5 Types of Meditation for the New Year | Breath of Fire

Q: What materials we use

We work with three fabrics. Three. Not thirty.Brushed Organic Cotton Jersey (220g, made in Portugal) soft, slightly thick, with a peach-skin touch. Our flagship. The Sohang, Yamala and Mahan are knitted from this.Mercerized Organic Cotton Jersey (180g, made in Portugal) lighter, smoother, with a subtle natural sheen. Our new Essence Collection uses this for models like Ankaa, Nashira, Maia.Bamboo Viscose blended with Organic Cotton (made in Turkey) cool, breathable, fluid. Used for the Lilii pants and the Mizar Kimono. Bamboo regrows in three to five years, without replanting and without irrigation.Most pieces include around 8% certified elastane, enough to hold shape over years of wear, without losing breath.We use every meter of yarn we knit. What we don't sew, we save for repairs and samples. Nothing goes to waste.

Q: Three generations of women

Three generations of women.My grandmother Johanna sewed evening dresses by hand. Long, careful, beautiful work, a kind of patience that has all but disappeared.My mother, Cornelia, learned from her. In 2004, she founded Breath of Fire. The very first piece she designed, the Sohang, was created on the floor of her living room in Switzerland, with a yoga teacher friend named Christina. It is still our flagship today.Today, I ( Pernelle) run the brand. I do not redesign what works. I extend it. The Essence Collection, launched in 2025, sits beside the Evergreen line. New silhouettes, same intention.We do not design for trends. We design for the body in practice, for the moment when the breath deepens, when the posture lengthens, when you forget what you are wearing.That is the test of a piece. Forgetting it on. Returning to it.

January light, low and pale. A cup of tea going cold beside you. Before the lists and resolutions, there is this: a few minutes of sitting still, listening to the breath come and go. Here are five simple ways to meditate and to begin the year with a quiet mind.

To start the new year in the best possible way, here are 5 types of meditation to practise. Choose the one that speaks to you most, or the one that fits most easily into your days.

Yoga pants and matching tops by Breath of Fire yoga wear — Our clothes are designed for comfort during long moments of stillness. Discover the women's collection

What is meditation?

Meditation is the practice of focusing the mind, often on the breath, a mantra or another object of attention. It is usually practised to calm the mind, bring clarity and invite relaxation. You can meditate seated, lying down, walking, and even during everyday activities. Patañjali defines yoga itself as the stilling of the movements of the mind (yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ, Yoga Sūtra 1.2): meditation is the most direct way to taste it.

The benefits of meditation

Less stress. Meditation calms the mind and invites relaxation, which helps reduce the feeling of stress.
More focus and concentration. Regular practice trains attention and makes it easier to stay with one task.
Emotional balance. Meditation helps cultivate kindness and self-awareness.
Support for the body. Research suggests that regular meditation can support better sleep and help some people manage stress-related tension and pain. It complements, but never replaces, medical care.
Calm and clarity. A quieter mind meets challenges and difficult situations with a clearer head.

5 types of meditation to start the year

Seated meditation. The classic practice: find a comfortable seated position, close your eyes and focus on your breath. You can also repeat a mantra, a word or a phrase, silently, to keep the mind from drifting. When your attention wanders, gently bring it back to the breath or the mantra. For a deeper look at breathing, read our guide to pranayama for daily well-being.
Body scan meditation. Lying down or sitting comfortably, move your attention through each part of the body, from the top of the head down to the toes. As you rest on each area, let any tension soften. This practice brings you back into the present and into your physical sensations.
Loving-kindness meditation. Silently repeat phrases of goodwill, first to yourself: may I be happy, may I be healthy, may I be at peace. Then extend them to loved ones, to acquaintances, to people you find difficult, and finally to all beings. This practice gently opens the heart to compassion, towards yourself and others.
Walking meditation. Walk slowly, indoors or outdoors, paying attention to your breath and to each step: the heel touching the ground, the weight shifting, the foot lifting again. Walking meditation brings you into the present and into contact with your surroundings.
Nature meditation. Find a quiet spot outside and take a few deep breaths to settle. Then turn your attention to what surrounds you: the light, the sounds, the smell of the earth, the air on your skin. This practice helps you feel connected to the earth and brings a deep sense of peace.

Bordeaux Amba wrap jacket with Inderjit yoga pants by Breath of Fire — A warm wrap to come back to the heart: the Amba in bordeaux. See our bordeaux yoga clothes

Cornelia Kauhs, yoga teacher and founder of Breath of Fire, in Vega leggings with matching top — Yoga teacher Cornelia Kauhs, founder of Breath of Fire, in Vega leggings with matching top. Discover the Vega leggings

How long should you meditate?

The length of a session depends on your goals and the time you have. Some people prefer short sessions of 5 to 10 minutes, others find longer sessions of 20 to 30 minutes more nourishing. There is no single right length: what matters is finding a duration you can keep up regularly.

