90+ Mindfulness Quotes When You Need A Reminder To Live In The Present

Being mindful is a lot easier said than done. Like, OK zen master, we get it. You’re acutely aware of your thoughts, feelings, and how your mind and body are interconnected. Noted. We’re not all going to reach Buddha’s level of cognizance, but here’s the truth: Mindfulness takes practice. Perhaps even a lifetime of practice! Maybe that’s the point, to just keep practicing forever. It is the Buddhist way, after all. Being mindful is like using a muscle — the more you work it, the stronger it becomes. The more you’re aware of your thoughts and your presentness, the easier it becomes to apply that awareness to your everyday life, from the most chaotic moments (hello, parenting) to the most mundane. And that’s where mindfulness quotes come in handy.

So as not to pull you out of your zen zone, we did all the busywork. The following collection may help inspire you to live every freaking day to its fullest, even when your kids are literally pulling each other’s hair out (and maybe yours, too). Think of these quotes as words of encouragement that remind you to be mindful of every little thing in your life — the good, the bad, and the hair-pulling. We’ve compiled words of wisdom from meditation experts Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, and Tara Brach, and spiritual teachers Eckhart Tolle, Rumi, and Buddha, among so many others.

Ready? Let’s dive into what it means to be mindful, how thoughts are separate from reality, and how to be centered and live in the present moment. Basically, if you could use some mindfulness inspiration, you’ve come to the right spot.

Best Mindfulness Quotes

1. “Mindfulness isn’t difficult; we just need to remember to do it.” — Sharon Salzberg
2. “Now is the future that you promised yourself last year, last month, last week. Now is the only moment you’ll ever really have. Mindfulness is about waking up to this.” — Mark Williams
3. “Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).” — James Baraz
4. “Mindfulness practice means that we commit fully in each moment to be present; inviting ourselves to interface with this moment in full awareness, with the intention to embody as best we can an orientation of calmness, mindfulness, and equanimity right here and right now.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn
5. “We might begin by scanning our body… and then asking, ‘What is happening?’ We might also ask, ‘What wants my attention right now?’ or, ‘What is asking for acceptance?'” — Tara Brach
6. “Mindfulness is about being fully awake in our lives. It is about perceiving the exquisite vividness of each moment. We also gain immediate access to our own powerful inner resources for insight, transformation, and healing.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn
7. “Being mindful means that we suspend judgment for a time, set aside our immediate goals for the future, and take in the present moment as it is rather than as we would like it to be.” — Mark Williams
8. “Each step along the Buddha’s path to happiness requires practicing mindfulness until it becomes part of your daily life.

— Henepola Gunaratana

1. “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
2. “Meditation is essentially training our attention so that we can be more aware — not only of our own inner workings but also of what’s happening around us in the here and now.” — Sharon Salzberg
3. “The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn
4. “Mindful and creative, a child who has neither a past, nor examples to follow, nor value judgments, simply lives, speaks and plays in freedom.” — Arnaud Desjardins
5. “Use every distraction as an object of meditation and they cease to be distractions.” — Mingyur Rinpoche
6. “Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn
7. “The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn
8. “Mindfulness is a way of befriending ourselves and our experience.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn
9. “The feeling that any task is a nuisance will soon disappear if it is done in mindfulness.” — Thích Nhất Hạnh
10. “Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality.” — Thích Nhất Hạnh
11. “Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we are already.” — Pema Chödrön
12. “Altogether, the idea of meditation is not to create states of ecstasy or absorption, but to experience being.” — Chögyam Trungpa
13. “We cannot force the development of mindfulness.” — Allen Lokos
14. “Looking at beauty in the world is the first step of purifying the mind.” — Amit Ray
15. “The Way is not in the sky; the Way is in the heart.” — Buddha
16. “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” — Buddha
17. “Life is a dance. Mindfulness is witnessing that dance.” — Amit Ray
18. “The stiller you are, the calmer life is.” — Rasheed Ogunlaru
19. “Mindful eating is a way to become reacquainted with the guidance of our internal nutritionist.” — Jan Chozen Bays
20. “Watch, witness. Your body is not you; your mind is not you. You are just a pure witness.” — Osho

