My Body Speaks, and I Listen – Join the Waitlist
Layla in the forest with the fox, deer, and owl — illustration from My Body Speaks, and I Listen

Coming Soon  ·  A Children's Picture Book

My Body Speaks,
and I Listen

A gentle story about body wisdom, instinct,
and learning to trust yourself

Most children know when something feels wrong.
They just don't always know they're allowed to say so.

This book gives them the language — and the permission.

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"They don't have to choose between being good and being safe."

— from the author's note

We are raising children in a world that still tells them to be polite before it tells them to be safe.

So many of us were taught to smile, stay quiet, and not make a fuss. To keep the peace. To worry more about whether we'd upset someone than whether something felt deeply, unmistakably wrong.

We pass that lesson on without meaning to. We teach children to hug people they don't want to hug. We tell them not to be rude when their gut is screaming. We ask them to ignore the one thing that might actually keep them safe: the wisdom already living inside their own body.

This book exists because children deserve a story that tells them the truth: their feelings are real, their instincts matter, and they are always, always allowed to say no.

That message has never been more important than it is right now.

A moment from inside the book

Her belly tightened like a knot. "Something feels wrong," it whispered.

Her heart gave a soft ache. "They seem kind… I don't want to hurt their feelings."

Her head raced. "Grown-ups are in charge. I don't want to be rude."

She felt it all. And then she chose to trust the voice inside.

"No thank you. I'll wait here."

The people nodded, and walked away. Layla stood a little taller. She had listened to the answer her body gave her. And that made her feel strong.

— Pages 13–18, My Body Speaks, and I Listen

Three voices. One wise child.

The Fox

The Brain that Knows

Lives in the belly. Speaks through tightness, flutter, and stillness. It's the gut that whispers "pay attention" before you even know why.

"It speaks through signals — a tightness, a knot, or a flutter like wings. That's your belly saying: pay attention."

The Deer

The Brain that Feels

Lives in the heart. It knows love, kindness, and connection — but it also worries about hurting others. Its voice is gentle, and it needs the other two to work alongside it.

"They seem kind… I don't want to hurt their feelings."

The Owl

The Brain that Thinks

Lives in the head. It solves, remembers, and reasons. But on its own, it can talk us out of what we know. All three together is where the wisdom lives.

"It solves problems, remembers, and makes plans — but it can get overwhelmed when it works by itself."

Gentle lessons that stay for life

  • Noticing body signals — tightness, warmth, calm, flutter
  • The difference between thoughts, feelings, and gut instinct
  • Why the heart's kindness and the gut's warning can both be true at once
  • Using all three inner voices together to make wise choices
  • Building confidence, real boundaries, and self-trust
  • Knowing they are always, always allowed to say no
J

"I wrote this book because so many of us were taught that being polite was more important than being safe. This is the story I wish I'd had."

Julia Joy is a Special Education Specialist, Yoga Instructor, Somatic Coach, EFT practitioner, and currently studying to become a Psychotherapist. She is the founder of Good Girl Rehab — a space for women learning to reclaim the voice they were taught to silence. This book is her origin story.

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