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Dear Friends,
This week was the autumn equinox—a moment of perfect balance between day and night across the globe—it's an ideal time to pause, reflect, and reconnect with yourself through mindful breathing. The equinox represents a mirror of our lives. Balance is possible, but it's not something easily maintained, nor does it last indefinitely. Just like seasonal shifts, our lives naturally sway from one direction to the next, and true balance emerges through these fluctuations and adjustments.
As we seek balance, it's important to remember to be compassionate with ourselves. Balance isn’t about perfection; it’s about honoring where we are in the moment. There are times when we feel off-center, and that’s okay. The journey towards balance is ongoing, and being kind to yourself during moments of imbalance is just as essential as striving to find equilibrium.
One of the most powerful tools for finding that balance is pranayama, our breath or expansion of life force in Sanskrit. It offers an immediate transformation in body, mind, and spirit, anchoring us along our journey, no matter where it leads.
In yoga, our breath helps us to both navigate poses on the mat and move through our everyday lives, acting as a bridge between our body and mind. As we transition into a new season, focusing on mindful breathing offers a simple, yet profound way to find peace, balance, and a deeper connection to our true selves. Conscious breathing helps us to connect to compassion for ourselves—allowing space for growth, imperfection, and grace.
Take a Moment for You Using Breath
As I have been mentioning in class, I recently read “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art” by James Nestor, and it reaffirmed everything I’ve learned over the years about the transformative power of breath through yoga and Ayurveda. Nestor's exploration of the science behind breathing highlights how many of us have lost the natural ability to breathe optimally, and how returning to this simple practice can improve our well-being in so many ways.
As we move into autumn, a season of change and reflection, using these four powerful breathing techniques in your daily life will help you move closer to a balanced and peaceful place. Imagine that with every inhale you are inviting everything you seek in life and with every exhale you allow your body, mind, and spirit to let go of whatever no longer serves you:
1. Nasal Breathing: This simple yet profound practice, emphasized in Nestor’s book, helps calm the mind and body by promoting deeper, healthier breathing. Throughout your day, focus on breathing through your nose to filter and warm the air, supporting a sense of mental clarity and calm.
2. The Box Breath (4-4-4-4): To bring balance to both body and mind, try this technique: inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four, and hold again for four. This simple practice helps regulate the nervous system and is especially effective during moments of stress or transition.
3. Extended Exhales: As the fall equinox reminds us to let go, practice making your exhalations longer than your inhalations. Inhale for a count of four, and exhale for six or eight. This will activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and ease—perfect for unwinding at the end of the day or calming yourself down when your nervous system is on the rise.
4. Physiological Sigh: This is the most researched breathing technique to calm down the nervous system. Begin with a natural breath in and out through the nose, then inhale again through the nose filling up your whole body with breath from the base of the spine to the tops of the shoulders. Pause to retain the breath for a moment, then sip in a little bit more breath through the nose and pause again, retaining the breath for a few counts. Then open your mouth and sigh it all out.
As you explore these practices this season, notice how the breath supports you through the shifts, encouraging a sense of being centered or closer to a place of balance. Breathing techniques, along with practices of yoga and meditation never take away the problems and obstacles we face in life. Yet, when we put these tools into practice over time, it helps us to navigate life from a place of connection to our center – closer to our higher selves that is better able to show up for life and be there for others.
The Power of Retreats: A Time to Reconnect
In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to get swept up in the busyness of life, especially as the seasons change. The fall equinox is the perfect time to contemplate the importance of creating space for what is important to us and the life we seek to live. One of my students describes going on a retreat with me best, she explains that “you feel a sense of renewed energy, inspiration and purpose where we plant seeds that continue to grow beyond the retreat itself.” Whether you seek rest, clarity, transformation or deep self-reflection, my retreats provide the space to honor your intentions and so much more.
The series of NEW retreats in 2025 and 2026 are designed to help you reset, recharge, and transform—each an opportunity to reconnect with yourself as we move through the seasons of life.
Ruah Yoga Retreats are above and beyond more than just travel, yoga, meditation and self-development workshops in breathtakingly beautiful locations—they are a full mind, body, and soul experience, offering you the chance to learn, evolve, grow and reconnect with yourself, nature, and a beautiful like-minded community.
With love and gratitude,
Ruah
P.S. As we move through this seasonal transition, remember that your breath is your anchor. Let it guide you—on and off the mat—and help you flow with the changes ahead. I look forward to breathing, moving, and growing with you in this new season and beyond.
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