When the Lungs Refuse to Breathe

This is an article for the members of The Odyssey of Self, within The Body Codex, a growing library of distilled information and guidance taken from the work of Dr. Michael Lincoln, Messages From The Body. Join for only $8/mo. and learn the connection between beliefs, behaviours, and the body. Take a look inside with a 7-day free trial.

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What if lung issues are echoes of deeper energetic patterns, an unconscious avoidance of taking in life itself?

The lungs not only draw breath into the body, but they also carry the prana, the life force that shapes our vitality, enthusiasm, and ability to receive. They are where energy meets permission to live fully. When lung function is compromised, it may signal more than physical stagnation. It may speak to our refusal to receive, trust, or allow ourselves to breathe into existence.

Lung issues can emerge from unconscious adaptations rooted in family patterns where expressing needs, receiving support, or trusting abundance was unsafe. These issues may hold the residue of deprivation, exploitation, suppression, or self-neglect.

Over time, patterns develop around a refusal to fully receive life. They include:

• Engaging in passionate commitments that ultimately drain rather than nourish

• Suppressing personal needs or desires out of shame or guilt

• Avoiding joy and vitality, as if it were dangerous or undeserved

• Struggling to receive love, energy, or support without suspicion or fear

From a psychospiritual lens, the lungs symbolize our capacity to receive life itself - the breath, energy, presence, passion, and purpose. When lung function is compromised, so too is our sense of belonging, vitality, and openness to existence.

Lung issues can symbolize:

• Bindings from repeated emotional depletion

• Refusal of support or belief in unworthiness

• Energy misuse from rescuing others at the cost of self

• Chronic grief or fear of living wholeheartedly

• Internal suppression of desires, passions, or needs

In this episode, we explore the deeper meaning behind lung issues and how early family dynamics and unconscious beliefs shape our willingness to receive. I’ll guide you through decoding lung-related patterns to restore trust in receiving, resonance with life, and the freedom to breathe deeply.