{"id":7097,"date":"2026-03-13T08:28:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T08:28:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/our-ego-how-do-we-live-with-it\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T08:40:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T08:40:10","slug":"our-ego-how-do-we-live-with-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/en\/our-ego-how-do-we-live-with-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Our ego: how do we live with it?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>We often tend to see <strong>the ego as an enemy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<p>Something that needs to be silenced, overcome or even eliminated.<\/p>\n\n<p>Yet the ego is not our adversary.<\/p>\n\n<p>It&#8217;s <strong>a natural part of ourselves<\/strong>.<br \/>A part that seeks, above all, to protect us.<\/p>\n\n<p>In <strong>conscious breathing and breathwork<\/strong>, we often discover that understanding the ego is an essential step towards regaining inner balance.<\/p>\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 If you&#8217;d like to discover this approach, you can explore the sessions offered at<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/calendrier\/\">https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The ego: a protective mechanism<\/h1>\n\n<p>The ego is born of our experiences.<\/p>\n\n<p>Our wounds.<br \/>Our fears.<br \/>Our conditioning.<br \/>Our expectations.<\/p>\n\n<p>Its objective is simple:<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>to keep us safe.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes it pushes us to :<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>proving our worth<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>success at all costs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>be perfect<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>keep control<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>He often whispers:<\/p>\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Be careful.&#8221;<br \/>&#8221; Don&#8217;t show too much.&#8221;<br \/>&#8221; Be impeccable.&#8221;<br \/>&#8221; Don&#8217;t make mistakes.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<p>Without even realizing it, we can spend years <strong>guided by these inner voices.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>Psychologists often describe the ego as the <strong>mind&#8217;s mechanism for adapting<\/strong> to life&#8217;s experiences.<\/p>\n\n<p>You can learn more about this concept in this reference article:<br \/><a>https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/basics\/ego<\/a><\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-dominant-color=\"a17788\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #a17788;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" src=\"http:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Newsletter-Just-Breathe-Ego-683x1024.avif\" alt=\"Ego\" class=\"wp-image-7094 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Newsletter-Just-Breathe-Ego-683x1024.avif 683w, https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Newsletter-Just-Breathe-Ego-200x300.avif 200w, https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Newsletter-Just-Breathe-Ego-768x1152.avif 768w, https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Newsletter-Just-Breathe-Ego-600x900.avif 600w, https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Newsletter-Just-Breathe-Ego-610x915.avif 610w, https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Newsletter-Just-Breathe-Ego.avif 1024w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When the ego takes up too much space<\/h1>\n\n<p>The ego becomes difficult to live with when it <strong>distances<\/strong> us <strong>from our true nature.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>This happens when :<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>we constantly seek external validation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>we&#8217;re afraid of judgment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>we want to control everything<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>we put ourselves under constant pressure<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>At such times, the ego can generate :<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>stress<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>anxiety<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>inner tensions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>But that&#8217;s not because it&#8217;s bad.<\/p>\n\n<p>It&#8217;s simply because he&#8217;s <strong>trying to protect us from a fear.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>The practice of conscious breathing can help <strong>calm this mental mechanism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Learning to live with your ego<\/h1>\n\n<p>The path is not to suppress the ego.<\/p>\n\n<p>The way is to <strong>observe it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>When we step back, something changes profoundly:<\/p>\n\n<p>We realize that <strong>we are not our ego.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>We become <strong>the consciousness that observes it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>This is where :<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>inner freedom<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>mental peace<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>presence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>This approach is also used in many meditative and therapeutic practices.<\/p>\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 To find out how breathing can support this process, you can read:<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/breathwork\/\">https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/breathwork\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Breath as a space of truth<\/h1>\n\n<p>In my <strong>breathwork<\/strong> sessions <strong>in Geneva<\/strong>, something powerful often happens.<\/p>\n\n<p>The mind calms down.<\/p>\n\n<p>The defences come down.<\/p>\n\n<p>And behind the ego appears something deeper:<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>our essence.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>A space where we no longer need :<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>to prove<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>to be perfect<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>control<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>Just :<\/p>\n\n<p>breathe<br \/>feel<br \/>be<\/p>\n\n<p>Scientific research also shows that conscious breathing helps to <strong>regulate the nervous system and reduce stress<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<p>You can consult <strong>Harvard Medical School<\/strong> &#8216;s work <strong>on breathing<\/strong>:<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/mind-and-mood\/relaxation-techniques-breath-control-helps-quell-errant-stress-response\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/mind-and-mood\/relaxation-techniques-breath-control-helps-quell-errant-stress-response<\/a><\/p>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A question for you today<\/h1>\n\n<p>Take a moment.<\/p>\n\n<p>Take a deep breath.<\/p>\n\n<p>And ask yourself:<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>What situation is my ego trying to protect me from right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>Then simply add :<\/p>\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Thank you for wanting to protect me.<br \/>But I can also choose to be free.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mantra of the day<\/h1>\n\n<p>I&#8217;m not fighting my ego.<\/p>\n\n<p>I listen to him.<br \/>I understand him.<\/p>\n\n<p>And I return to my breath.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u2728<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>To breathe is to come back to oneself.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Just Breathe<\/h2>\n\n<p>Daphn\u00e9 Polliand<\/p>\n\n<p>\ud83d\udcde +41 79 346 40 52<\/p>\n\n<p>\ud83c\udf3f Discover breathwork sessions in Geneva:<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/en\/\">https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We often tend to see the ego as an enemy. Something that needs to be silenced, overcome or even eliminated. Yet the ego is not our adversary. It&#8217;s a natural part of ourselves.A part that seeks, above all, to protect us. In conscious breathing and breathwork, we often discover that understanding the ego is an&hellip;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/en\/our-ego-how-do-we-live-with-it\/\" rel=\"bookmark\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Our ego: how do we live with it?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7095,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","neve_meta_reading_time":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-non-categorise"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7097"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7097\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7103,"href":"https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7097\/revisions\/7103"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breathe-geneva.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}