

To achieve this state of ananta samapattibhyam requires that we first release our attachment to outcomes. Our desire to gain mastery over the asanas must dissolve. We must stop trying to prove ourselves both on and off our yoga mats. We must let go of our fear of failure and embrace the unknown. We must trust the universe to show us the path.

As we let go of our attachments, we begin to see things differently. We come to understand that we are not separate from the world around us. We are not separate from the people who surround us. We are moving towards the ultimate goal of yoga– to become united with the ultimate truth and the infinite oneness.

How to practice Ananta Samapattibhyam

The practice of ananta samapattibhyam requires us to expand our awareness from the physical to the subtle energies of the body and universe. This can be practiced during seated meditation or during a long posture hold. There are four main steps to practice and experience ananta samapattabhyam.

1. The first step is to expand your awareness from the body to the breath. Focus on your inhale and exhale. Notice where you feel the air entering and leaving your nostrils. Feel the sensations in your nose, mouth, throat and chest. Observe the rise and fall of your abdomen. As you breathe deeply, you connect with the air and space around you. Use your breath to feel yourself resting, softening, widening and deepening gently and comfortably into Yoga.
2. Next, focus on the mind. Notice the location and quality of your thoughts. Observe your thoughts without judgment, watching them float away like clouds in the sky. Do not try to change them. Just observe and watch them as separate entities. Consciously allow your thoughts to soften and dissolve. Experience your Thoughts as temporary phenomena—let them flow through you like waves on the ocean. As your thoughts dissolve expand your focus and awareness beyond your mind, body and breath.
3. Keep expanding your awareness farther, to your spirit or soul, the source of witness consciousness. As you expand beyond the physical realm, notice your body becoming lighter, softer and more peaceful. Allow your awareness to witness all that is happening at once—in your body and all around you. Allow yourself to experience the reality of now.
4. Lastly, imagine that you are nothing more than pure energy and pure consciousness. Feel the energy coursing through your entire body. Feel it flowing out of your head and down your spine. Feel it pulsating through all seven chakras and Feel it moving through your hands and feet. Let your whole body be filled with this feeling of bliss. Let go of all attachment to the physical body and Imagine that you are the source of all existence. Allow your awareness to become united with the infinite oneness.

Conclusion

Effortless effort is the key to awaken the spiritual aspects of the practice of yoga. You can use these techniques in your yoga poses as just tools to help us transcend the physical realm and connect with higher states of consciousness. Effortless effort allows you to surrender into the process, connect with the infinite and leads to greater self-awareness and ultimately to true freedom.

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Discovering who you are and what you deep down want out of life is not always an easy thing.

Expectations and goals of others like family, friends and society in general can confuse or lead you astray. Staying in your comfort zone for too much of your time will likely not help that much either.

But what can be helpful and inspire you to go on your own personal journey of self-discovery is the 125 quotes on knowing yourself in today’s post.

I hope you’ll find something motivating and illuminating here no matter if you want to know yourself better, find more inner peace or you need help to navigate after a breakup or other big life event. 

And if you want even more inspiration to help you explore your inner self then check out this post with quotes on focusing on yourself for self-empowerment and this one filled with you are enough quotes.

Inspirational Quotes About Finding Yourself

“To find yourself, think for yourself.”
Socrates

“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”
Carl Jung

“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.”
George Moore

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”
E.E Cummings

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
Mahatma Gandhi

“Sometimes when you lose your way, you find yourself.”
Mandy Hale

“The quickest way to find your true self is to forget who you are.”
Marty Rubin

“The only journey is the journey within.”
Rainer Maria Rilke

“All men should strive to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why.”
James Thurber

“You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need.”
Jerry Gillies

“When you devote your life to ‘finding yourself,’ you probably won’t.”
Laura Schlessinger

“There is no satisfaction that can compare with looking back across the years and finding you’ve grown in self-control, judgment, generosity, and unselfishness.”
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.”
Aldous Huxley

“One must know oneself. If this does not serve to discover truth, it at least serves as a rule of life, and there is nothing better.”
Blaise Pascal

“It is the individual who knows how little they know about themselves who stands the most reasonable chance of finding out something about themselves before they die.”
S. I. Hayakawa

“Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option.”
Mark Twain

“Each man’s life represents a road toward himself.”
Herman Hesse

“You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.”
James A. Froude

“Know yourself. Don’t accept your dog’s admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.”
Ann Landers

“Someday, somewhere anywhere, unfailingly, you’ll find yourself, and that, and only that, can be the happiest or bitterest hour of your life.”
Pablo Neruda

