Beyond the Mind: Releasing Limiting Beliefs Through Body and Breath

Limiting beliefs may be a buzzword, but for many of us, they’re the silent architects of self-sabotage. In the realm of psychology, beliefs shape how we think, feel, and act. But if you’ve ever tried to “think positive” only to still feel anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck, you’re not alone. The truth is: you can’t think your way out of a dysregulated nervous system. In my work, I’ve found that healing limiting beliefs isn’t just about changing your thoughts, it’s also about softening the hold they have on your body. It’s one thing to shift a belief cognitively; it’s another to help the body feel safe enough to let it go.

That’s where the integration of REBT Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, and nervous system work becomes powerful. Together, they help you understand the story and transform the sensation.

What Are Limiting Beliefs (and Why Don’t They Just Go Away)?

Limiting beliefs are those invisible scripts that tell us we’re not good enough, not lovable, not safe to be seen. They’re often deeply rooted — shaped by past experiences, societal conditioning, and protective patterns we learned early in life. These beliefs become the lens through which we interpret the world. And without realising it, we live our lives responding to those old lenses, often with chronic tension in the body, looping thoughts, or a nervous system stuck in fight, flight, or freeze.

REBT helps us identify, question, and reframe those beliefs. But when the nervous system is on high alert, logic doesn’t always land. That’s why we also need to work with the body using breath, awareness, and gentle somatic techniques to create the safety required for new beliefs to take root.

Understanding Rational vs Irrational Beliefs

REBT distinguishes between two kinds of beliefs:

Rational beliefs are grounded, flexible, and helpful. They support resilience and realistic self-worth.
Example: “I’ve prepared for this. I may feel nervous, but I can do this.”
Irrational beliefs are rigid, absolute, and usually tied to fear or shame.
Example: “If I mess up, I’m a total failure.”

These irrational beliefs can leave your nervous system constantly bracing for rejection, criticism, or danger even when none exists. Over time, this dysregulation reinforces the belief itself, creating a loop that’s hard to break without deeper nervous system support.

The Three “Musts” That Keep Us Stuck

REBT outlines three core irrational beliefs, often called the “Three Musts”, that quietly limit us:

I must be approved of, or I’m worthless.
This belief leads to overgiving, people-pleasing, and chronic anxiety. It’s often felt in the body as tightness in the chest or shallow breathing, the nervous system on high alert for signs of rejection.
Others must treat me fairly, or they are bad people.
This belief creates resentment and reactivity. When we expect others to meet our internal standards, we stay trapped in a state of frustration. The body responds with tension, jaw clenching, or irritability.
Life must be easy, or I can’t cope.
This one keeps us avoiding discomfort and retreating from growth. It can show up in the body as shutdown, numbness, or freeze, where the nervous system quietly says, “This is too much.”

These beliefs are rarely conscious. They often live as sensations first: a tight belly, a racing heart, a frozen breath before we ever think the thought.

Healing Through Mind and Body Integration

REBT offers clear frameworks and reframing techniques to help you shift your beliefs. But to create true, embodied change, we must also include the nervous system.

In my sessions, I guide clients through gentle somatic practices like grounding, breathwork, and nervous system mapping alongside belief work. Together, we unravel the stories held in the body and rewire them from the inside out. This is where transformation happens: not just in what you believe, but in how you feel, breathe, and move through life.

From Reframing to Regulating

Here’s what this integrative process might look like:

Awareness: We begin by identifying the belief and where it shows up in your body.
Inquiry: We question its truth and usefulness using REBT tools.
Regulation: We use breath, movement, or stillness to downshift the nervous system and create space for a new belief to be felt.
Integration: You start to live from this new place, slowly, gently, with support.

This is not about forcing change. It’s about inviting your body and mind to come into alignment, together.

A New Kind of Freedom

When we tend to our beliefs and our body, we start to feel a different kind of freedom. Not the kind that’s loud and bold, but the quiet kind that says: I can breathe again. I can be with myself. I can choose differently.

If you’re ready to explore the limiting beliefs shaping your inner-world, and how they live in your body, I’d love to walk with you. My 1:1 sessions blend belief coaching, nervous system support, and breath-based healing to help you return to your truth, gently and powerfully. Let’s connect.

You don’t have to stay stuck in the story. Let’s find your way back to safety, clarity, and choice together.