Listeners ask questions. Let’s discuss: What should I do if I see someone being followed or pursued? Do I help? If so, HOW do I help? Here’s a quick episode to talk you through some options.

Support this important work:
Buy Me a Coffee
Donate through my website
Thank you!

Join “The Empowerment Project” Group on Facebook. For everyone’s safety, please know that if you don’t answer the questions, we will not accept you into the group.

#theempowermentpodcast, #theempowermentproject, #theempowermentpodcastybynaga, #emowermentselfdefense, #selfdefense, #nagacommunity,

Connect with Silvia

Special thanks to my editor, Collin Taber (@that2ndtaberkid)

Resources:
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse

What is coercion as it relates to sexual assault? What does it look like, sound like, feel like? How do we build resilience to it? What are tools we can add to our toolkit to deal with coercion when we feel it is happening to us? Luckily for us, in this episode, we are joined by Justine Halliwill from the University of Oregon where she teaches self-defense. Join us for part one of this two part series as we take a look at this manipulative ploy which is so nuanced and important to understand!

Boundaries
Boundaries are fundamental to our emotional, mental, spiritual and physical health and safety. Join host Silvia Smart and THRIVE – with a little help from your boundaries!

Find out:
What is a boundary? How do boundaries make us safer? What other reasons make them important? What does a boundary have to do with empowerment self-defense? How do you know where yours begin and end? How do you set a boundary? How do you make your boundaries known and how do you enforce them?

This is the good stuff! Enjoy!

Special thanks to my producer/editor, Henry Smart-Denson

Support this important work:
Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/silviasmart
Donate through my website: https://nagacommunity.com/product/support-the-empowerment-podcast-by-naga/
Thank you!

Join “The Empowerment Project” Group on Facebook. For everyone’s safety, please know that if you don’t answer the questions, we will not accept you into the group.

#theempowermentpodcast, #theempowermentproject, #emowermentselfdefense, #selfdefense, #nagacommunity, #boundaries

Connect with Silvia: www.nagacommunity.com/contact

Evoke Episode – Enmeshment (https://open.spotify.com/episode/1rRlbljITSRxy6Q0hQAY48?si=av5mL_PnQMyezO6gbvfXTQ&dl_branch=1)

Empowerment Self Defense Works!

Empowerment Self Defense really works! Find out how Jocelyn Hollander’s research at the University of Oregon is proving this – and so much more! ESD training works not just to keep you safer, though it does that REALLY WELL! It also has positive impacts that reach far beyond your class. Participants report being empowered in a variety of different areas of their personal and professional lives.

Here’s proof that Empowerment Self Defense keeps participants safer and changes lives and the balance of power.

Join me and my guest, Jocelyn Hollander as we discuss her research methods and findings on the efficacy of ESD and so much more! Jocelyn is a professor at the University of Oregon. Researching the efficacy of ESD has become her life’s work. She’s got fantastic information and perspective! Enjoy!

Find out more:
Jocelyn at the U of O: https://sociology.uoregon.edu/profile/jocelynh/
Jocelyn’s Web Page:
https://jocelynhollander.com/

#theempowermentpodcastbynaga, #nagacommunity, @nagacommunity @nagamartialarts #esd, #empowermentselfdefense

Empowerment Self Defense challenges the status quo, the balance of power and unconscious biases. It challenges myths and attitudes, cultural norms and beliefs. It gives participants agency and tools to question power dynamics in society, but also in their intimate relationships. Because of this, and myriad other reasons as well, there is a great deal of resistance on the part of both individuals and institutions to taking and offering Empowerment Self Defense Programs.