“Finding oneself and one’s path is like waking up on a foggy day. Be patient, and presently the fog will clear and that which has always been there can be seen. The path is already there to follow.”
Rasheed Ogunlaru

“The only way to learn who you are is to leave home.”
Sana Krasikov

“It’s a life’s journey of finding ourselves, finding our power, and living for yourself, not for everyone else.”
Mariska Hargitay

“All scars bring us closer to our deeper self.”
Bert McCoy

“Why should we honor those that die upon the field of battle? A man may show as reckless a courage in entering into the abyss of himself.”
William Butler Yeats

“You can find a better you inside of you. Why don’t you search for that?”
Munia Khan

“For most men life is a search for the proper manila envelope in which to get themselves filed.”
Clifton Fadiman

“Know, first, who you are, and then adorn yourself accordingly.”
Epictetus

“When you make the finding yourself even if you’re the last person on Earth to see the light you’ll never forget it.”
Carl Sagan

“You never find yourself until you face the truth.”
Pearl Bailey

“Resolve to be thyself; and know that he who finds himself, loses his misery.”
Matthew Arnold

“I think that somehow, we learn who we really are and then live with that decision.”
Eleanor Roosevelt

“You’ve got to find yourself first. Everything else will follow.”
Charles De Lint

“The moment you know yourself, you have known the most precious thing in existence.”
Osho

“It‘s not about your wildest dreams coming true but being able to dream the wildest side of you.”
Talismanist Giebra

“It is not only the most difficult thing to know oneself, but the most inconvenient one, too.”
H.W. Shaw

“Be who you are, and find yourself so you can be your own person and enjoy life with no regret.”
Bonnie Zackson Koury

“Most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself.”
Elle Woods

“One of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be, rather than being yourself.”
Shannon L. Alder

“What you discover on your own is always more exciting than what someone else discovers for you – it’s like the marriage between romantic love and an arranged marriage.”
Terrence Rafferty

“First find the man in yourself if you will inspire manliness in others.”
Amos Bronson Alcott

“One’s own self is well hidden from one’s own self; of all mines of treasure, one’s own is the last to be dug up.”
Friedrich Nietzsche

“The greatest explorer on this earth never takes voyages as long as those of the man who descends to the depth of his heart.”
Julien Green

“The well bred contradict other people. The wise contradict themselves.”
Oscar Wilde

“To discover who you really are you will need to get out of your comfort zone.”
Unknown

“One was a book I read by Mahatma Gandhi. In it was a passage where he said that religion, the pursuing of the inner journey, should not be separated from the pursuing of the outer and social journey, because we are not isolated beings.”
Satish Kumar

“Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering.”
St. Augustine

“I was once afraid of people saying, ‘Who does she think she is?’ Now I have the courage to stand and say, ‘This is who I am.’”
Oprah Winfrey

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”
Carl Jung

Quotes About Finding Yourself Again (After a Breakup or Big Life Event)

“People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates.”
Thomas Szasz

“Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship you have.”
Robert Holden

“A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.”
Jean de La Fontaine

“Letting go doesn’t mean that you don’t care about someone anymore. It’s just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself.”
Deborah Reber

“Don’t worry about finding your soul mate. Find yourself.”
Jason Evert

“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we’ll ever do.”
Brene Brown

“As I began to love myself, I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth. Today, I know, this is authenticity.”
Charlie Chaplin

“It is so important to take time for yourself and find clarity. The most important relationship is the one you have with yourself.”
Diane Von Furstenberg

“Your real self may be hiding somewhere, look for it within, when you find yourself, you can freely be what you want to be.”
Michael Bassey Johnson

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been me.”
Fernando Pessoa

“All the wonders you seek are within yourself.”
Thomas Browne

“Whatever it takes to find the real you, don’t be daunted if the rest of the world looks on in shock.”
Stephen Richards

“At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.”
Lao Tzu

“You really have to look inside yourself and find your own inner strength, and say, ‘I’m proud of what I am and who I am, and I’m just going to be myself.”
Mariah Carey

“You cannot find yourself till you lose yourself.”
Abhijit Naskar

“Unlike many other journeys, when it comes to finding self and matters of the heart you’ll swiftly find yourself lost if you follow someone else’s”
Rasheed Ogunlaru

“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”
Dolly Parton

“You can love them, forgive them, want good things for them … but still move on without them.”
Mandy Hale

“You don’t have to know where you’re going to get exactly where you need to go.”
Marilyn A. Hepburn

