Have you ever sat and watched a scary movie with a group of people and wondered why some reacted the way they did to certain scenes? I have always been extremely sensitive to violence in movies or on television. I definitely don’t enjoy a scary film. And while I bravely watched The Exorcist with my knees pulled up in front of me so that I couldn’t really see the screen, I noticed that the people around me didn’t react the same way I did.

Some people cringed at certain scenes. Some braced themselves before a scary moment. And some, like myself, tried to avoid seeing it altogether. But one thing was evident, our bodies reacted before we could even think.

Think about when you’re driving, and another car suddenly swerves too close. You don’t stop to think about how to react. Your body moves before your mind catches up. Your nervous system jumps into action, deciding in an instant whether to fight, flee, freeze, or fawn. This is because stress and trauma don’t just exist in the mind; they live in the body. When we experience something overwhelming, something that is too much, too fast, our nervous system steps in to protect us.

But what happens when those defense mechanisms don’t go away? What happens when we use them over months and years?

Over time, this might look like:

• Struggling to trust others, even when they mean well.
• Feeling stuck in survival mode; always anxious, overworking, or people-pleasing.
• Struggling to make clear decisions or feel connected to yourself.
• Numbing through distractions such as overusing food or our phones, binge-watching, using drugs or alcohol, or even shopping…Because feeling Too much is overwhelming.

These responses aren’t weaknesses; they are survival. They have kept us safe. But over time, if we don’t release them, they can block us from truly living. They keep us from feeling joy, trusting others, or making decisions with clarity. They keep us in a state of surviving life rather than Thriving in Life.

This is where something as simple as learning how to breathe comes in. Intentional breathing can gently release what’s been stored in our bodies for years, helping us heal and reconnect. Reconnect to God, to ourselves, and to others. Finally, feeling safe again. Safe in our own bodies. Safe in our relationships. Safe to experience life fully.

What a wonderful gift God has given us, built right into our own bodies. The breath that gives us life, literally.

John 20:22 (NIV) – “And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”

Acts 17:25 (NIV) – “And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.”

Genesis 2:7 (NIV) – “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

Tonya Parsons, MA @tawnymoments