Mindfulness Quotes About Thoughts

1. “Don’t believe everything you think. Thoughts are just that — thoughts.” — Allan Lokos
2. “Paradise is not a place; it’s a state of consciousness.” — Sri Chinmoy
3. “Look past your thoughts, so you may drink the pure nectar of This Moment.” — Rumi
4. “Nothing can harm you as much as your own thoughts unguarded.” — Buddha
5. “Open the window of your mind. Allow the fresh air, new lights and new truths to enter.” — Amit Ray
6. “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” — Buddha
7. “Every time we become aware of a thought, as opposed to being lost in a thought, we experience that opening of the mind.” — Joseph Goldstein
8. “Emotion arises at the place where mind & body meet. It is the body’s reaction to mind.” — Eckhart Tolle
9. “Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality.” — Robin S. Sharma
10. “To think in terms of either pessimism or optimism oversimplifies the truth. The problem is to see reality as it is.” — Thích Nhất Hạnh
11. “Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that and all will be well.” — Jack Kornfield
12. “Wisdom says we are nothing. Love says we are everything. Between these two, our life flows.” — Jack Kornfield
13. “Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.” — Pema Chödrön
14. “Open the window of your mind. Allow the fresh air, new lights and new truths to enter.” — Amit Ray
15. “Step outside for a while — calm your mind. It is better to hug a tree than to bang your head against a wall continually.” — Rasheed Ogunlaru
16. “A few simple tips for life: feet on the ground, head to the skies, heart open… quiet mind.” — Rasheed Ogunlaru
17. “How you look at it is pretty much how you’ll see it.” — Rasheed Ogunlaru
18. “Three things can not hide for long: the Moon, the Sun and the Truth.” — Buddha
19. “Our life is shaped by our mind, for we become what we think.” — Buddha
20. “With our thoughts, we make the world.” — Buddha
21. “A mind set in its ways is wasted.” — Eric Schmidt
22. “The mind is just like a muscle — the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets and the more it can expand.” — Idowu Koyenikan
23. “Do not ruin today with mourning tomorrow.” — Catherynne M. Valente
24. “Observe the space between your thoughts, then observe the observer.” — Hamilton Boudreaux

Mindfulness Quotes About Being in the Moment

1. “Do every act of your life as though it were the last act of your life.” — Marcus Aurelius
2. “Wherever you are, be there totally.” — Eckhart Tolle
3. “The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn
4. “Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.” — Mother Theresa
5. “We have only now, only this single eternal moment opening and unfolding before us, day and night.” — Jack Kornfield
6. “The only way to live is by accepting each minute as an unrepeatable miracle.” — Tara Brach
7. “The things that matter most in our lives are not fantastic or grand. They are moments when we touch one another.” — Jack Kornfield
8. “The only thing that is ultimately real about your journey is the step that you are taking at this moment. That’s all there ever is.” — Eckhart Tolle
9. “The real question is not whether life exists after death. The real question is whether you are alive before death.” — Osho
10. “That’s life: starting over, one breath at a time.” — Sharon Salzberg
11. “There is something wonderfully bold and liberating about saying yes to our entire imperfect and messy life.” — Tara Brach
12. “Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves — slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future; live the actual moment. Only this moment is life.” — Thích Nhất Hạnh
13. “Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” — Thích Nhất Hạnh
14. “The greatest communication is usually how we are rather than what we say.” — Joseph Goldstein
15. “If you miss the present moment, you miss your appointment with life. That is very serious!” — Thích Nhất Hạnh
16. “Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free: Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate.” — Chuang
17. “When you do something, you should burn yourself up completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.” — Shunryu Suzuki
18. “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking out new landscapes but in having new eyes.” — Marcel Proust
19. “This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.” — Alan Watts
20. “Many people are alive but don’t touch the miracle of being alive.” — Thích Nhất Hạnh
21. “The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion.” — Thích Nhất Hạnh
22. “Live the actual moment. Only this actual moment is life.” — Thích Nhất Hạnh
23. “When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another — and ourselves.” — Jack Kornfield
24. “You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather.” — Pema Chödrön
25. “Your actions are your only true belongings.” — Allan Lokos
26. “The art of peaceful living comes down to living compassionately and wisely.” — Allan Lokos
27. “What would it be like if I could accept life — accept this moment — exactly as it is?” — Tara Brach
28. “If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.” — Amit Ray
29. “Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.” — Buddha
30. “Every experience, no matter how bad it seems, holds within it a blessing of some kind. The goal is to find it.” — Buddha
31. “Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life.” — Buddha
32. “If the problem can be solved, why worry? If the problem cannot be solved, worrying will do you no good.” — Buddha
33. “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” — Buddha
34. “It is never too late to turn on the light.” — Sharon Salzberg
35. “Every morning, we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” — Buddha
36. “Treat everyone you meet as if they were you.” — Doug Dillon
37. “The only way to live is by accepting each minute as an unrepeatable miracle.” — Tara Brach
38. “One who is patient glows with an inner radiance.” — Allan Lokos
39. “When you bow, you should just bow; when you sit, you should just sit; when you eat, you should just eat.” — Shunryu Suzuki
40. “When I’m hungry, I eat what I love. When I’m bored, I do something I love. When I’m lonely, I connect with someone I love. When I feel sad, I remember that I am loved.” — Michelle May
41. “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” — Alice Morse Earle
42. “Living in the moment is being aware of the moment we are in. If our minds are in the past or future, we are not truly alive in the present.” — Satsuki Shibuya
43. “It’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.” — Germany Kent