“You’ve got to know yourself so you can at last be yourself.”
D. H. Lawrence

“Don’t be afraid of who you’re not.. Be afraid of never knowing who you are. Defend your authentic self.”
Karen Laffey

“I know well what I am fleeing from but not what I am in search of.”
Michel de Montaigne

“The woman who does not require validation from anyone is the most feared individual on the planet.”
Mohadesa Najumi

“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.”
Henry David Thoreau

“If you’re being ignored, that’s a good time to concentrate on finding yourself and creating your own mystery.”
Lykke Li

“Finding yourself is just the beginning. Making the best of what you find is the real challenge.”
Drishti Bablani

“When you know yourself you are empowered. When you accept yourself you are invincible.”
Tina Lifford

“Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
George Bernard Shaw

“Be who you are, and find yourself so you can be your own person and enjoy life with no regret.”
Bonnie Zackson Koury

“Find yourself; it’s worth the treasure.”
Amaranthine Poetry

“Every time you thought you couldn’t keep moving forward, you did. Take a moment to appreciate your strength.”
Karen Salmanson

“There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one’s self.”
Benjamin Franklin

“With movement comes identity.”
Karl Kristian Flores

Finding Happiness and Inner Peace Within Yourself Quotes

“It’s a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy.”
Lucille Ball

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
Aristotle

“It takes courage…to endure the sharp pains of self-discovery rather than choose to take the dull pain of unconsciousness that would last the rest of our lives.
Marianne Williamson

“I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.”
Maya Angelou

“Stop living someone else’s definition of happiness and start living your own.”
David Paul Vosburg

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”
Maya Angelou

“And into the forest, I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.”
John Muir

“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”
Lao Tzu

“Love the life you have while you create the life of your dreams.”
Hal Elrod

“I think you travel to search and you come back home to find yourself there.”
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

“Don’t spend all of your time trying to find yourself. Spend your time creating yourself into a person that you’ll be proud of.”
Sonya Parker

“When you combine hard work, creativity, and self-determination things start to happen.”
Sophia Amoruso

“If a man happens to find himself, he has a mansion which he can inhabit with dignity all the days of his life.”
James A. Michener

“Of any activity you do, ask yourself: If I were the last person on earth, would I still do it?”
Steven Pressfield

“Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you won’t do anything with it.”
M. Scott Peck

“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.”
St. Francis de Sales

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
Henry David Thoreau

“The pleasure which we most rarely experience gives us the greatest delight.”
Epictetus

“People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.”
Thich Nhat Hanh

“True success is reaching our potential without compromising our values.”
Muhammad Ali

“If there’s no inner peace, people can’t give it to you. The husband can’t give it to you. Your children can’t give it to you. You have to give it to you.”
Linda Evans

“Find yourself and you will find your freedom.”
Gillian Duce

“Yesterday, I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today, I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
Rumi

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
Buddha

“Set peace of mind as your highest goal, and organize your life around it.”
Brian Tracy

“Find the love you seek, by first finding the love within yourself. Learn to rest in that place within you that is your true home.”
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

“Men can starve from a lack of self-realization as much as they can from a lack of bread.”
Richard Wright

“You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level.”
Eckhart Tolle

“Learning to ignore things is one of the great paths to inner peace.”
Robert J. Sawyer

“The greatest discovery in life is self-discovery. Until you find yourself you will always be someone else. Become yourself.”
Myles Munroe

“Lovely days don’t come to you, you should walk to them.”
Rumi

“He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe.”
Marcus Aurelius

“Happiness is within. It has nothing to do with how much applause you get or how many people praise you. Happiness comes when you believe that you have done something truly meaningful.”
Martin Yan

“How we perceive a situation and how we react to it is the basis of our stress. If you focus on the negative in any situation, you can expect high stress levels. However, if you try and see the good in the situation, your stress levels will greatly diminish.”
Catherine Pulsifer

“The simplification of life is one of the steps to inner peace. A persistent simplification will create an inner and outer well-being that places harmony in one’s life.”
Peace Pilgrim

“Follow your bliss and don’t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be.”
Joseph Campbell

“When you do the right thing, you get the feeling of peace and serenity associated with it. Do it again and again.”
Roy T. Bennett

“I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness—it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.”
Brené Brown

“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.”
Dalai Lama

“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.”
Chinese proverb

“To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first.”
William Shakespeare

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

“And you? When will you begin that long journey into yourself?”
Rumi

Want even more motivation to help you with self discovery? Check out this post with timeless advice on knowing your true worth and value and also this one that’s filled to the brim with helpful quotes on finding inner peace.

