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The breath must be enticed or cajoled, like catching a horse in a field, not by chasing after it, but by standing still with an apple in one’s hand.
B.K.S. Iyengar
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Breath can be approached gently and patiently, rather than forcefully pursuing it.

This quote by B.K.S. Iyengar emphasizes the importance of a calm and patient approach to breath, likening it to the method of catching a horse. Instead of forcing something to happen, such as controlling our breath, we should cultivate stillness and gentleness, allowing the natural process to occur effortlessly, much like enticing a horse with an apple.

Themes

BreathPatienceMindfulnessStillnessGentleness

In practice

Example use cases

During a yoga class, the instructor might quote this to encourage students to be patient with their breath.

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