Two villages in Portugal make your clothes

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.

The slow choices behind our sustainability

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.

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.

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 2009, 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, seventeen years later.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.

Mantras: Meaning, Om and Sat Nam | Breath of Fire – Breath of Fire Eco & Yoga Fashion

A breath in. A sound on the way out. Om. The vowel opens in the chest, the lips close, and a hum stays in the skull for a moment after the voice has gone. A mantra begins exactly there: in the body, as vibration, long before it becomes an idea.

A mantra is a syllable, a word or a phrase that is repeated, aloud or in silence, to gather the mind. The Sanskrit word is usually explained as man (to think, the mind) and tra (instrument, protection): an instrument of the mind. Mantras are found in Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and in every school of yoga, and each tradition gives its own meaning to the sounds it repeats.

This guide brings together the best known mantras, then the mantras of Kundalini yoga, including five that are taught to help break old habits.

How to practise a mantra

There are three classic ways to repeat a mantra, and they are often combined in one session:

Aloud: the voice carries the sound, the whole chest vibrates. This is the easiest place to start.
In a whisper: softer, more inward, the breath becomes audible.
In silence: the mantra is repeated mentally. This is called japa when it is counted, often on a mala of 108 beads.

Sit with the spine long, the chest open, the belly free. Let the breath set the rhythm. In Kundalini yoga, a mantra is often practised for a set time (3, 11 or 31 minutes) and combined with a hand position (mudra) and a breathing pattern.

Group of yoga practitioners dressed in white organic cotton Cephei t-shirts — Chanting together: white is the traditional colour of Kundalini yoga. Discover our white pieces.

Well-known mantras and their meaning

Om (Aum): the sacred syllable of the Vedic tradition. The Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad describes its three sounds, A, U and M, as the states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep, and the silence that follows as a fourth state beyond them. Om is often chanted at the beginning and end of a yoga class.
Om Namaḥ Śivāya: "I bow to Shiva". Known as the five-syllable mantra (pañcākṣara), it is one of the most widely chanted mantras of the Shaiva tradition, associated with inner purification.
Om Maṇi Padme Hūṃ: the Tibetan Buddhist mantra of Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. It is often translated as "the jewel in the lotus" and is chanted to cultivate compassion.
Hare Krishna: the "great mantra" (mahā-mantra) of the Vaishnava tradition, made of the names Hare, Krishna and Rama. It is quoted in the Kali-Santaraṇa Upaniṣad.
Om Gaṃ Gaṇapataye Namaḥ: a salutation to Ganesha, the one who removes obstacles. It is traditionally chanted at the beginning of a new undertaking.
Om Śānti Śānti Śānti: "peace, peace, peace". Many Upanishad recitations end with it. The threefold peace is often understood as peace in the body, in the world around us and in the mind.

The effect of a mantra is described differently by each person. Some feel calmer and more centred, others feel a deeper sense of connection. The tradition does not ask you to believe anything first: it invites you to repeat, and to notice.

Mantras in Kundalini yoga

Kundalini yoga, as it has been taught in the West since the late 1960s, mostly uses mantras in Gurmukhi, the script of the Punjabi language and of the Sikh scriptures. In Kundalini yoga it is taught that the tongue touches the palate in specific places as the words are spoken, and that the resulting sound current helps to steady the mind. Sound is also linked with the energy centres: you can read more in our article on the seven chakras.

Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo: the Adi Mantra, chanted three times at the beginning of every Kundalini yoga class to "tune in". It is translated as "I bow to the creative wisdom, I bow to the divine teacher within".
Ik Onkar (Ek Ong Kar): "One Creator". These are the opening words of the Mool Mantar, the verse that begins the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhism. The Mool Mantar is considered the root of Sikh teaching.
Ik Ong Kar Sat Gur Prasad: "One Creator, realised through the grace of the true Guru". It is treated with great respect in Kundalini yoga and is often chanted slowly, in a calm setting.

Five Kundalini yoga mantras to break old habits

In Kundalini yoga it is taught that a habit is a groove in the mind, and that a regular practice repeated for 40 days begins to draw a new one. Here are five mantras often recommended for that work, with their traditional translations.

1. Sat Nam: the seed mantra

"Truth is my identity." Sat Nam is the most widely used mantra in Kundalini yoga, also used as a greeting. It is chanted on the breath: a long Saaat on the inhale or the exhale, a short Nam. It is taught as a way to come back to what is true in oneself, which is where any change of habit begins.

2. Sa Ta Na Ma: the cycle of change

"Infinity, birth, death, rebirth." These four sounds describe a complete cycle. They are used in Kirtan Kriya, where each syllable is matched with a finger touching the thumb (the index, middle, ring and little finger in turn). It is taught that this mantra helps to let old patterns end so that new ones can begin.

3. Har Haray Haree Wahe Guru: removing obstacles

This mantra names the Creator in its creative, sustaining and transforming aspects, followed by the ecstatic "Wahe Guru". In Kundalini yoga it is associated with prosperity and with moving through obstacles, inside and outside.

4. Aad Guray Nameh: protection

"I bow to the primal wisdom. I bow to the wisdom through the ages. I bow to the true wisdom. I bow to the great unseen wisdom." Known as the Mangala Charan mantra, it is chanted for protection, for example before travelling or before a difficult conversation. When we try to change a habit, we can feel exposed: this mantra is taught as a shelter.

5. Wahe Guru: joy

Wahe Guru expresses wonder. It is often explained as the indescribable joy of going from darkness (gu) to light (ru). In the tradition, a habit is easier to let go of when something more alive takes its place: this mantra is taught as a way to invite that joy.

Kundalini snake embroidery on the Ankaa organic cotton yoga pants — The Kundalini snake, our logo, embroidered on the Ankaa pants and on the Sohang pants.

Bringing mantras into daily life

A mantra does its work through repetition. Choose one. Chant it every day, at the same time, for 40 days. Morning practice, before the day begins to speak, is traditional: it is the heart of a sadhana. You can also prepare the body with a few minutes of Breath of Fire or another pranayama, so that the breath is free when the voice comes in.

Chanting asks for a free belly and an open chest. We design our Evergreen pieces in brushed organic cotton for exactly these long seated moments. If you are curious about the subtle energy behind all this, read the magical powers of Kundalini yoga.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to understand the words of a mantra?

It helps to know the meaning, because it gives the repetition a direction. But the tradition puts the emphasis on the sound itself and on regular practice. Understanding often deepens with time.

How long should I chant a mantra?

In Kundalini yoga, common durations are 3, 11 or 31 minutes. With a mala, one round is 108 repetitions. Starting with a few minutes a day, every day, is more useful than one long session a month.

Can I chant a mantra silently?

Yes. Silent repetition is one of the classic forms of practice. Many people start aloud, then move to a whisper, then to silence within the same session.

Do I need to be religious to chant mantras?

No. Mantras come from religious traditions and deserve to be approached with respect, but many people use them simply as a practice of attention and breath.

One sound. Repeated until it repeats you.

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Mantras: Om, Sat Nam and the Mantras of Kundalini Yoga