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Growing in self-knowledge is a lifelong journey.

But when something happens that throws your sense of identity into chaos (however briefly), it can help to know you’re not alone. 

We’ve collected 101 finding yourself quotes from people all over the world.

Some will strike you as more familiar than others.

Some may get you thinking in ways you haven’t tried yet. 

Keep your journal handy. 

101  Quotes About Finding Yourself 

Read through the following quotes for finding yourself, and make a note of the ones that stand out for you and get you thinking. 

Quotes About Finding Yourself After A Break-Up

Break-ups are good for shaking up your idea of who you are outside the relationship, as well as you who were inside of it. Use the insights in the following quotes to get better acquainted with your independent self. 

1. “I will not allow myself to not feel chosen every single day. And I’ll wait till whenever that is.” — Hannah Brown

2. “The woman who does not require validation from anyone is the most feared individual on the planet.” — Mohadesa Najumi

3. “Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship you have.” — Robert Holden

4. “Every time you thought you couldn’t keep moving forward, you did. Take a moment to appreciate your strength.” — Karen Salmanson

6. ”Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tiptoe if you must, but take the step.” ― Naeem Callaway

7. “Don’t be afraid to stand for what you believe in, even if that means standing alone.” — Andy Biersack

8. “Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.” – Walt Whitman

9. “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” — Abraham Lincoln

10. “Most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself.” —Elle Woods

11. “You can love them, forgive them, want good things for them … but still move on without them.” — Mandy Hale

12. “Pain makes you stronger, fear makes you braver, heartbreak makes you wiser.” —Drake

13. “Sometimes, I don’t know what haunts me more… The memories of you… Or the happy person I used to be.” —Ranata Suzuki

15. “I didn’t lose you. You lost me. You’ll search for me inside of everyone you’re with and I won’t be found.” — R.H.Sin

16. “If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?” — RuPaul

17. “I’m thankful for my struggle because without it I wouldn’t have stumbled across my strength.” — Alex Elle

18. “Nothing in the universe can stop you from letting go and starting over.” — Guy Finley

19. “Letting go doesn’t mean that you don’t care about someone anymore. It’s just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself.” – Deborah Reber

20. “I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.” – Carl Sagan

21. “The day I met you, was the day I lost myself… The day you left me, was the day I found myself…” ― Ama H. Vanniarachchy

Short Quotes About Finding Yourself

Sometimes, you just want something short, clear, and succinct. We collected this group of quotes to fit that mood.  

22. “Sometimes when you lose your way, you find YOURSELF.” ― Mandy Hale

23. “I just want to be someone, to mean something to anyone…” ― Charlotte Eriksson

24. “Don’t worry about finding your soul mate. Find yourself.” ― Jason Evert

25. “People who fit don’t seek. The seekers are those that don’t fit.” ― Shannon L. Alder

26. “To find yourself, think for yourself.” –Socrates

28. “This is the practice. It isn’t easy. It isn’t certain. It is beautiful.” – Leo Babauta

29. “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t… You’re right.” — Henry Ford

30. “The more I stepped away from darkness, the less it felt like home.” ― Mitali Meelan

31. “Find yourself and you will find your freedom.” ― Gillian Duce

32. “The only journey is the journey within.” – Rainer Maria Rilke

33. “All scars bring us closer to our deeper self.” ― Bert McCoy

34. “Stop living someone else’s definition of happiness and start living your own.” ― David Paul Vosburg

35. “Lovely days don’t come to you, you should walk to them.” ― Rumi

36. “Not until we are lost do we being to understand ourselves.” – Henry David Thoreau

37. “Find your mirror and take great notes.” ― Bert McCoy

38. “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.” – Lao Tzu

39. “Know thyself” If I knew myself, I’d run away.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

40. “Find yourself; it’s worth the treasure.” ― Amaranthine Poetry

41. “What you have to find is yourself first.” ―Nishi De Silva

42. “You never find yourself until you face the truth.” — Pearl Bailey

44. “All the wonders you seek are within yourself.” –Thomas Browne

Famous Quotes About Finding Yourself

Some quotes or some of the people behind them are more famous than others. They didn’t get that way by hiding—from themselves or from anyone else. You deserve to be known. 