Join me and my guest, Jocelyn Hollander as we dissect and pull apart the various hurdles and obstacles people and institutions raise as reasons to NOT take or offer ESD classes. Jocelyn is a professor at the University of Oregon. Researching the efficacy of ESD has become her life’s work. She’s got so much great insight! Enjoy!

https://jocelynhollander.com/
#empowermentselfdefense
#theempowermentpodcastbynaga

Ariel Estrada: Finding Empowerment Through Creativity, Artistry and Self Defense

Meet Ariel Estrada, an actor, singer, playwright, arts advocate, director, and producer living in New York City. Ariel’s trajectory, his journey through early childhood challenges, and experiences of racism and abuse as an adult have given him a unique perspective on healing and empowerment.
One of many cool things about Ariel? He uses his artistry and talent to create healing for himself and others. He is the Founder and Producing Artistic Director of Leviathan Lab and wrote his a one-man show, “Full Contact”:
“What does it mean to have a body? Ariel Estrada investigates his experiences as a 20-year survivor of a brutal martial arts cult, interweaving his Filipino father’s immigrant story with his own coming-of-age as a gay man at the height of the AIDS crisis. Through these histories, he brings to life the emotional battle between father and son, and his ongoing battle to take pride in himself as a gay Filipino American man against all odds.”
Ariel and I trained martial arts together and experienced the same weird and abusive cult-like dynamics simultaneously. We both left, got out, and cut ties independently of one another. But then, we found our way back to friendship as we were both processing what happened years later. It’s been really great to reconnect.
arielestrada.com
leviathanlab.com
arielestradadesign.com

#theempowermentpodcastbynaga
#empowermentselfdefense
#nagacommunity

My guest, Clara Porter, is a one-of-a-kind human being. Clara holds a Master of Social Work Degree and is the director of Prevention. Action. Change. In Maine. With over 20 years of experience in the field, Clara is a nationally certified instructor in Empowerment Self Defense. She is also certified through the Center for Anti-Violence Education.

Clara has worked as an adjunct professor in the School of Social Work at the University of New England. She was the Coordinator of Interpersonal Violence Prevention at the University of Southern Maine, and was the Executive Director at the Sexual Assault Support Services of Midcoast Maine before focusing full-time on Prevention. Action. Change.

Clara is certified in Advanced Trauma First Aide, and has extensive experience working with organizations and people of all ages including folks with physical, mental/emotional, and developmental challenges.

Clara’s Website:
https://pacmaine.com/

@nagacommunity, @silviasmart, #theempowermentpodcastbynaga, #empowermentselfdefense

Interview with Wim Wetzel, author of “Surviving Death By A Thousand Cuts”
Meet Wim Wetzel, author of “Surviving Death By A Thousand Cuts”. There are many ways to overcome tough times and trauma. In his book, Wim describes what it was like growing up as the oldest child in a fascinating yet challenging family dynamic. War, immigration to the US, a family Martial Arts school, discipline beyond the pale and more wartime service, provide a backdrop to Wim’s journey of healing and redemption. Host, Silvia Smart reads excerpts from the book and finds out from Wim how “don’t give up ever, no matter what life throws at you” has become his message of empowerment and hope.
#theempowermentpodcastbynaga, #empowermentselfdefense,
@NagaMartialArts, @NagaCommunity

Wim Wetzel’s Book “Surviving Death By A Thousand Cuts”: https://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Death-Thousand-Cuts-Wetzel/dp/0463558634

My guest this episode is Janessa Jaye Champagne, a Drag Queen living in North Dakota. Janessa is going to introduce us to “stealthing”, through their own experience of it. We’ll find out what it means and how it works. And, as always, you’ll find links in the episode description & on The Empowerment Project Community, our Facebook Group to resources and more information. Mature content.

Janessa’s Blog, “Well, Actually”: http://www.janessajaye.com/well-actually/
Janessa’s YouTubeChannel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiuVjApfqNe3HAF29FksnuA/videos
Janessa’s Podcasts on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-49527017
(JANESSA AFTER DARK is their pop culture/commentary show, MISS JAYE: THE RENOVATION is their limited series about self-help and personal growth)
Instagram: http://Instagram.com/JanessaJayeOfficial
Expect strong language.
@nagamartialarts, @nagacommunity #stealthing #bodyautonomy #theempowermentpodcastbynaga #empowermentselfdefense