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What if your body was trying to guide you—but you were too busy to listen?

In a recent episode of the Red Beard Embodiment Podcast, host Alex Greene sits down with somatic coach and Body-Based Breakthrough (B3) founder Matthew Cooke to explore this very question. The conversation is both intimate and insightful, weaving together Matthew’s personal story of burnout with the birth of a transformative somatic framework that’s now changing lives.

Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or just beginning your journey into nervous system work, this episode is a deep reminder that healing doesn’t happen in the mind alone. It begins when we reconnect with the wisdom of the body.

Below, we break down six key highlights from the episode that will leave you feeling inspired, informed, and grounded in your own embodiment journey.

Burnout Was the Wake-Up Call

Matthew began his career with passion and ambition—working in the fast-paced world of tech startups. As Head of Content at Entheos (a kind of “Netflix for Optimal Living”), he was constantly surrounded by top thought leaders in health, productivity, and spirituality. But behind the scenes, he was working 70-hour weeks, pushing his body to its limits, and experiencing what he describes as flu-like crashes every Friday. His nervous system was in a constant state of overdrive.

Eventually, Matthew’s body shut down. That experience became the turning point. He realized his mind and body were no longer in partnership—they were in conflict. Instead of powering through, he began to ask: Why is my body saying no when I keep saying yes? This question sparked a personal journey that would span over a decade and lead to the creation of Body-Based Breakthrough.

The Best Ideas Come When the Body Feels Safe

Interestingly, it was in yoga classes and long walks that Matthew started having his clearest, most meaningful thoughts. He began to notice that when his body was relaxed, his mind became more creative and connected. Rather than “letting the thoughts pass like clouds,” as teachers often say, he began writing them down right there in class.

This embodied journaling practice—capturing insights during movement—was the seed of what would become the B3 method. As Matthew puts it, these weren’t just thoughts; they were glimpses of his true self surfacing through somatic safety. The body was creating the conditions for clarity. And that, he realized, could be replicated and shared with others.

The Body-Based Breakthrough (B3) Framework Was Born Organically

Matthew didn’t set out to create a method. B3 emerged from years of personal experimentation, client feedback, and a genuine desire to understand how the body supports emotional clarity. Over time, a repeatable pattern began to form. He was combining simple movement, journaling, breathwork, and coaching—anchored in nervous system regulation.

In 2021, a client told him something that changed everything: “It’s a damn shame there’s only one of you.” That comment sparked the creation of the B3 Certification Program, designed to train coaches and wellness practitioners in this process. Today, B3 is a somatic system that bridges the gap between high performance and authentic embodiment—making healing both structured and intuitive.

Orientation is Everything

One of the most powerful principles in the B3 method is the practice of orientation—starting and ending each session by consciously connecting to the environment. This anchors the nervous system in safety and presence. It’s a practice borrowed from somatic experiencing, and it’s foundational to all B3 work.

Orientation reminds us that healing doesn’t require intensity or drama—it requires a felt sense of safety. By simply pausing to notice what feels pleasant or neutral in our surroundings, we invite the nervous system out of hypervigilance and into openness. As Matthew says, “It’s like going on a date with your body. You ask, ‘Hey, what’s going on? What do you need today?’”

Somatic Work Meets High-Performance Culture

What makes Matthew’s story unique is how deeply he understands the world of hustle—and how radically he’s chosen to shift away from it. As a former high-performance coach, he worked with tech leaders and startup founders who were burning out at rapid rates. He began introducing them to somatic tools, unsure if they would buy in.

To his surprise, they did. And not only did they find relief from anxiety and stress—they reported greater confidence, clearer thinking, and stronger leadership. Somatic work, it turned out, wasn’t a detour from high performance. It was the missing link. B3 gave them a way to lead from the inside out.

The Nervous System is a Map, Not a Mystery

Throughout the episode, both Alex and Matthew express a deep reverence for the nervous system—not as something to control, but as something to understand. From polyvagal theory to trauma-informed care, they discuss how modern somatic science offers profound tools for healing and connection.

Matthew speaks to the excitement he feels learning from teachers like Kathy Kain, Steve Hoskinson, and Diane Poole Heller. But what anchors his approach is not just theory—it’s curiosity. “The more I learn about the body,” he says, “the more I fall in love with being human.” And that love becomes the foundation of how he teaches others to hold space for healing.

This episode is a powerful invitation to practitioners, leaders, and lifelong learners alike: Slow down. Your body is already speaking. Matthew Cooke’s story reminds us that healing doesn’t have to be complicated—but it does have to be embodied.

If you’re curious about integrating somatic practices into your life or work—or if you simply want to feel more connected to your own nervous system—this conversation is for you.