45. “By discovering nature, you discover yourself.” –Maxime Lagace

46. “Be who you are, and find yourself so you can be your own person and enjoy life with no regret.” – Bonnie Zackson Koury

47. “And into the forest, I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” –John Muir

48. “Each man’s life represents a road toward himself.” – Herman Hesse

49. “A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.” – Jean de La Fontaine

50. “Know yourself. Don’t accept your dog’s admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.”– Ann Landers

51. “The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” –Carl Jung

52. “As I began to love myself, I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth. Today, I know, this is authenticity.” –Charlie Chaplin

53. “Love the life you have while you create the life of your dreams.” –Hal Elrod

55. “The moment you know yourself, you have known the most precious thing in existence.”  –Osho

56. “Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you won’t do anything with it.” –M. Scott Peck

57. “A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” – George Moore

58. “The story ends up being a journey of self-discovery.” — Elijah Wood

59. “And you? When will you begin that long journey into yourself?” — Rumi

60. “First find the man in yourself if you will inspire manliness in others.” —Amos Bronson Alcott

Inspirational Finding Yourself Quotes

You may find inspiration in quotes from others who have been where you are now and who have learned something new and precious about themselves. You will, too. 

61. “I think you travel to search and you come back home to find yourself there.” ― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

62. “Follow your bliss and don’t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be.” –Joseph Campbell

63. “I don’t want to be just one thing. I want to be brave and selfless and intelligent and honest and kind.” ― Veronica Roth

64. “We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” — T.S. Elliot

65. “Whatever it takes to find the real you, don’t be daunted if the rest of the world looks on in shock.” ― Stephen Richards

66. “It is one thing to lose people you love. It is another to lose yourself. That is a greater loss.” ― Donna Goddard

67. “You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need.” — Jerry Gillies

68. “You cannot find yourself till you lose yourself.” ― Abhijit Naskar

69. “With movement comes identity.” ― Karl Kristian Flores

71. “Be unapologetically yourself. That’s easier said than done, but most worthwhile things are.” ― Nina Guilbeau

72. “The quickest way to find your true self is to forget who you are.” ― Marty Rubin

73. “Your real self may be hiding somewhere, look for it within, when you find yourself, you can freely be what you want to be.” – Michael Bassey Johnson

74. “When you know yourself you are empowered. When you accept yourself you are invincible.” — Tina Lifford

75. “You must befriend a few skeletons before you’ll find your deepest self.” ― Curtis Tyrone Jones

76. “When you devote your life to ‘finding yourself,’ you probably won’t.” ― Laura Schlessinger

77. “It is so important to take time for yourself and find clarity. The most important relationship is the one you have with yourself.” –Diane Von Furstenberg

78. “Men can starve from a lack of self-realization as much as they can from a lack of bread.” –Richard Wright

79. “Whatever you are doing, love yourself for doing it. Whatever you are feeling, love yourself for feeling it.” –Thaddeus Goals

80. “Finding yourself is just the beginning. Making the best of what you find is the real challenge.” ― Drishti Bablani

81. “I feel the older I get, the more I’m learning to handle life. Being on this quest for a long time, it’s all about finding yourself.” –Ringo Starr

83. “One must know oneself. If this does not serve to discover truth, it at least serves as a rule of life, and there is nothing better.” –Blaise Pascal

Quotes About Finding Your Way

When you’ve lost your sense of direction, the following quotes can help you find it again and take the next steps forward. 

84. “Nature is a beautiful place to get lost and find yourself. A place which will never disappoint you and you will love it always. A place close to your heart where you can find peace. A place where you can feel lively and get to know a little more of you.” –Aksu

85. “Unlike many other journeys, when it comes to finding self and matters of the heart you’ll swiftly find yourself lost if you follow someone else’s” ― Rasheed Ogunlaru

86. “It‘s not about your wildest dreams coming true but being able to dream the wildest side of you.” ― Talismanist Giebra

87. “When you discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy; care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.” –Jean Shinoda Bolen

88. “I had to lose my mind to find myself, and when I found myself, my mind returned.” ― Sanjo Jendayi

89. “Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we’ll ever do.” –Brene Brown

90. “Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” — Lolly Daskal

92. “When we find a purpose that is bigger than ourselves, we become more powerful in our ability to create.” — Jack Delosa

93. “At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.” — Lao Tzu

94. “You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.” – James A. Froude

95. “If you’re being ignored, that’s a good time to concentrate on finding yourself and creating your own mystery.” — Lykke Li

96. “The only way to learn who you are is to leave home.” ― Sana Krasikov

97. “Don’t be afraid of who you’re not.. Be afraid of never knowing who you are. Defend your authentic self.” ― Karen Laffey

98. “You can find a better you inside of you. Why don’t you search for that?” ― Munia Khan

99. “I was once afraid of people saying, ‘Who does she think she is?’ Now I have the courage to stand and say, ‘This is who I am.’” — Oprah Winfrey

100. “I think that somehow, we learn who we really are and then live with that decision. “ –Eleanor Roosevelt

101. “It is not only the most difficult thing to know oneself, but the most inconvenient one, too.” – H.W. Shaw

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Conclusion

Now that you’ve looked through all 101 discover yourself quotes, no doubt some of them felt more relevant to where you are now. Some have come closer to putting your own experience and perspective into words. 

