In this episode, I sit down with my friend and client Dani, a somatic psychotherapist and climber, to talk about how the body and mind communicate — and what it really means to feel your feelings.

Dani shares how her own journey through chronic illness, trauma, and movement led her into somatic therapy, and we explore the deep overlap between her work and the kind of pain science–based rehab I do with climbers. We talk about why so many people struggle to slow down, why emotions show up as physical sensations, and how both somatic therapy and strength training can help you rebuild trust with your body.

Whether you’re navigating pain, dealing with stress, or just curious about what it means to actually “listen to your body,” this episode will help you see how awareness, curiosity, and compassion can change the way you move — and the way you heal.

WE TALK ABOUT:

• What somatic therapy really is (and why it’s not just for trauma work)

• The connection between emotions, sensations, and pain

• Why we tend to intellectualize our feelings instead of feeling them

• The role of awareness and curiosity in both therapy and rehab

• How pain stories and beliefs shape the way we experience symptoms

• The concept of allostatic load and how life stressors impact recovery

• Overlaps between pain reprocessing, graded exposure, and nervous system regulation

• Practical tools: the feelings wheel, body sensation lists, grounding and self-hold techniques, and how to start a dialogue with your body

• Why climbers might already be practicing somatic therapy on the wall — and how to bring more awareness to it

Healing isn’t just about fixing tissue or solving a movement pattern — it’s about learning to listen, slow down, and rebuild trust in your body.
Somatic therapy gives language and space to sensations, while strength training and rehab build the capacity to act within that space. Both help you reconnect with your body instead of fighting against it.

CONNECT WITH DANI:

🔗 somaticswithdani.com📱 Instagram: @somaticswithdanni

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This episode breaks down the truth about muscle imbalances and asymmetry in athletes. Natasha and Ryan explore why asymmetry is normal, why it often gets blamed for injuries without evidence, and why strength training and load tolerance matter far more than chasing perfect symmetry. They walk through current research, explain how injuries change asymmetry rather than the other way around, and discuss why the best rehab focuses on building strength, restoring confidence, and exposing the body to sport-specific loads instead of “fixing imbalances.”

TAKEAWAYS:

• Research consistently shows that asymmetries increase after injury, not usually before.
• Small side-to-side differences are normal in climbers and most athletes.
• Asymmetry rarely predicts injury on its own.
• Chasing perfect symmetry distracts from the real rehab goal: restoring load tolerance.
• Training at a challenging but tolerable intensity often reduces perceived imbalances.
• Most “imbalances” resolve as strength and confidence return.
• Regular exposure to climbing-specific forces matters more than corrective exercises.
• Functional strength and movement quality are better benchmarks than symmetry numbers.
• Pain, deconditioning, and fear can create the sensation of imbalance.
• You are not broken for feeling uneven. It’s a normal adaptation to training or injury.

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If you’ve fallen off your training routine, this episode is your restart button.

In this conversation, Natasha breaks down why we lose momentum and what it actually takes to rebuild consistency that lasts. You’ll learn how motivation naturally fluctuates, why all-or-nothing thinking keeps you stuck, and how to shift from guilt to action using her RECOMMIT Framework—a step-by-step approach grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and behavior change science.

Whether you’re an FSP athlete getting back into your rhythm, a climber trying to fit strength training around life, or just someone who’s tired of starting over, you’ll walk away with practical tools and journal prompts to help you reflect, reset, and move forward again—one session at a time.

Listen to learn:

• Why falling off isn’t failure—it’s data

• How to break the all-or-nothing mindset

• What small actions rebuild identity and momentum

• How to use the RECOMMIT Framework to restart training with confidence

If you’re ready to get back to consistent strength training and stay there, this episode will show you exactly how.

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If your shoulder still hurts no matter how much rehab you’ve done, this episode is for you. We’re digging into why traditional shoulder rehab fails climbers, what the latest shoulder pain research actually says, and how to build a better plan that gets you back to the wall stronger and more confident.

In this episode, I cover:

• Why most shoulder rehab for climbers is under-dosed and not climbing-specific

• What the research says about pain during rehab and when it’s okay to keep training

• Why posture correction, scapular mechanics, and banded exercises aren’t the full solution

• The truth about MRI findings, rotator cuff tears, and what pain really means

• How I structure climbing-specific shoulder rehab programs, including movement patterns, isolation work, and load progression

Whether you’ve been told you have shoulder impingement, rotator cuff tendinopathy, or just feel like your shoulder isn’t keeping up with your climbing — this episode will help you understand why, and what to do next.

