Breathing Into Connection: Expanding Beyond Myself
When I first stumbled into breathwork, it was all about survival. About finding something, anything, that would help me through the fog of disconnection and heartache. Later, it became about staying, learning to meet myself with presence and compassion, even when the old stories pulled me back into fear and doubt.
Now, I’m beginning to see how the breath doesn’t just change me. It changes the way I show up in the world.
At first, I thought breathwork was only about my inner healing. And in many ways, it is. But what I didn’t expect was how much that healing would ripple outward. How the simple act of breathing more consciously could shift how I relate to others, how I handle conflict, how I allow myself to be seen.
Because when I am connected to myself, I can connect more deeply with others.
I’ve noticed it in conversations, the way I can pause, take a breath, and listen rather than rushing to defend myself or fill the silence. I’ve noticed it in my work, how taking time to ground before a meeting helps me show up with clarity and authenticity, rather than anxiety and over-preparation. I’ve noticed it in my relationships, how I am less afraid of vulnerability, how I allow myself to love and be loved without quite so many masks.
The breath is teaching me that connection is not something I have to chase or perform for.
It grows naturally when I am present.
Of course, it isn’t always smooth. I still lose myself sometimes. I still feel the urge to shut down or withdraw. But now, I have an anchor. A way to return. Each breath reminds me: I belong here. In this body. In this moment. With these people.
This stage of the journey feels less like a breakthrough and more like a widening. A soft expansion. A deepening trust that I don’t have to do life alone, or in armour. That through my breath, I can stay connected not just to myself, but to others, honestly, gently and imperfectly.
If the first part of this journey was about finding myself, and the second about staying with myself, this part is about opening beyond myself.
Allowing the breath to weave threads of connection, one inhale and exhale at a time.
And I’m curious where it will lead next.
Because like life, this journey isn’t linear. It’s cyclical. Each breath invites me back to myself, to others, to the present moment. And with each return, I feel just a little more at home.