It’s no accident, either. When someone feels the way you do, now, they can’t help wanting to express that. The desire to know oneself and to be known by others is universal. 

So, which quotes stood out for you? And what have you learned from them?

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When you first move to a new area you very quickly find out where the local supermarket is, the post office, the nearest restaurant and bar, but some of the best local shops that are tucked away down hidden alleyways can take a long time to discover. These hidden gems are usually the independently owned shops and are often located off the beaten path and not on the high street. In this article we’re going to share with you some of the secrets to finding the best local shops in your area.

Walk Everywhere

The best way to find anything in a new neighbourhood is to put on your trainers and get walking. Choose a sunny day over the weekend when you have no other plans and make a day of it. It doesn’t matter if you get lost, although if you are worried you could always use a map app on your phone or even plot out a rough route beforehand, just see where each path takes you and go with it.

Some of the best local shops can be found on the pedestrianized pavements, so you’d never ever find them unless you explored by foot. From hidden home furniture shops filled with bespoke pieces that will help you to find the best console table for your new hallway, local antique shops that offer a treasure trove of interior inspiration to help you recreate your lusted after Pinterest boards, through to artisan bakeries, fashion boutiques, and delis, walking around your new area will see you discovering all kinds of new and exciting finds.

And of course, always remember to stop for regular coffee breaks when you discover a new cafe en route and to pause for lunch at a lovely local bistro, with maybe a cheeky glass of wine or two.

Use Local Facebook Groups

Another great way to find the best local shops is by joining the local Facebook groups. Just do a search for your area on Facebook and there are bound to be lots of different ones that pop up. We have one in our home town focused entirely on shopping locally and it gives local businesses a chance to advertise, inform people about any special offers they have, as well as opening hours etc. It’s a fantastic resource for owners and customers alike, and even more useful if you’re new to town.

Local Facebook groups are also really useful if you’re searching for slightly more specialist stores, for example hobby or model shops. When you’ve been hunting for a 350 crate engine turn key for the car you’ve been doing up in your spacious new garage, it’s good to know you can find exactly the part you’ve been looking for.

Facebook groups will also give you an opportunity to chat with local people, which brings us onto our third and final secret for finding the best local shops.

Ask People Who Already Live There

Who could possibly know an area better than the people who already live there, so it’s time for you to get on out there and start chatting to the locals. People are always happy to help, especially when it comes to singing the praises of their neighbourhood. When you’re looking for the best local fresh meat for your next barbecue, or trying to find that specialist ingredient for that new recipe you cut out of the paper last week, it will be the knowledge of the local residents that helps you to track these things down.

It’s easy to strike up a conversation when you’re stood in a queue waiting for your coffee and croissant at your new favourite cafe, or when you take the kids to the playground and they start playing with some of the other kids you can easily talk to the other parents. And not only will you learn lots of interesting things about your new hometown, but you might also make some new friends too.

With lockdown restrictions starting to ease and with shops starting to reopen it’s really important we support local businesses and shops by giving them our custom. Hopefully these three tips will give you the confidence to get out there and to start exploring your local community.

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What is joy? Throughout the ages, philosophers and poets have struggled to define happiness.

In the meantime, scientists have realized that your mental state significantly impacts your physical wellbeing. Instead of being two distinct beasts, human emotions and physiology may be one, explaining why a positive attitude often leads to better outcomes.

Here’s why finding joy is so good for your health.

1. It’s Good For Your Heart

When was the last time you felt joyous when under enormous stress? The two mental states are incompatible. Finding things that bring you happiness can tame the tension that often leads to cardiovascular trouble.

According to the University of Rochester, high cortisol levels from long-term stress can increase triglycerides, blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar. These changes promote the buildup of plaque deposits in arteries that can lead to a heart attack.

Additionally, prolonged stress can affect your blood’s clotting ability, making you a more likely stroke candidate. It can even cause long-term changes in your brain that keep your blood pressure elevated.

