Darren Main > Quotes

“Fundamentalism wears many masks, but always claims a monopoly on the Truth. Many people buy into fundamentalism in much the same way people buy cola to quench their thirst. There are elements of truth in fundamentalist thinking, just as water is an ingredient in cola. But just as the water loses much of its value when artificial flavors and colors are added, Truth loses its
value when guilt, shame, and rigid dogma are present. Fundamentalism is to the soul what artificial sweetener is to the body.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“The miracle of yoga is not that we get to reshape the external world—to bend the laws of time and space. The miracle of yoga is that we get to reshape our perception of the external world. Where we once only perceived injuries, illness, and pain, we now see an opportunity for growth. Where we once perceived acrimony and discord in relationships, we are now able to experience deep empathy. Where we once perceived darkness, evil, injustice, and vexing social issues, we now perceive the opportunity to serve. Yoga is like a purifying fire that burns away false perceptions of the world and of ourselves to enable us to see clearly.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“Non-attachment doesn’t mean you forgo possessions, pleasure, or comfort. It simply means you are at peace when those things fail to show up in your life. It means that while you can enjoy moments of ease, you are equally at peace when pain, hardship, and struggle define a given moment.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“Gratitude is both a vaccine and an antidote for grief. Grief may be an inevitable fact of life, but gratitude has the power to transform the experience of grief from agonizing suffering to profound joy.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“Typically, awareness is only directed to the pronounced sensations of the body—the pleasurable and the painful. In yoga, over and over again, we witness the sensations of the body—the pleasant and unpleasant; the subtle and the overwhelming—neither seeking nor avoiding, and regarding all equally and without prejudice. It is through this nonjudgmental observation of sensation that the wisdom of the body is received, true healing is achieved, and the door to the unconscious mind is cast open.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“The ego mind is like a plant growing in a very small pot. While the pot may be
attractive and ornate, its size doesn’t allow the plant to express its full potential.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“It is easy to make the mistake of thinking yoga is about touching your toes when in fact yoga is about learning to touch others. Likewise, many people think the purpose of meditation is a perfectly still mind, when in fact, it is a more compassionate heart. Spiritual practice is measured by one’s ability to ease the suffering of the world one breath at a time.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“Like the tightly closed eyelids of a child trying to escape the reprimand of a parent, there is a part of the mind that needs to shut down in the face of an internal dialogue that is steeped in guilt, shame, and self-loathing.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“Procrastination is the enemy of accomplishment—not simply because the
task you are avoiding fails to get done, but because all of your other goals and objectives get mired in the same sandpit as well.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“A bird doesn’t attempt to swim, and a cat doesn’t attempt to fly. Yet both are
completely content. Their dharma is anchored in instinct. Humans are continually trying to live out of accord with their dharma and so contentment remains elusive.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“Just as a hug is the only way to express yourself when words are inadequate,mudras, or gestures, convey profound spiritual experiences that cannot adequately be expressed verbally. The most powerful,universal and healing mudra is a smile. When we overflow with joy, we cannot help but smile spontaneously. And when we are mired in doubt, fear, anxiety, and depression, a smile creates a map in the mind that leads us home to that joy that is hidden in even the darkest moments of our life. It is one thing to know that joy is possible in any moment—in any situation. It is another
skill entirely to know when to find that joy when your world is crumbling around you. The map is with you always—just smile!”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“Although you could open a can of soup with a hammer, a stone, or even your teeth if you didn’t mind making a mess or chipping a tooth, a much wiser approach would be to use a can opener. The breath is like a can opener for the soul. Can you explore the depths of your being without conscious breathing? Sure. The more relevant question is, why would you want to?”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“Most people spend years trying to feng shui their lives—to decorate and reorganize life in such a way that order and peace will finally arrive. One can decorate and redecorate for years, but a fresh coat of paint is not going to patch the cracks in your foundation—the only way to do this is through the practice of non-attachment.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“To a yogi, the breath is the anchor that keeps the mind in the eternal now. Just as an anchored boat still shifts with the wind and moves with the current, so too will the mind continue to be affected by things beyond its control. Like the anchored boat, the mind will never drift too far from its mooring once it is anchored in the breath.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“There is a need somewhere in this world that only your dharma, fully expressed, can fulfill. The reason there is such overwhelming need in this world is because an overwhelming number of people have yet to find and express their dharma.”
― Darren Main , The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“Within each being exists the voice of wisdom: a quiet and unassuming voice that longs to guide us out of darkness, to lift the veil of ignorance and shepherd the seeker to higher ground. Whether one calls it the Sadguru, the Holy Spirit, or the Still Small Voice, one thing is certain—this inner voice will never yell or compete for attention. Only by quieting the mind can this voice be heard. But when you take the time to listen—really listen—this voice is as evident as the warm sun on your face.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“Just as the light bulb allows the electricity within it the opportunity to express its power, the body allows prana—life energy—to express itself. In yoga, our goal is to slowly increase the wattage of the subtle body, allowing prana to flow within us and through us, leaving health and balance in its wake.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“Rather than sacrificing logic and critical thought, yoga invites us to more fully
use our ability to think and reason.

