What Makes the Fire Burn?
Have you ever noticed how in both life and yoga, we tend to think that doing more is the key? I used to believe that if I just pushed a little harder—added more tasks, took on more projects, even held a yoga pose longer—I would eventually find that perfect balance. But what I’ve come to realize is that it’s not just about adding more; it’s about the space in between.
Fire - By Judy Brown
What makes a fire burn
is space between the logs,
a breathing space.
Too much of a good thing,
too many logs
packed in too tight
can douse the flames
almost as surely
as a pail of water would.
So, building fires
requires attention
to the spaces in between,
as much as to the wood.
When we are able to build
open spaces
in the same way
we have learned
to pile on the logs,
then we can come to see how
it is fuel,
and the absence of fuel
together,
that makes fire possible.
We only need to lay a log
Lightly from time to time.
A fire grows
simply because the space is there,
with openings
in which the flame
that knows just how it wants to burn
can find its way.
This reminds me of a time when I was running on fumes, teaching yoga, planning retreats, and juggling life’s demands all at once. I was so focused on keeping the fire burning that I forgot the most important part: giving it space to breathe.
One evening, after a long day, I sat in the quiet of the studio and reflected on Judy Brown’s poem, Fire. It’s a beautiful reminder that what makes a fire burn isn’t just the logs, but the space between them.
The same is true for life and yoga. What makes the practice powerful isn’t just the effort we put in—holding poses, flowing from one to the next—but the pauses in between, the moments of breath. In yoga, we talk about the importance of breath, how it connects us to the present moment, and how it creates space for growth. But do we always apply that to our daily lives?
I’ve seen this many times when students move from one pose to the next. Sometimes they’re so focused on reaching the next shape that they forget to enjoy the pause in between. They rush through transitions without taking that deep, nourishing breath.
But it’s in these pauses—these moments of stillness—that the magic happens. It’s the breath between the poses that allows the body to reset, realign, and move with grace.
Just like the fire, our breath is what keeps us grounded, steady, and present. It’s the space between the inhale and exhale that gives our bodies and minds time to reset. When we pause and breathe in yoga, we find depth in the pose, allowing it to unfold naturally. And when we do the same in life—creating pauses to reflect and just be—we give ourselves the space to grow and thrive.
Think of your breath as that vital space in your yoga practice, the thing that allows you to move with ease, to stay present, and to remain balanced. Without those pauses, without that space, we risk burning out or becoming overwhelmed by the constant need to do more.
The fire knows how it wants to burn, just as we know how we want to live. But we need to give ourselves the space to breathe, the pause to reset. Next time you're on the mat, or even just navigating a busy day, ask yourself:
Am I giving myself enough space to breathe?
Am I allowing the pause between the moments to let me grow?
I’d love to hear from you. How do you find those moments of pause in your yoga practice and in your life? Share your story—I’m always inspired by how we create space for our own growth.
Love
Sumit Banerjee
Commentaires