Find small ways to build joy into every day. Sign up for an extracurricular class with your kids and rediscover your joy of painting. Treat yourself to a bubble bath instead of your usual nightly shower – it will do your heart and soul good.

2. It Gets Your Body Moving

People with depression often find it challenging to exercise even when they know that doing so would boost their moods. Unfortunately, the lack of sleep can make symptoms worse or even lead to the disorder’s onset.

Conversely, when you feel joy, moving your body comes naturally. It’s no different from a newborn or baby deer delighting in manipulating their limbs for the first time.

Therefore, when the mood strikes, make hay while the sun shines. Get up and dance around your living room when your favorite jam comes over your speakers. The movement increases the flow of endorphins that further boosts your mood.

3. It Cultivates Positive Energy

You probably noticed that it’s challenging to focus on getting things done when you lack joy in your life. Happiness creates the positive energy you need to tackle your daily tasks with a smile.

Fortunately, you can take steps to create a positive energy shift. One of the simplest ways to do so is to smile. When you do, you more quickly recover from stress and decrease your heart rate.

4. It Can Help You Lose Weight

If you are one of many adults struggling with excess pounds, you aren’t alone. According to the CDC, more than a third of U.S. adults are obese, and even more fall into the overweight category. However, being in good company doesn’t negate the health risks of carrying too many extra pounds.

When you feel happy, you tend to make better choices. For example, how many times have you said, “I need a drink,” not to celebrate with champagne but take the edge off a trying day? Doing so too often can spur hormonal changes that make you gain weight around the waist, which is where many researchers consider to be the most dangerous.

Even eating healthy tastes better when you feel joy. The stress hormone cortisol often makes you crave foods high in fat and sugar to prepare your body for a prolonged onslaught. A salad looks far more appetizing when you are feeding your belly, not your emotions.

5. You Make Friends More Easily

According to research published in the Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, emotional loneliness causes a nearly 20% increase in all-cause mortality. Your social circle can help keep you alive longer.

However, few people enjoy hanging out with a negative Nancy. When you spread joy, people naturally gravitate toward your light, and you grow your tribe – leading to even more positive vibes.

6. You Improve Family Relationships

Your family plays a significant role in your overall happiness, but it isn’t a one-way street. Behaving with more joy makes them want to spend more time with you and lovingly respond when they do.

The next time your 4-year-old accidentally drops the milk, make a game out of cleaning it up instead of scolding them. You could roll your eyes or share a good-natured laugh when you realize they arrived at daycare with their shirt inside out — which reaction will share more joy?

7. You Enjoy Better Mental Health

Your mental health plays a significant role in the length and quality of your life. Tragically, suicide remains the tenth leading cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Feeling joy is incompatible with depression. However, it’s vital to remember that emotional states come and go — when you do feel blue, accept it and remind yourself that it will pass.

8. You Decrease Stress

Stress is a tricky mistress. It compels you to act, but it clouds your judgment, meaning that your behaviors sometimes make an already tough situation worse.

When you invite more joy into your life by taking time to smell the flowers while enjoying a post-dinner stroll, you clear your mind and refresh your perspective. This pause enables you to make choices that improve your situation and lead to greater happiness.

Find Your Joy Today — Your Health Will Thank You

Science supports the idea that finding joy is good for your health. Now that you know the benefits, do more to make yourself smile today.

*collaborative post

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Yoga can provide you with techniques to teach you how to, at any moment, step into the eye of the storm.

– Find Your Why Foundation

Let me ask you something…are you confident enough to step into the eye of the storm?

Probably not.

Let me ask you this…why would you want to step into the eye of the storm?

Because that is where the growth is.

Or how about this – do you know your WHY?

Maybe not.

Or this – why do you practice yoga?

To be flexible? To be strong? To help with anxiety?

Wrong answers! These are not your WHY as to why you bring yourself to your mat or meditation cushion each day. These are the results of practicing yoga. But your WHY is something else.

I didn’t know too much about this until I did my teacher training and we did deep transformational work with a “touch of yoga” thrown in, (which in turn ended up being the transformational work without us evening knowing!) Mind. Blown.

So, here’s my WHY:

‘To be strong and confident…on and off the mat’

Strong and confident on my mat with my asanas (arm balances, inversions, headstands, handstands – you know, all the fun stuff but all the hard stuff!) Strong and confident off my mat in daily life and the challenges it brings (enter Covid-19 and lockdown!)

So, what does my WHY give me?

It gives me ease, strength, confidence and guidance, but ultimately peace and happiness. And through peace and happiness I have grown so much more, without that even being the intention of my WHY.

