01/21/2026
Breathing is not just an exchange of oxygen.
It is a mechanical event that shapes your posture, your tension patterns, and how force moves through your body.
When you inhale efficiently, the breath expands in three dimensions.
The ribs widen.
The back gently fills.
The diaphragm descends and creates space inside the torso.
This expansion allows force to distribute evenly through the spine, pelvis, and legs.
When breathing is restricted, the body compensates.
If each inhale lifts your shoulders toward your ears, the neck and upper chest are doing work meant for the rib cage and diaphragm. Over time, this pattern shortens the tissues at the base of the neck, compresses the upper thoracic spine, and limits movement through the ribs and back. The fascia adapts to this repeated strategy and begins to hold the body in a subtle but constant state of contraction.
That tension does not stay local.
Restricted rib movement changes how load transfers through the spine.
A compressed upper back alters head position.
Forward head posture increases strain through the neck and jaw.
Limited spinal expansion changes how weight drops into the pelvis.
The legs respond by gripping or overworking to stabilize the system.
Breathing patterns influence gait more than most people realize.
When the torso cannot expand and recoil naturally, the body loses its ability to absorb force with each step. That force has to go somewhere. Often it shows up as chronic discomfort in the neck, mid-back, hips, or lower extremities.
Structural Integration looks at breathing as a whole-body pattern, not a standalone exercise. By addressing fascial restrictions through the rib cage, spine, and pelvis, the body regains its ability to expand and contract without excess effort. Breathing becomes quieter. Posture becomes more responsive. Movement requires less compensation.
The goal is not to “breathe better” through instruction alone.
The goal is to restore the structure that allows breath to move freely.
When the body has space, the breath follows.
DM Ivette to get started.
