What is Somatic Therapy?

What is Somatic Therapy?

How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober? This instalment of Addict II Athlete zooms in on a different kind of training plan: one for your nervous system. Coach Blu Robinson goes solo to unpack what somatic therapy is and why it matters so much for people in addiction recovery. Instead of talking only about thoughts and cravings, he shows how the body ‘keeps score’ of stress, trauma and long-term substance use.

Using a playful orchestra metaphor, he explains the central and peripheral nervous systems, fight‑or‑flight, and that calmer ‘lullaby’ side of the body that helps you rest and heal. If biology at school felt dull, this version is the opposite. You’ll hear how chronic stress can turn into real physical problems – from gut issues to back pain – and how somatic work tries to release what’s been stored, rather than just thinking harder about it.

Coach Blu links this directly to the Addict II Athlete philosophy that “movement equals healing,” showing how exercise can literally burn off stress hormones and support sobriety. A big theme is self-awareness: noticing neck tension, chest tightness or that familiar knot in the stomach and asking, “What do I need right now?” He talks honestly about his own past fears of facing old abuse, neglect and addiction, and how doing that work made it possible to help others today.

There’s also a simple body-scan exercise anyone can try, plus gentle challenges like creating more than you consume, respecting your body’s limits, and treating emotions with curiosity instead of shame. It’s thoughtful, practical and occasionally funny (he even calls out the myth of ‘sleeping wrong’ on your pillow). If you’re in recovery and feeling stuck in your head, this episode offers a body-based framework that might help you reconnect, reset, and start healing from the inside out.