Proper breathing is what makes yoga, well, yoga. Paying attention to our breath is what transforms mere exercises into a dynamic practice that helps us to understand our true nature. Our breath is the gauge that we use to know if we’ve gone to far and the anchor that keeps us present in the moment. But before going too deep, let’s take a look at what it takes to breathe well during yoga practice.

It will be helpful to get acquainted with the diaphragm—the large muscle that separates the abdominal cavity from the chest cavity. It essentially bisects the torso into two parts. This muscle is fairly mobile. It has the potential to be drawn down low into the abdomen upon inhalation and pulled up into the chest cavity upon exhalation. That is, if it is called upon to do so. Unfortunately, most of us do not utilize the diaphragm to breathe, and so we lose the ability to really fill our lungs with air.

The three-part breath is the best way to experience breathing with the diaphragm. Begin seated (or reclined on your back) with your hands on your belly.

Part 1. Sit up tall and relax the shoulders. Then relax the muscles of the belly. Next begin to inhale with the belly completely relaxed, and try to draw the breath down into the belly. (The breath doesn’t actually go into the belly, but the movement created by the breath does.) If you have trouble achieving this, push the belly out somewhat as you inhale to get the feeling of the movement. As you do this, take a moment to notice that you are able to fill your lower lungs with air. As you exhale, feel the belly sink back in (drawing it in if you need to in order to feel the movement).

Part 2. Next, place your hands on your lower rib cage. As you inhale, feel the belly expand (part 1) followed by the rib cage opening and expanding. As you exhale, feel it sink back in. Follow this movement for a few rounds of breath, noticing how the lungs fill with air from the bottom up.

Part 3. Finally, place your fingertips on your collar bone. Inhale and feel the belly expand (part 1) followed by the ribs (part 2) and finally, feel the chest rise and expand as your finish your inhale. Think about the top portion of the lungs filling with air at the end of the inhale, and think about how the exhalation empties this portion of the lungs first. Follow this movement for a few more rounds of breath.

Next release your hands and sit with this three-part breath for a while, noticing how your body moves in response to the breath without having to actually feel it. This deep awareness of breath linked to movement will help you find more awareness in your yoga practice. Connect to it as often as you can.

To find steadiness and ease in your yoga practice, the best place to begin is with your breath. The breath acts like a gauge of your practice. When the breath is labored —quick and shallow— this is a sign that you are pushing too hard, or not letting go enough, in your postures. When the breath flows long and steady, without interruption, your practice is where it should be. Let your breath guide you in this way.

By bringing your attention to the breath you are able to connect to the true essence of your practice. In fact, yoga practice begins with the breath. Let your breath be the first place you go in any asana. When you begin with the breath, and build from there, your practice will take on a new quality — an all-encompassing completeness that fills your entire practice, just as a full breath fills your entire lungs.

Think about it. Do you ever find yourself holding your breath during a challenging yoga posture? What might happen if instead you breathed through it? By checking in with the breath again and again, you will begin to notice how you use the breath, and you’ll learn how to cultivate the quality of ease as you breathe. In this way, your yoga practice itself will take on a quality of ease, and from there will you build the foundation of steadiness.

In today’s world, we are very much outward-focused. Paying attention to our breath is an afterthought, if it’s even a thought at all. Yet taking a moment to check back in with the present by checking the breath-gauge will not only take your yoga practice to the next level, it can bring a sense of ease in your life off of the mat.

Whether in yoga class or during a busy day off your mat, let your breath be the gauge that helps bring you more ease and steadiness. In your yoga practice, try to begin each posture by checking your breath. Off the mat, write the word “breathe” somewhere noticeable, and each time you look at it stop and take a moment to notice your breath. Then see where this practice takes you.