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Few things feel heavier than the conflict we don’t know how to talk about. In this episode, we explore the impact of silence on our safety and well-being, and how carrying unspoken tension shows up in our bodies.

We connect this with Universal Protective Behaviours, especially the reminder that safety includes having safe ways to speak up.

Somatic Practices in this episode:

• Lion’s Breath — a strong exhale to release held tension.
• Silent Mirror Practice — sitting with yourself or a trusted other in quiet reflection.

(You’ll be guided through these in the episode, with options whether you’re sitting still or moving.)

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When life feels messy, our minds and bodies can get tangled in the noise. In this episode, we explore how to find small moments of clarity even when everything around us feels overwhelming.

We’ll look at how nervous system overload can affect our thinking, and how Universal Protective Behaviours offer us tools to step back and regain perspective.

Somatic Practices in this episode:

• Stoplight Check-In: pausing to notice whether your body feels like it’s in “green” (go), “yellow” (caution), or “red” (stop).
• Tone Matching Practice: gently humming or speaking to match and then soften your inner state.

(You’ll be guided through these in the episode. They can be done quietly in a chair or while moving.)

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Boundaries aren’t walls. They’re signals that help us protect what matters and feel safe in ourselves. In this episode, we explore how boundaries show up in daily life and why they’re essential for healthy relationships and self-respect

Informed by Universal Protective Behaviours, Pillar One: We all have the right to feel safe. In this episode, we explore how boundaries are a way we put this into practice.

Somatic Practices in this episode: **Somatic practices are simple ways of listening to and supporting our body so that we can respond with more clarity and care.

• ✋ Wall-Press Grounding — strength, firm stance
• 🗣️ Boundary Rehearsal (Voice & Movement) — clear voice, speaking up

(You’ll be guided through these in the episode, and please know they can be done at a desk or adapted while walking.)

✨ Feeling Safe Standing Strong is brought to you by The Institute of Hope (IOH) in collaboration with Protective Behaviours International (PBI).

🌏 I have the privilege of living, loving, learning, and creating on Larrakia Country and I pay my respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.

🔗 Find out more at www.theinstituteofhope.com.au or www.protectivebehavioursinternational.net 

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Safety doesn’t just live inside us; it grows when we feel connected to others. In this episode, we explore how relationships can either build or erode our sense of safety, and why noticing subtle cues in ourselves and others helps us respond with care and respect.

We’ll touch on how the nervous system is wired for connection (sometimes called co-regulation in Polyvagal Theory), which simply means the calming effect we have on each other. Just like babies settle when held, adults also feel safer when they’re with people who are calm and caring.

Somatic Practices in this episode: **Somatic practices are simple ways of listening to and supporting our body so that we can respond with more clarity and care. 

🫂 Mirrored Breathing:  breathing in sync with another person (either face to face or visualised) to feel more connected.

👀 Soft Eyes: gently softening your gaze to release tension and invite calm.

(You’ll be guided through these practices in the episode. If you’re listening alone, you could adapt them when at your desk or walking.)

By the end of this conversation, you’ll understand more about how safety is built in relationships and have two simple practices to experience steadiness and connection with others.

✨ Feeling Safe Standing Strong is brought to you by The Institute of Hope (IOH) in collaboration with Protective Behaviours International (PBI).

🌏 I have the privilege of living, loving, learning, and creating on Larrakia Country and I pay my respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.

🔗 Find out more at www.theinstituteofhope.com.au or www.protectivebehavioursinternational.net 

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🎙 Episode 3: Learning the Language our Bodies Speak

Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is stop, breathe, and give ourselves permission to pause. This episode is about slowing down enough to notice what we need.

We’ll explore the idea of self-regulation, which means learning to guide our own emotions and body responses back toward balance. It’s not about avoiding stress but about finding ways to return to steadiness when stress happens.

Somatic practices in this episode:

• 🧘 Hand-on-Heart with Statement: placing your hand on your chest while speaking a grounding phrase.
• 🪑 Seated Micro-Movements — small, gentle shifts to release tension and reconnect with your body

By the end, you’ll know how pausing is a powerful act of self-care, not a weakness.

✨ Feeling Safe Standing Strong is brought to you by The Institute of Hope (IOH) in collaboration with Protective Behaviours International (PBI).

🌏 I have the privilege of living, loving, learning, and creating on Larrakia Country and I pay my respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.

🔗 Find out more at www.theinstituteofhope.com.au or www.protectivebehavioursinternational.net 

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🎙 Episode 2: Listening to the Body's Alarms

Our bodies are designed to keep us safe, and it often sounds the alarm before our mind fully understands what’s happening. This episode explores how the fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses show up in our daily lives.

We’ll break down the nervous system in simple language: it’s like a smoke alarm that sometimes gets too sensitive. By learning to recognise when our body’s alarm is ringing, we can choose how to respond instead of being swept away by stress.

You’ll also hear more about Polyvagal Theory — the science that explains how our body moves between states of safety, danger, and shutdown. Don’t worry, we’ll keep it practical and focused on what matters: how it feels in our body and what we can do about it.

Somatic Practices in this episode: **Somatic practices are simple ways of listening to and supporting our body so that we can respond with more clarity and care. 

• ✋ Orienting Practice: gently scanning your environment to reassure your nervous system.
• 👣 5-4-3-2-1 Touch Point Reset: using your senses to ground yourself in the present

By the end of this episode, you’ll understand your body’s alarm system in a different light and have two simple tools to help reset it.

✨ Feeling Safe Standing Strong is brought to you by The Institute of Hope (IOH) in collaboration with Protective Behaviours International (PBI).

🌏 I have the privilege of living, loving, learning, and creating on Larrakia Country and I pay my respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.

🔗 Find out more at www.theinstituteofhope.com.au or www.protectivebehavioursinternational.net

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Sometimes our bodies notice danger or discomfort before our minds catch on. In this episode, we explore the hidden ways our body signals us when something’s not quite right, even when nothing seems obvious on the surface. This is the foundation of psychological safety, recognising those subtle inner alarms and learning to respond with care.

We touch on how the nervous system works (drawing lightly from Polyvagal Theory, which explains how our body shifts between states of calm, alert, or shutdown), and connect this with Universal Protective Behaviours Pillar One: that we all have the right to feel safe, and also have the responsibility to respect others rights to feel safe.

Somatic Practices in this episode: **Somatic practices are simple ways of listening to and supporting our body so that we can respond with more clarity and care.

• Butterfly Hug — gentle rhythmic tapping to calm your system.
• 3:6 Grounding Breath — breathing with a longer exhale to help the body settle.

(You’ll be guided through each practice in the episode. Try them at your desk or adapt them while walking.)

By the end of this conversation, you’ll have a clearer sense of how safety shows up in your body and two simple tools to return to steadiness when safety isn’t obvious. 

✨ Feeling Safe Standing Strong is brought to you by The Institute of Hope (IOH) in collaboration with Protective Behaviours International (PBI).

🌏 I have the privilege of living, loving, learning, and creating on Larrakia Country and I pay my respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.

🔗 Find out more at www.theinstituteofhope.com.au or www.protectivebehavioursinternational.net