Sometimes people say, “I’m overwhelmed, ”but what that actually feels like can be very different. For some people, it feels like: • sound getting too sharp• thoughts looping • your chest staying tight• your jaw clenching • your body bracing for something • emotion rising too fast • not being able to fully exhale For others, it feels like: • going quiet • shutting down • feeling far away • going numb • losing words • needing everything to stop If you had to describe your version of overwhelm… what does it actually feel like in your body? Not the word. The experience. You can answer with: • one word• one sentence • or a short description No pressure to explain it perfectly. Just notice what your body recognizes.

Regression is not weakness. It is state-dependent memory retrieval. When triggered, the nervous system retrieves the age of imprint. Healing begins when the present safety outweighs stored threat. — Dawn Rabideau

For members here in this Skool space, I’ve created a small private companion group that serves as an additional layer of support alongside the courses. This group is intentionally small and steady by design. Keeping it that way helps protect privacy and allows me to give thoughtful attention to each person without overextending my own capacity. The goal is a calm, usable space that stays supportive for everyone inside it. This is not a trauma-dumping space and not a place to lay down everything you’re carrying. It’s a space to pick up support tools, reinforcement, and steady guidance. Posts in the group are submitted for approval first. That helps keep the environment regulated and supportive for all members. Anything that could feel overwhelming or triggering for others won’t be approved, so the tone of the space stays steady and usable. Inside the group you’ll find: • short reminders • simple regulation tools • supportive check-ins • reinforcement of course practices • encouragement to stay consistent The focus is gentle repetition and steady support. Nervous systems tend to respond best to small, consistent signals of safety over time rather than intensity. You’re welcome to participate as much or as little as you like. You can read quietly, take what helps, and move at your own pace. Think of this as an additional layer of structured support for members who want steady reinforcement while building regulation capacity over time. I’ll share the link below for anyone who would like to join.

'Living Softly in a Loud World' is now available in the Premium tier for members who currently have Premium access. For best results, it’s recommended that you work through 'Learning to Sit With It' before beginning this course. Many members also find it helpful to move through 'Living With a Sensitive Nervous System' to build a steadier foundation before entering the deeper work here. You’re welcome to move at your own pace, but these foundational courses help create the strongest support for what follows. Premium is where the deeper work lives, and additional courses are already in development. The following will be added as they are completed: • Grief Without Forcing Healing • Breaking the Freeze: Moving When You Feel Stuck • Rebuilding Self-Trust After Trauma • Holding Boundaries Without Guilt Standard members continue to have access to the five foundational courses. Premium builds from there and includes the deeper courses as they’re released. If you’re currently in Premium, you can begin 'Living Softly in a Loud World' now in your classroom. More is coming steadily.

Some of the work in this space happens through repetition rather than analysis. Occasionally, a word or phrase stays with you without explanation. Instead of trying to interpret it, you can let it sit and allow meaning to unfold over time. Practice: Choose one word. Write it somewhere visible. Once a day, let your eyes rest on it briefly. No journaling. No effort to define it. No forcing meaning. Then continue with your day. Understanding often arrives when the system has enough steadiness to hold it. My word this past week was linger. I touched eyes to it once a day and left it alone. It took about a week before my body defined what it meant. If you try this, you don’t need to explain your word here. You’re welcome to simply note: • your word • or “working” This is one of the foundational pacing practices used throughout the course. © Dawn Rabideau — For use within this learning community. Please do not copy or distribute outside this space.