It is generally best to start with short sessions and lengthen them as the practice becomes familiar. Listen to your needs: on tired or stressful days, keep it short; on clear, energetic days, you may want to stay longer.

Above all, find a meditation you enjoy. That is what makes you come back to it, day after day, and lets the benefits grow over time. If you like slow, still practices, you may also enjoy Yin Yoga.

Man wearing white Mahan yoga pants in organic cotton by Breath of Fire — For men too: the Mahan pants, loose and soft for long sitting. See our men's collection

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest meditation for beginners?

Seated breath meditation or a body scan. Start with 5 minutes a day, at the same time, and simply count your breaths from one to ten, then start again.

Is it normal for thoughts to keep coming?

Yes, completely. Meditation is not about stopping thoughts but about noticing them and coming back, again and again. Each return is the practice.

What should I wear to meditate?

Soft, loose clothes in natural fibres, with nothing tight at the waist, and a warm layer: the body cools down when it is still.

Sit. Breathe. Let the year begin from the inside.

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What you wear matters. The texture against skin. The breath that moves freely. Pieces that soften with the years.

Our clothes are certified organic cotton, knitted and sewn in Portugal in small batches since 2009. Natural fibers. Slow craft. Clothing for those who pay attention to what touches the body.

Near Porto, in Portugal, two small family businesses work side by side for us. The first, in one village, knits our organic cotton from scratch and dyes it to our specifications. The second, in the next village, cuts and sews. We have been visiting both every year since 2009. We know the people by name. We share meals when we visit. They have watched our collections grow alongside their own children.

During the Covid years, when organic cotton and bamboo became briefly impossible to source in Portugal, we found a second family workshop in Turkey — also ethical, also certified, also personal. About 5% of what we make passes through their hands today. The Mizar Kimono and a few Lilac pieces from past collections come from there.

Most yoga brands buy fabric from a market — pre-made rolls, ready to cut. We don't. Every meter of jersey we use is knitted from scratch to our specifications. That is why the Sohang feels the way it does. That is why a five-year-old pair softens instead of wearing thin.

A slower way of making clothes. Sometimes inconvenient. Always worth it.

Sustainability for us is not a marketing department. It is a series of small, sometimes annoying choices we have made since 2009.

We chose certified organic cotton when it was 40% more expensive than conventional or plastic fabrics. We still pay that premium today. We grow without external capital which means we cannot afford to overstock, so we don't. We use every meter of yarn we order, even when it means smaller runs and longer waits. We are 100% self funded and all the money is placed in ethical funds in a local bank.

We focus on evergreen pieces, the Sohang, the Amrit, the Amba instead of seasonal collections. Some of these designs are over a decade old and still our bestsellers. A garment worn for ten years on a body is the most sustainable thing a fashion brand can make.

Our fabrics are dyed with processes gentle enough for a baby's skin. We package in either recycled or biodegradable bags. We ship from our small warehouse in Cully (Switzerland) or our partner in Germany, never overseas.

We don't tick every box. We are not perfect. But these are the choices we make, and we make them visible.

We work with three fabrics. Three. Not thirty.

Brushed Organic Cotton Jersey (220g, made in Portugal) soft, slightly thick, with a peach-skin touch. Our flagship. The Sohang, Yamala and Mahan are knitted from this.

Mercerized Organic Cotton Jersey (180g, made in Portugal) lighter, smoother, with a subtle natural sheen. Our new Essence Collection uses this for models like Ankaa, Nashira, Maia.

Bamboo Viscose blended with Organic Cotton (made in Turkey) cool, breathable, fluid. Used for the Lilii pants and the Mizar Kimono. Bamboo regrows in three to five years, without replanting and without irrigation.

Most pieces include around 8% certified elastane, enough to hold shape over years of wear, without losing breath.

We use every meter of yarn we knit. What we don't sew, we save for repairs and samples. Nothing goes to waste.

Three generations of women.

My grandmother Johanna sewed evening dresses by hand. Long, careful, beautiful work, a kind of patience that has all but disappeared.

My mother, Cornelia, learned from her. In 2004, she founded Breath of Fire. The very first piece she designed, the Sohang, was created on the floor of her living room in Switzerland, with a yoga teacher friend named Christina. It is still our flagship today.

Today, I ( Pernelle) run the brand. I do not redesign what works. I extend it. The Essence Collection, launched in 2025, sits beside the Evergreen line. New silhouettes, same intention.

We do not design for trends. We design for the body in practice, for the moment when the breath deepens, when the posture lengthens, when you forget what you are wearing.

That is the test of a piece. Forgetting it on. Returning to it.

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5 Meditations for Peace of Mind and a Good Start to the New Year

What is meditation?

The benefits of meditation

5 types of meditation to start the year

How long should you meditate?

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest meditation for beginners?

Is it normal for thoughts to keep coming?

What should I wear to meditate?

Wear your frequency.

Two villages in Portugal make your clothes

The slow choices behind our sustainability

What materials we use

Three generations of women