Here I’d like to share with you 3 ways finding my WHY helped me to grow, and how finding your why, you too can grow:

1) Perseverance – on the mat

Let me ask you this, what is your worst yoga asana?

I have a few, ha! (You wouldn’t think I’m a yoga teacher!)

For me, here are a couple I find challenging:
– Half Moon
– Pincha forearm stand

Because my WHY is to be strong and confident on & off the mat, chanting this to myself whenever I’m faced with a challenging asana has helped wonders with my mind and mental state during a tricky yoga pose.

Let’s break down forearm stand, the trickier of the two. You need a whole heck of a lot of shoulder strength and core strength to hold this and keep a straight line. The body needs to be stacked with no banana-shaped back. You need to have open hamstrings in order to walk the legs in and stack the hips in order to come up into forearm stand with control, without kicking up.

This is my nemesis. But with these physical challenges comes the mental challenge and perseverance on the mat. ‘To be strong & confident on & off the mat’ – strong in my shoulders and core, strong in my mind (‘I’ve got this, I can totally do this!’), confident in not falling over and if I do, so what? You learn from every fall and it builds you up to grow.

So, what’s your challenging yoga pose(s)?

Have you thought about your WHY to help you with these poses?

2) Can do attitude – off the mat

In life what are your biggest challenges?

Is it raising 3 kids all under the age of 6?

Or perhaps, juggling work and the kids?

Or maybe your dream is to start your own business but you’re worried you are not enough?

For me it was the later. I used to do the whole 9-5 thing, but I was lucky, I loved my job (I designed shoes, and still do part-time.) But I always had a feeling that there was more to life. More to me. More to what I can offer the world and what I wanted to be a part of and create. Finding and connecting to my WHY, has 100% given me the belief in myself that I CAN DO THIS. It’s not there all day every day. But when those negative thoughts creep in (which they will do, we’re only human!) I chant back to myself in my mind my WHY, and faith is restored again in myself.

3) Eye of the storm – life’s biggest challenges

For me, it was when I was 37. My world stopped.

Dealing with grief is such a personal thing, it’s different for everyone. I’ve said goodbye to long-lost family members before as I was growing up. But this was different. This was my mum. My most amazing mum. We lost my mum suddenly to cancer, and my world hasn’t been the same since.

This isn’t a post about grief – or how to deal with it.

But more so, a blog post about how – even in the most challenging, sickening, confusing, upsetting, heart-wrenching times, in the eye of the storm, we can get through to the sunshine. Or at least, get through to a mild day with blue sky and no more storm.

See, life isn’t joyous 100% of the time. Yoga teaches us not to observe life through rose-tinted glasses, yet so often we do.

When life decides to turn your world upside down and rip away your mum, how do you cope? Sure, loved ones, friends & family are always there for you. But my WHY helped me on a much deeper personal level. I don’t talk about it with anyone. I haven’t really shared it with my family. It’s for me and me only.

And unfortunately, life is going to deliver many more storms to come, it’s out of your control, it’s natural. But how you choose to be when faced with the storm is within your control. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you chose to respond. This is where the growth lies. Or, as Baron Baptiste calls it, “the edge”:

The edge is  where we come up right up against ourselves and what we can do and be. It is the boundary between where we are and where we grow, the place of comfortable discomfort, where all the growing and healing happens. The edge is the point in every pose when you are still within your capacities but are challenging yourself to go just a little bit farther. Stepping up to this edge and daring to leap is how you break through and thus break with old ways of being. 

– from Journey Into Power by Baron Baptiste.

Summary:

So, what does my WHY give me? It gives me ease, strength, confidence and guidance, but ultimately peace and happiness. 

I urge you to find your WHY. And if you don’t know what it is – that’s fine. Explore it, dance around it, then connect and nurture it through your yoga practice, through your meditation practice.

Connect to your breath and let your breath guide you. Let the breath connect you–mind and body, body and soul. Let your breath connect your conscious and sub-conscious. Here we will explore and find our WHY.

Your Why Yoga:

If you have any questions or would like to know more about Finding Your Why, I teach Your Why Yoga – you can get in contact here.

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Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Anna from Flamingo Yoga Maya. Anna teaches yoga with a strong emphasis on asking her students to find and connect to their WHY, using it as a driving force to guide them through life. She teaches Vinyasa and Yin, online, and her classes are relaxed and friendly. Anna has also designed a range of yoga tops with built-in towelling to wipe away sweat as you workout – you can shop the collection here.

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