Ready for a plan that’s actually built for climbers?
Book a 1:1 consultation or join the 8-week Shoulder Reset Program to rebuild a stronger, more resilient shoulder.

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In this episode, I unpack why traditional shoulder rehab often fails climbers — and how to rethink the entire approach. Using guided reasoning and evidence from leading studies, we challenge the most common myths about shoulder pain and rotator cuff injuries.

You’ll learn:

🔹 Why rest and avoidance aren’t the answer
We explore why rest often leads to temporary relief but long-term setbacks — and how graded loading is the true medicine for shoulder pain.

🔹 The problem with “banded exercises forever”
Progressive overload matters. We break down what kind of exercise actually works — and what the latest research says about exercise.

🔹 How to train through pain — safely and effectively
We dig into the Smith et al. meta-analysis showing that tolerable pain during rehab isn’t harmful — and may even improve outcomes when managed correctly.

🔹 Why surgery isn't the gold standard — and might not be necessary at all
We review landmark studies showing that:

• Pain does not correlate with tear size (Dunn et al.)

• Most small-to-medium rotator cuff tears can be rehabbed without surgery (Moosmayer et al., Kukkonen et al., Karjalainen et al.)

• Even full-thickness traumatic tears respond well to rehab (Boorman et al., Kuhn et al.)

• Failed surgical repairs don’t always lead to worse outcomes (Holtedahl et al.)

• Sham surgeries work just as well as real ones (Paavola et al., Schroder et al.)

🔹 What effective rehab actually looks like for climbers
We close the episode by showing what real rehab should include: climbing-specific loading, total-body strength, education around pain, and a progressive plan that actually builds capacity instead of avoiding discomfort.

This episode is packed with practical insights and paradigm-shifting takeaways that will help you — or your clients — stop spinning their wheels and start seeing real progress.

🎧 Hit play now and find out why your shoulder rehab hasn’t been working — and what to do instead.

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In this episode, we dive into the complexities of shoulder pain and pathology, particularly in the context of climbing. Natasha explores how MRI findings often reveal abnormalities that may not correlate with pain or dysfunction, challenging the conventional wisdom that structural changes always indicate a problem. Through insights from studies on elite climbers, Natasha reframes the narrative around shoulder health, emphasizing the importance of function over imaging. Discover how to build stronger, more resilient shoulders and why your MRI might not tell the whole story. Tune in to learn when imaging is truly necessary and how to focus on what really matters for your shoulder health.

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Join us as we delve into the topic of shoulder pain among climbers. In this episode, Natasha shares insights on the prevalence of shoulder injuries, the impact on climbers' lives, and the surprising statistics that reveal just how common these issues are. Discover personal stories and what the science has to say about why these injuries happen.

Key Topics:

• The anatomy of the shoulder and its role in climbing
• Common shoulder injuries and their high prevalence among climbers
• Personal experiences and stories from dealing with shoulder pain
• The impact of shoulder pain on daily life and climbing performance
• Debunking common myths climbers are told about why the have shoulder pain
• Diving into some climbing specific research on shoulder pain, posture and scapular dyskinesis

#Climbing #ShoulderPain #InjuryPrevention

If you found this episode helpful, please share it with fellow climbers who might benefit from these insights. Don't forget to subscribe for more episodes on climbing health and performance. Stay tuned for PART II!

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In this episode Natasha emphasizes the significance of consistency in training, discussing how it leads to long-term progress. She addresses common mental barriers like black and white thinking, encourages the creation of a minimum viable training plan, and highlights the importance of discipline over motivation. She also explains that progress is not linear and that fluctuations in performance are normal. She provides strategies for maintaining flexibility in training plans and adapting to life's challenges while staying committed to training goals.

Chapters

00:00 The Importance of Consistency in Training

03:06 Overcoming Black and White Thinking

04:53 Creating a Minimum Viable Training Plan

07:21 Discipline Over Motivation

10:01 Flexibility in Training Plans

12:15 Understanding Non-Linear Progress

15:19 The Role of Volume in Training

18:30 Embracing Fluctuations in Performance

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