If you'd asked me a few years ago what yoga is, I probably would have described poses. I would have talked about flexibility, strength, what the body looks like in a photo. Today, my answer is completely different.
Breath is the foundation of everything.
Before we even move into a pose, we ask: how am I breathing right now? Is my breath shallow and quick, or deep and steady? The body follows the breath, not the other way around.
Pranayama, the conscious regulation of breath, is one of the most powerful tools we have in yoga. A simple breathing technique can calm the nervous system within minutes, in a way no pose can achieve on its own.
In every class, we begin with the breath. Not because it's simply a "good habit," but because it's the bridge between body and mind. When you learn to control your breath, you learn something much deeper: that you have more control over your inner state than you thought.
Next time you find yourself in a difficult yoga pose, or a difficult moment in your life, try returning to your breath before anything else. It's always there, waiting to guide you back to your centre.