Breathe Into Your Body: Understanding Breath in the Hypermobile System

Breathing — we do it all day, every day, without thinking. But if you're living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) or Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD), your breath might not be working the way it should. And that affects everything: your posture, your movement, your core, your calm.

In hypermobile bodies, breathing is often shallow, tense, and disconnected. But why does this happen — and how can we rebuild a breath that supports us from the inside out?

Let’s go deeper.

Why Breathing Becomes Disrupted in EDS and HSD

People with EDS or HSD often adopt inefficient or dysfunctional breathing patterns over time. Here’s why:

🫁 1. Connective Tissue Laxity

Your lungs, diaphragm, and ribcage are all supported by fascia and collagen-based tissues. In EDS/HSD, these structures are often too stretchy or lack tension integrity. That means:

• The ribcage may be too mobile or unstable

• The diaphragm may not descend fully with each breath

• The abdominal wall may not provide resistance or recoil

This leads to shallow, upper-chest breathing — not because we choose it, but because the deeper structures aren’t holding shape or giving feedback.

🧠 2. Nervous System Dysregulation

People with hypermobility are more prone to dysautonomia (like POTS), anxiety, and a chronically upregulated nervous system. This means the body often stays in fight-or-flight — and the breath follows:

• Fast, shallow breaths

• Holding the breath unconsciously

• Breathing high in the chest or through the mouth

This reinforces tension and limits oxygen exchange, which increases fatigue and affects every system.

🦴 3. Postural Collapse and Core Disconnection

When your spine lacks deep stability, your ribcage and pelvis often fall out of alignment. This makes diaphragmatic breathing harder, and compensations begin:

• The belly may push forward passively

• The chest may rise instead of expand

• The back and neck muscles might tense up to assist

Breathing becomes an effort, not a flow.

🫀 4. Lack of Proprioceptive Feedback

Hypermobile bodies often have muted or delayed internal awareness. That includes the sensations of the breath moving inside. When you can’t feel what’s happening — it’s hard to control it.

The Role of Breath in Core, Movement, and Healing

Breathing isn’t just about oxygen. It’s a whole-body experience that:

• Stabilizes your spine from the inside out

• Massages your organs and supports digestion

• Hydrates and mobilizes your fascia

• Regulates your nervous system

• Creates dynamic, reflexive core control

  
  

Your diaphragm is the top of your inner core (along with the pelvic floor, deep abdominals, and multifidus). Every breath is a movement that gently loads and unloads this system. When breathing works, your whole torso becomes like a jellyfish — buoyant, dynamic, and fluid.

Rebuilding Your Breath: Step-by-Step

You don’t need to force anything. You just need to listen, explore, and gradually rebuild a sense of connection. Here’s how to start:

🪶 Step 1: Notice Where You’re Breathing Now

Lie on your back with your knees bent. Place one hand on your upper chest, one on your belly.

• Is your breath shallow, fast, or held?

• Does one area move more than the other?

• Are you breathing mostly in the chest, belly, or not much at all?

This awareness is the first step. Don’t change anything yet — just notice.

🧘 Step 2: Explore Three-Dimensional Breathing

We often talk about “belly breathing,” but true diaphragmatic breath is three-dimensional. Your ribcage, belly, back, and sides should all gently expand.

Try this layered exploration:

1. Upper Chest: Inhale and let your upper chest rise just slightly — then let it go.

2. Side Ribs: Now place hands on the sides of your ribs. Inhale and feel the ribs gently widen.

3. Belly and Back: Move your awareness down — let your belly rise softly, and imagine your lower back gently expanding too.

Now combine them. Imagine your whole torso inflating like a balloon — front, sides, and back — with each inhale. Exhale slowly through the mouth or nose.

🎵 Step 3: Add Sound, Touch, or Movement for Feedback

If you struggle to feel or control your breath, use your senses:

• Sound: Hum, sigh, or use vowel sounds to slow your exhale.

• Touch: Place a soft object (like a book or rice bag) on your belly or ribs to add awareness.

• Movement: Pair breath with gentle sways, pelvic rocks, or shoulder rolls to connect motion and breath.

Final Thoughts: Breath as a Relationship

Your breath isn’t broken. It’s adaptive. It responded to your body’s challenges — and now, you can gently teach it something new.

Breath is your inner rhythm. Your quiet power. And when it flows again, so does your stability, your ease, and your sense of connection.

You are not doing it wrong — you're just rewiring a different system. With softness, science, and self-compassion, you can breathe into a new experience of your body.

🦓 At ParaMotion, we take this into account in our movement programs, education and consulting so that you are guaranteed results with our no pain, no strain method customized for the hypermobile body. Ready to take the next step? 👉 [Book your Free 15 mn call here!!]