From stress and digestion to your presence
In a previous blog, I wrote about what healthy breathing is and how you can improve your breathing.
But what I often see in practice goes a step further.
Many people search for ways to improve their breathing, but don’t realize how much breathing affects the entire body—including stress, digestion, and energy levels.
You can eat healthily, exercise regularly, and still notice that you:
- have low energy
- experience digestive discomfort
- feel tension in your body
What is often overlooked is that your breathing plays a key role in all of this.
Why breathing has such a strong impact
Your breathing is directly connected to your nervous system.
When you breathe slowly and deeply, you activate the part of your body responsible for relaxation, recovery, and digestion.
But when your breathing is shallow and high in the chest, your body remains in a subtle state of stress.
And this affects much more than just your breathing.
Shallow breathing is something many people are not even aware of, yet it can have a significant impact on how you feel throughout the day.
Breathing and digestion
Many people experience symptoms such as:
- bloating
- fatigue after eating
- an unsettled stomach
And often look for solutions in nutrition.
However, when your breathing is high and tense, your body is more frequently in an “alert” state.
In this state, your digestion receives less attention.
Your body prioritizes survival over digestion.
This is why shallow breathing and stress can directly affect your digestion.
This can result in:
- reduced absorption of nutrients
- ongoing digestive discomfort
- less energy from the food you eat
Healthy eating alone is therefore not always enough when your breathing is out of balance.
A simple first step can be to pause for a moment before eating and become aware of your breath.
Taking a few slow, deep breaths helps your body shift from an “active” state into a rest & digest state—allowing your digestion to function more effectively.
How clothing affects your breathing
An often underestimated aspect is the influence of clothing on your breathing.
Tight clothing around the waist—such as tight trousers, shapewear, or fitted tops—can restrict the movement of your diaphragm.
As a result, you naturally start breathing higher in your chest.
This type of shallow chest breathing can increase tension in the body without you even noticing it.
The effect:
- shallower breathing
- more tension in your body
- a quicker sense of restlessness
This not only affects how you feel, but also how you move and show up.
Breathing and your presence
Your breathing has a direct influence on your posture and presence.
When your breathing is high and tense:
- your shoulders tend to lift slightly
- tension builds up in your body
- you may appear less relaxed
When your breathing is calm and deep:
- your posture becomes more open
- your presence feels more grounded
- you feel more stable and at ease
This is where inner and outer balance come together.
Everything is connected
In my work, I see time and again that the body does not function in separate parts.
- nutrition
- breathing
- tension
- clothing
- presence
They all influence each other.
And often, real change does not begin by doing more, but by becoming aware of what is already there.
A small first step
Perhaps the only thing you need to do today is:
pause for a moment and notice your breathing
and ask yourself: am I breathing high or low? calm or rushed?
Without trying to change it—just becoming aware.
Learn more about healthy breathing
In my previous blog, I go deeper into what healthy breathing is and how you can improve it.
You can read it here.
Final thoughts: returning to balance
Do you feel like you are doing everything “right,” yet still not fully in balance?
Then it might be valuable to explore this together.
You are very welcome to book a complimentary intake session, where we look at your breathing, energy, and lifestyle—and how they can be better aligned.