Rather than asking us to deny our emotions—the light and the dark—yoga
teaches us to embrace what we feel.

Rather than denying the body’s appetites and impulses, yoga reminds
us to trust our instincts more fully.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“Most people believe that pain and suffering are synonymous—that one begets the other. A yogi recognizes that pain is an unavoidable aspect of life and that suffering is a choice. Pain is what happens when you stub your toe, suffering is what your mind does with the sensation.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“So many people confuse attachment with love. Attachment to someone implies control; loving someone assumes unconditional acceptance. Attachment leads to grief and loneliness when the person is no longer
near—or even sometimes when he or she is in the very same room. Love is the realization that there is no distance between you and the other—whether they are across the room, around the world, or beyond the veil of death.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“EntrepreneurYogi.com”
― Darren Main, The Yogi Entrepreneur: A Guide to Earning a Mindful Living Through Yoga

“Standing at the end of a diving board looking at the water never made the water warmer, but it will make taking the plunge unnecessarily hard.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“Attachment is the act of trying to control, manipulate, or sculpt the outside world in such a way that we lose sight of our true nature. Nonjudgmental observation allows a yogi to experience the external world as a mirror reflecting back one’s true nature.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“Meditation alone cannot heal the world, but it can and does speed up the healing process.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“Hell is indeed a fiery pit—but it’s not found in death, but rather in your stomach
when you fail to speak your truth, live with integrity, or allow compassion to guide you.”
― Darren Main , The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“Apathy is the bushel basket under which the ego hides its fear of being powerless. It is easier to become apathetic when there are no words or actions sufficient to comfort a wounded body, a grieving heart, or a
shattered community. And so we look away and avoid awkward conversations under the guise that we don’t want to upset others. Yet, the most powerful posture for a healer to take is that of the witness. To stand and
witness a person or community devastated by suffering, and to let them know that while they suffer they have a hand to hold, offers the most potent medicine of all—compassion.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“Most yoga practice starts with the goal of doing the extraordinary and supernatural— to place the feet behind the head, balance on one hand, or cheat the aging process. But the true practice of yoga aims at doing the natural and the ordinary—to stand on your feet, to find joy in filling the lungs,
and to release with each exhalation.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“People slip spontaneously into moments of concentration all the time—while reading a book, exercising, playing chess, or creating art. A yogi seeks to experience that same level of concentration intentionally in a practice known as dharana—the act of purposefully narrowing the mind’s focus on the breath, the sensations of the body, a mantra, or a prayer bead. This consistent and purposeful focusing of the mind while on the yoga mat or meditation cushion gives the yogi the same level of focus in life, allowing for wild creativity and unfathomable productivity.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“Yoga gives you the freedom to choose, but it does not guarantee you will choose freedom.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living

“It may seem humble to belittle yourself, but it is every bit as arrogant as grandiosity. Just as it is impossible to be more than you were created to be, it is also impossible to be less. When we pretend to be more or less, we are destined to search for wholeness everywhere except where it actually resides—within.”
― Darren Main, The River of Wisdom: Reflections on Yoga, Meditation, and Mindful Living