1 hr 2 minWhat Is Somatic Therapy and How Can Breathwork Help You?
With Britley Williams
Guest on the show
Britley Williams
Britley Williams is a breathwork facilitator and lifestyle coach who uses somatic work to help clients reconnect with their bodies, and she hosts the Divine Your Life podcast.
Episodes with Britley Williams
1 hr 2 minWhat Britley talks about
Ep. 90: What Is Somatic Therapy and How Can Breathwork Help You?
You have read the books, listened to the podcasts and you understand exactly why you do what you do. You still can't get your body on board. Breathwork facilitator and lifestyle coach Britley Williams knows that place well. At 23 she was making six figures, working two full-time careers and living what looked like the American dream while deep in an eating disorder. A moment in her parents' bathroom became her wake-up call, and when traditional talk therapy left her with plenty of awareness and nowhere to put it, she found somatic therapy and breathwork.
Britley and Nikkiey Stott talk about moving from the analytical mind into the body, why courage has to come before confidence, and how up to 95% of your thoughts repeat from one day to the next. Britley shares her tale of two cookies to separate the data (you ate a cookie) from the drama (you're unworthy and need to run eight miles), explains why emotions and numbness can come up during breathwork, and connects listening to your body with a stronger mind-muscle connection and catching yourself reaching for food out of boredom.
She also walks through her own daily practices: getting on her knees to pray, two messy morning pages, breathwork, a question for her subconscious before sleep and a nightly do-over. Her advice to her younger self is simple: get curious, and let it be easy.
- Take the courageous step first, because confidence and trust are built after you act, not before.
- When you slip up, separate the data (I ate a cookie, I skipped a meal) from the drama you add to it (I'm unworthy, I should quit).
- Meditation and breathwork are not about becoming thoughtless; noticing how noisy your brain is counts as a productive session.
- Before reaching for a snack at night, pause and ask whether you are actually hungry or trying to meet an emotional need like boredom or comfort.
- Listen for phrases you repeat about yourself, like Britley's constant "I don't know," because the stories you tell yourself shape your reality.
In Britley's words
Questions Britley helps answer
Ask Nikkiey →
Food Noise, Cravings & Overeating
How do I stop snacking at night in front of the TV?
Change the setup instead of trying harder. Nikkiey's approach is to eat a high-protein dinner late enough that you aren't genuinely hungry when you sit down, keep trigger foods out of the house, and change what you do on the couch. When the urge hits anyway, pause and ask whether you're hungry or just bored.
Read the answer →
Common questions
What is somatic therapy?
Britley explains that somatic therapy goes beyond cognitive behavioral therapy by taking the awareness you build about your past into the body, creating a mind-body connection and regulating the nervous system. The goal is to actually feel better rather than just think differently.
Why do emotions or numbness come up during breathwork?
Britley says breathwork can take you into a calmer, almost hypnotic state where the analytical mind switches off, and the body finally gets space to process emotions you have held back. She describes those built-up emotions leaving through the head or limbs, which is why some people feel numbness in their hands or legs.
How do I stop feeling guilty after eating something off plan?
Britley suggests separating the data from the drama. The data is that you ate a cookie or skipped a meal; the drama is the story that you are unworthy, need to work it off or should quit, and clearing that story is the work.
How can I tell if I'm hungry or just bored at night?
Nikkiey coaches women to pause in the kitchen at night and ask whether they are actually hungry or just bored. Britley adds that you can ask whether you are reaching for a habit or for comfort and pleasure, and whether you could find that comfort another way.
Do I need confidence before I start a fitness program?
No. Britley says we have it backwards: you take the courageous step first, like signing up with a goal of losing 30 pounds, and the confidence and trust in yourself are built as you go.
Why does a nighttime routine matter?
Britley argues it may matter more than a morning routine because you are about to enter eight hours of subconscious programming. She asks herself a question she wants clarity on and does a do-over of moments where she didn't act as her best self.