Satya: Living in Truth, the Second Yama | 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.

A word that matches the thought. A gesture that matches the word. When the three align, something in the chest relaxes. That is Satya, the second Yama: not a rule to obey, but a coherence to feel. Here is what it means, and how to practise it, down to the clothes we choose.

Satya, the second Yama of the Yoga Sūtra

In Patañjali's Yoga Sūtra, yoga is described as an eightfold path (Ashtanga) that guides human beings from ethical foundations to spiritual union. After the first Yama, Ahimsa, non-violence, comes Satya, truth (Yoga Sūtra 2.30). Satya invites us to live authentically, aligning our thoughts, words and actions. To understand the whole path, read our short guide to the Yoga Sūtras.

What Satya means

The word Satya comes from the Sanskrit root sat, "that which is": reality, true being. To live Satya is not only to speak factual truth, but to be true in intention and authentic in presence.

In the yogic tradition, Satya is always linked to Ahimsa: truth should be spoken with kindness. A truth thrown like a stone is no longer yoga. Satya is not a rigid dogma, but a practice of coherence. Its fruit is trust and inner clarity. As Patañjali writes: "When Satya is firmly established, the words of the yogi bear fruit" (Yoga Sūtra 2.36).

Practising Satya today

Being honest with ourselves: listening to the inner voice, acknowledging our real needs, noticing when we say yes and mean no.
Being sincere in relationships: in our words and in our choices, without exaggeration or omission.
Speaking with care: before speaking, asking three questions. Is it true? Is it kind? Is it useful?
Refusing the illusions of overconsumption: choosing what is durable and true, rather than what shines for a season.

Satya at Breath of Fire

At Breath of Fire, Satya inspires the way we create and share our clothing. We aim for transparency at every step of our work:

Our materials: natural fibres, mainly organic cotton, sometimes blended with bamboo viscose or a little elastane for freedom of movement, and dyes certified OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, Class I. Each composition is listed on the product page and explained on our fabrics page.
Our production: most of our collection has been sewn since 2009 in a family workshop in Portugal. The country of origin is always written on the label.
Our prices: honest pricing, without false promotions. When a new collection arrives, we make room by offering true reductions on past pieces, real discounts that align with our values.

To practise Satya in fashion means to refuse waste and opacity. It means choosing truth and authenticity, even in what we wear.

Breath of Fire sustainable yoga wear in organic cotton — Clothes that say what they are. Discover the women's collection.

A meditation on inner truth

A simple way to embody this principle is a short meditation on inner truth:

Sit quietly, spine upright, and close your eyes.
Inhale while repeating inwardly: "I welcome what is true within me."
Exhale while repeating: "I release what is illusion."
Continue for a few minutes, letting a genuine clarity arise.

This small exercise nourishes truthfulness and authenticity, foundations of a meaningful life. To deepen the breath before you begin, try our five simple pranayama principles.

Woman wearing the white Talya wrap shirt in organic cotton — Simplicity, in white: the Talya wrap shirt.

Truth as a practice

Satya reminds us that truth is not just a word, but a practice: daring to be ourselves, choosing authenticity, building relationships rooted in trust. In yoga, as in fashion, transparency is a form of respect, toward ourselves, toward others and toward the Earth. Explore our Satya selection, a sincere invitation to join us in this cycle of renewal.

Frequently asked questions

What does Satya mean in yoga?

Satya means truthfulness. It comes from the Sanskrit sat, "that which is". It is the second of the five Yamas, the ethical guidelines of Patañjali's Yoga Sūtra (2.30).

What if the truth might hurt someone?

Yoga places Ahimsa, non-violence, before Satya. The tradition invites us to look for a way of saying the truth that does not wound, or sometimes to remain silent rather than say something harmful.

How can I practise Satya every day?

Notice the small gaps between what you think, say and do. Keep your word, including to yourself. And before speaking, ask: is it true, is it kind, is it useful?

"When Satya is firmly established, the words of the yogi bear fruit." Yoga Sūtra 2.36

Say what is. Gently.

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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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Satya: Living in Truth and Transparency

Satya, the second Yama of the Yoga Sūtra

What Satya means

Practising Satya today

Satya at Breath of Fire

A meditation on inner truth

Truth as a practice

Frequently asked questions

What does Satya mean in yoga?

What if the truth might hurt someone?

How can I practise Satya every day?

Wear your frequency.

Two villages in Portugal make your clothes

The slow choices behind our sustainability

What materials we use

Three generations of women