Breathe. Reset. Begin Again.
As we move closer to the Christmas season, life naturally begins to speed up. Our schedules get fuller, our minds get busier, and without realising it, we add extra layers of complication to our days. This week at Shala, our intention is simple:
Come back to basics.
When I first trained to become a yoga teacher, I learned a set of structured routines that were perfectly balanced. I practised them so often I knew them by heart. Simplicity was my anchor, movement, breath, presence. And they worked, every single time.
But life has its seasons. We grow, we change, we take on more. Sometimes we drift away from the practices that once grounded us. We complicate things that were once effortless. And when I notice myself in that space moving too fast, thinking too much, I always return to the most basic tool I have:
my breath.
This is the essence of coming back to basics: sitting, breathing, listening. Stripping everything back until only presence remains.
One of my favourite simple techniques, to slow down and come back to myself is the Three-Part Breath, also known as Dirga Pranayama.
It’s a gentle, profound way to reconnect with your body’s natural rhythm.
Three-Part Breath (Dirga Pranayama)
A simple practice to return to yourself.
Dirga Pranayama focuses on filling three sections of the lungs:
the abdomen, the diaphragm/ribcage, and the chest.
It encourages slow, full breathing and is widely used for relaxation and stress reduction.
Benefits include:
Promotes deep relaxation
Helps reduce stress and anxiety
Encourages fuller lung capacity and better oxygenation
Calms the mind and stabilises emotions
Improves focus and concentration
Supports a sense of groundedness and presence
(If you have respiratory conditions, please practice with caution.
If you’ve had recent surgery, check with your doctor first.
Pregnant practitioners—especially in later stages—keep the breath gentle and natural.)
How to Practice
Find a comfortable seated position.
Relax your shoulders and soften your jaw.Begin with the belly.
Inhale slowly into your abdomen, feeling it expand.
Exhale and feel the belly soften.Next round: abdomen + diaphragm.
Inhale into the belly, then continue the breath upward into the diaphragm and ribcage.
Notice the side ribs expand outward.Third layer: abdomen + diaphragm + chest.
Inhale from the belly, up into the diaphragm, and finally into the chest—
filling the upper lungs and gently lifting the heart.Exhale in reverse order.
Release the breath slowly from the chest, then the ribcage, then the belly.
Repeat this wave-like pattern for several rounds.
Then let your breath return to its natural rhythm.
It’s simple. It’s steady. And it brings you back to yourself.
A Question for You
When life feels too full or too fast
what do you return to?
What simple practice helps you reconnect?
For me, it’s always the basics:
keep it simple, check in, breathe, and move forward with softness.
