Saucha: Spring Cleanse and the First Niyama | 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.

Nettles at the edge of the path. The garlic smell of the undergrowth in March. Sap rising in the birches. Spring cleans without noise. Saucha, the first Niyama, invites us to follow it: clarify, purify, lighten. Gently.

Spring renewal through the first Niyama

The first Niyama is Saucha, usually translated as purity. In the Yoga Sūtra (2.32), it refers as much to outer cleanliness as to inner clarity: physical, mental and emotional. It is not an abstract ideal or a quest for perfection, but a principle of overall hygiene: removing what clutters so that things can flow again.

Saucha is a movement of clarification. A return to the essential.

Where the Yamas, such as Ahimsa and Satya, shape our relationship with others, the Niyamas concern our relationship with ourselves. Saucha opens the way.

Spring: the natural season of Saucha

The end of winter is the natural time for Saucha. After several months of slower rhythm, richer food and less light, the body gradually wakes up again.

Many people feel a need to lighten up at this time of year: less heavy food, more fresh greens, more movement. The body seems to want to let go of what the winter has accumulated: heaviness, stagnation, seasonal fatigue.

European traditions have long accompanied this transition with gentle seasonal rituals, adapted to the natural rhythm of the body. Ayurveda does the same, for example with a kitchari mono diet of a few days.

Nettle: minerals and freshness

Nettle is one of the most interesting plants in spring. Rich in iron, silica, magnesium and chlorophyll, it has traditionally been used in spring to remineralise and to support a gentle cleanse.

Recipe: nettle soup (my favourite version)

Ingredients:

6 to 8 large handfuls of fresh nettles (young leaves)
2 to 3 medium potatoes
1 onion
1 litre of water or vegetable stock
A drizzle of olive oil
Salt, pepper

Method:

Gently fry the onion in a little oil.
Add the diced potatoes.
Cover with water or stock and cook for 15 minutes.
Add the washed nettles (wear gloves to handle them fresh).
Cook for 10 more minutes.
Blend until smooth.

A simple soup, green and alive. Nourishing without being heavy.

Wild garlic: a gentle restart

Wild garlic appears in March, in damp woodland. It is traditionally valued in spring to accompany the body as it gets moving again after winter.

Careful when picking: wild garlic can be confused with toxic plants such as lily of the valley or autumn crocus. Its leaves smell clearly of garlic when crushed. If in doubt, buy it at the market.

A simple idea

Finely chopped into a pesto (with olive oil, sunflower seeds or pine nuts, a little parmesan or nutritional yeast), it becomes a strong, fresh condiment for steamed vegetables or grains.

Birch sap: a traditional spring ritual

Birch sap, taken daily over a few weeks, is a traditional spring drink in Northern and Eastern Europe, valued for a gradual, gentle cleanse.

Some people harvest it themselves in spring. If you do not know anyone who harvests it, or do not harvest it yourself, there are good-quality preparations, such as those offered by Weleda.

A course usually lasts 2 to 3 weeks, with a small glass in the morning on an empty stomach.

If you are allergic to birch pollen, are pregnant, take medication or have a kidney or heart condition, ask your doctor or pharmacist before starting.

Dandelion: bitterness that awakens

Young dandelion leaves are naturally rich in bitter substances, traditionally used to awaken the appetite and support digestion.

Dandelion salad (vegetarian version)

Finely cut leaves
A few croutons
1 to 2 hard-boiled eggs
A lightly mustard vinaigrette

Simple, invigorating, suited to this season of renewal.

Lilii loose-fit pants in mint, a fresh spring colour — The colour of young leaves: the Lilii pants in mint, from the Evolve collection.

Saucha beyond the plate

Saucha is not about radical purification or spectacular transformation. It suggests a simple, progressive movement: supporting the natural processes of the body, lightening what can be lightened, clarifying our habits, simplifying without rigidity.

It also applies to the breath (a few rounds of slow, complete breathing are enough to clear the mind: see our five simple pranayama principles), to the home, to the screen, to the wardrobe.

Spring renewal makes no noise. The light returns, the sap rises, energy flows differently. Saucha invites us into this rhythm, without forcing, with attention. Not to change everything, but to let a little more clarity emerge where it is ready to appear.

Saucha and Breath of Fire

At Breath of Fire, spring is also an invitation to return to the essential: breathable materials, simple lines, natural colours. Pieces designed to accompany movement without weighing it down, and to last for many springs.

Because clarity is not only on the inside. It can be worn too.

White Cephei yoga t-shirt in organic cotton — Clarity you can wear: the Cephei t-shirt and our white yoga clothes.

Frequently asked questions

What is Saucha in yoga?

Saucha means purity or cleanliness. It is the first of the five Niyamas, the personal observances described in Patañjali's Yoga Sūtra (2.32). It concerns the body, the mind and our environment.

How can I practise Saucha without a strict detox?

Go gently: more fresh, seasonal plants, fewer heavy meals, a tidy practice space, a few minutes of breathing in the morning. Saucha is a direction, not a performance.

Is a spring cleanse safe for everyone?

Gentle food changes suit most people. For plant-based courses such as birch sap, ask your doctor or pharmacist first if you are pregnant, take medication or have a health condition.

"From purity come clarity of mind and inner joy." After Yoga Sūtra 2.41

Less, but clearer. Spring knows how.

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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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Saucha: Clarify, Purify, Lighten