Outsmarting Discomfort: Using Somatic Intelligence to Thrive Through Challenges

Yesterday during a 5-mile jog, I felt a pain in my lower back as the muscles near my spine started to seize up. I am no stranger to back pain: I have decades of history of sprains and strains and pinched nerves and ER visits and even surgery.

Typically, when the first twinges of back pain show up, my brain automatically goes into "oh shit" mode, and my body immediately goes into a protective posture: my upper back stiffens, my abdomen tightens, my stride shortens, my pace slows, my breathing becomes shallow, and I move gingerly and slowly to wherever I can lay down to hopefully get some relief. This is a conditioned response - multiple systems in my body initiating action, in concert, in an effort to protect me.

This is also a conditioned response that, I should note, rarely succeeds in dissipating the muscle cramps. In fact, my automated reaction to back pain almost always results in the thing I fear: complete seizure of the lower back muscles, debilitating pain, and weeks of treatment to be able to function normally again. It's a cycle I've experienced repeatedly throughout my adult life.

But yesterday, more than two years in to my own somatic learning journey, I consciously enacted a different response to the discomfort I felt. I slowed down but kept jogging. I got curious, and thought to myself, "Interesting. I haven't had back pain like this in months. I wonder what's going on?" I focused on breathing. I invited my back muscles to relax. I reminded myself that I'm not in physical crisis; I actually have a strong core now, unlike prior episodes.

I kept this up, and by the end of the run my lower back was moving more freely. While I cooled down, I continued to invite my muscles to relax, as I also extended compassion to myself.

Well that just took a weird turn, you might be thinking. What does compassion have to do with it?

Here's the link: I have a long history of internalizing stress, and through somatics I've come to notice that my back pain often correlates with stressful times in my life. In the present moment? Both of my parents are in the hospital with serious medical problems, and I am 1500 miles away from them.

Extending compassion to myself (“Of course I’m worried about Mom and Dad. Of course I’m unable to focus on my to do list. Of course my productivity is taking a hit. It would be strange if it didn't!”) helped interrupt my automated stress response that seems to include severe muscle contractions in my lower back. This morning? My lower back pain has eased as I continue to be in conversation with my somatic self.

This experience was a reminder that somatic learning isn’t just about healing—it’s about getting better outcomes by changing how we respond. Rather than slipping into old patterns of tension and fear, I was able to meet the discomfort with curiosity, awareness, and compassion. That shift made all the difference.

Somatic learning teaches us that when we tune in to what our bodies are really saying, we can interrupt those automatic stress responses that no longer serve us. By staying present and making intentional choices—like adjusting my breathing and staying in motion—I avoided the usual spiral of pain and setback.

The real power of our somatic intelligence is that tapping into it helps us respond more skillfully to whatever life throws at us—whether it’s physical pain, emotional stress, or unexpected challenges. It reminds us that better outcomes aren’t always about working harder; they come from working smarter, with a deeper understanding of ourselves.