What does breath have to do with boundaries anyways?

I've been talking a lot about my new BodyMind Coaching program called Breath & Boundaries. A few people have asked me about how those two things relate.

What exactly does breath have to do with boundaries?

SO MANY THINGS!!!

Have you ever noticed that when someone is about to step over your boundary, it tends to make you hold your breath? Sometimes just the anticipation that they will do it can cause me to tense up, and stop moving everything, including my breath. 

Or maybe you even clench your belly in anticipation of "the punch" that you can feel coming. 

Maybe it's a fear that they will bring up that topic you DO NOT want to talk about, or you know that you are about to get asked for a huge favor that you don't have time for but aren't sure how to say no....

When we feel like we just can't seem to speak up for our needs, or our boundaries are not being upheld, it can feel like a heavy weight is pressing down on our shoulders or chests. I've heard it described this way by multiple people, and I've felt it myself...can you relate?

When we lose connection with our breath, we lose our ability to connect with ourselves and we operate from a place of stress. 

In order to be able to take a full deep breath, your chest needs to be able to float up when you inhale. Your abdomen needs to be able to expand. If you are holding your breath or waiting for the punch, chances are those things are not happening. 

In order to use your voice, air needs to pass through your vocal cords. You literally cannot voice your needs unless you have the breath to back it up.

Being able to embody a full breath can give you enough pause in a conversation to connect with yourself and determine how you want to respond.

The more you practice creating a sense of calm and ease in your body by tuning into your breath, the easier it will be to embody that in the moment when your boundary is being challenged. 

Because it will be challenged! And that is where most people get stuck. The challenge comes and it feels easier to just cave in and deal with your own disappointment rather than the potential repercussions of holding a boundary.

This is why I love helping my clients learn how to embody their fullest breath and use their body as a guide when dealing with boundaries. 

When you know how to do this, it CHANGES EVERYTHING!!

What could change for you if you regularly paused to check in with your breath?