🌬️ Why You Should Listen to Your Own Advice — Again. (Part 3)

Why I Needed To Hear My Own Advice (And Why You Should Listen to Yours, Too) (Part 3)


Because maybe this will help you, too.



Welcome to part 3 of this series (you can read more here: part 1 & part 2)! 


Some time ago, I found myself navigating some... let’s say, difficult personalities. 

This placed a lot of strain and pressure on me — not just to do my job, but to do it in a way that people could truly listen to. That they could feel. That they’d respond to.


So I did what I usually recommend to others:

I consulted a coach.


(Yes, coaches also have coaches — not just for feedback, but also for support and perspective.) 


And the answer I got?


Well... it might surprise you.



Wait for it…

Mind you, this coach has been in the psychology field for who knows how long. I was hoping for some deep insight. A fresh tool. Something to shift things.

Guess what she advised me to do?

✨ 4-count breathing

✨ Box breathing

✨ (aka Sama Vritti Pranayama)


Yes — all three refer to the same basic structure:

Breathing in equal parts (e.g. inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4).

The difference?

✨ "Box breathing" or "4-count breathing" is the Westernized, often militarized, repackaging of a practice that already existed in yoga for centuries — called Sama Vritti Pranayama.


I’ve literally taught this technique before.

If you’ve been following this blog or my YouTube channel, you’ve seen it.

I’ve written about mindful breathing.

I’ve shown you how to lengthen the breath.

I’ve explained the benefits for your nervous system, the parasympathetic response, and all that jazz.


So, as this coach started explaining her method with enthusiasm, promising it would reduce cortisol, ease anxiety, regulate the nervous system — I was already there.

15 minutes in:


“It’s called 4-count box breathing.”

Cue the internal sigh. Not a disappointment. 


Just… anticlimactic.



She sold it, though.

She truly did.

She was enthusiastic, science-backed, and confident. 


And yes — it reminded me of something else that hits a nerve sometimes:


🧘‍♀️ When ancient Eastern practices are rebranded in Western packaging and sold back to us as revolutionary.

Don’t get me wrong — I know she meant well. She was trying to help.

But something didn’t sit well with me.


Sama Vritti Pranayama deserves its name.

If you’re reading this, and you’ve ever learned or taught 4-count or box breathing, please take a moment to honour its origins.

Sama Vritti Pranayama is mentioned in:

  • 🕉️ The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
  • 📘 The Hatha Yoga Pradipika
  • 📚 Other classical yoga texts

“Sama” = equal

“Vritti” = fluctuations

→ Equal parts breathing.

Whether 2 counts, 3, or the famous 4 — the rhythm works.

It’s effective. It’s beautiful. And it’s not new.



Cultural respect is essential.

This isn’t about gatekeeping. It’s about respect.


My saree isn’t Scandinavian.

Pranayama isn’t “just breathwork.”

Chai is tea, not chai tea (= tea tea!) ☕️ 


The roots matter.


If you’re sharing these practices — thank you. Please also: name them. Credit them. Respect their origins. That’s part of the work.



So… what did I learn?

Even though I already knew what I was told — and have been practicing it — hearing it again hit me differently.



🔁 Follow your own advice. Period.

Turns out, I had already increased the frequency of my breath practice intuitively. The stress I was under had me turning to what I knew works — before anyone told me to.


So maybe I did get something from that session after all.


Not a new technique.


But a reminder of what I already have — and what I already teach.


Maybe this is your reminder, too.

You might already know what helps you.

You might already teach what helps others.

You might just need to take your own wisdom to heart again — especially when things get hard.


🌀 Come back to your own practice.

🌀 Honour the tools that already live in your hands.

🌀 Trust that your voice — your version — is enough.


You’ve got this.


This concludes part 3. Click for part 1 and part 2. 



With breath (equal, of course)🫶🏽


Keeping life in motion, see you in the next blog. 



PS. Feeling overwhelmed? Try this: 1 minute to calm: a guided meditation for stress relief 


More yoga inspiration:

guided meditation to relax (5 minutes) 

instant calm: deep breathing in 10 seconds 

child’s pose 



PSPS. 


#pranayama #yoga #boxbreathing #breathwork #healing #stress #wellness #ancient #wisdom #culturalappropriation #respect #roots #science #yogateacher #coach #experience #yogagirl #serenityscriptsbyDevi 

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