Explore every episode of the podcast Rise Together

Before we move forward, we pause.

In this special closing ceremony of the month, Valentina and Inma guide you through a gentle ritual on support — how we receive it, how we resist it, and how we resource ourselves through it.

This episode is not a discussion. It is a practice.

Together, you’ll move through four intentional stages: presence, letting go, and letting in. You’ll be invited to ground into your body, soften your jaw and shoulders, feel your feet on the earth, and reconnect with your breath. From there, you’ll release the expectations, stories, and patterns that may have shaped your relationship with support — the belief that you must always be strong, that support must look a certain way, that receiving help means losing agency.

Through imagery rooted in the elements — fire, water, wind, earth — you’ll be guided to consciously let go.

Then comes the harvest.

What if support doesn’t have to be loud?
What if it isn’t about fixing — but restoring capacity?
What if being resourced allows you to support everything that comes your way?

This ceremony is an invitation to close the month with gratitude, compassion, and openness. To acknowledge what was present, what was missing, and what is now ready to grow.

Take this time for yourself. Pause. Release. Receive.

And step into the next cycle resourced.

Why is it so hard to ask for help — and why does it change everything when we do?

In this reflective closing episode of the month, Valentina and Inma explore what support really means — not just intellectually, but emotionally, relationally, and physically.

From launching the podcast and navigating uncertainty, to sitting in a living room asking parents for help, this conversation unpacks the vulnerability of saying “I need support” — and the surprising power that follows. They explore why high achievers and leaders often struggle to ask for help, how cultural and gender expectations shape the way we give and receive support, and why emotional regulation begins in the body.

You’ll hear:

• Why asking for help can feel like a threat to our self-worth

• How support regulates the nervous system (yes — even measurable in your data)

• The difference between emotional, instrumental, and informational support

• Why we often forget to include ourselves in our own support network

• A powerful reframe: you are in a lifelong relationship with the person underneath your skin

This episode is an invitation to notice the support already around you — and within you. To listen more. To observe more. To speak with intention. And to remember: resilience is rarely built alone.

As the month closes, one truth remains clear — being held and learning to hold yourself may be one of the most important skills of all.

The Science of Support: Why We’re Not Meant to Be Resilient Alone

In this episode of Rise, we explore the science behind support — and why it’s one of the most powerful vehicles for resilience.

Building on our previous conversations about what support feels like and how to ask for it, we now step into the research. From the stress-buffering hypothesis to polyvagal theory, we unpack what actually happens in the body and brain when we feel supported.

Support doesn’t remove difficulty. It changes how we respond to it.

We explore how:

• Support regulates the nervous system and reduces stress responses

• Feeling understood lowers cortisol and helps us recover faster

• Identity and belonging shape whether support feels safe or threatening

• Oxytocin strengthens trust and grounding

• Resilience is not independence — it’s connection

This episode challenges the cultural myth that strength means coping alone. The science is clear: support doesn’t remove agency. It restores capacity.

A reflective and research-backed conversation on why rising together is not a slogan — it’s how we’re wired to thrive.

What does real support actually look like—and why does it matter so much for resilience?

In this episode of Rise, Inma is joined by Emma Keith, Group Captain in the Royal Air Force and Commandant of the RAF Leadership Academy, for a deeply human conversation about support, leadership, and resilience.

Drawing on her experience leading in high-responsibility environments—and navigating profound personal loss—Emma reframes support as more than something we receive. She explores how support flows both ways, why leaders need support too, and how resilience rarely grows in isolation. Together, they unpack the visible and invisible forms of support, from mentoring and workplace culture to friendship, family, and self-support.

Emma shares powerful reflections on grief, burnout, gender expectations, and the importance of investing in relationships—not just professional success. She also offers practical wisdom on recognising when support is needed, asking for the right kind of help, and creating cultures of care, both externally and within ourselves.

A grounding reminder for anyone carrying responsibility: slowing down, reflecting, and building meaningful support systems may be the strongest leadership skills of all.

Support is often something we expect from others — but what if it’s also something we can offer ourselves?

In this opening episode of Rise, Inma introduces the theme of the month: support. Through gentle reflection and inquiry, she explores how we give, receive, resist, and long for support across different areas of our lives — at work, at home, in relationships, and within ourselves.

Rather than offering answers, this episode invites you into a series of thoughtful questions: What kind of support do you actually need? How does your body respond to asking for help? Who do you turn to — and who don’t you? How have culture, gender, and early experiences shaped your relationship with support?

This is an invitation to notice support as a living conversation — imperfect, contextual, and deeply human — and to begin the month with curiosity, compassion, and awareness.

In the first episode of Rise, Valentina and Inma unpack the quiet, often messy reality of feeling “not ready” — and why waiting for confidence or clarity can keep us stuck. Together, they challenge the performative idea of resilience and reframe it as a lived, relational practice: showing up imperfectly, listening to our bodies, and responding with honesty rather than force. Blending life experience, psychology, and soulful reflection, Rise invites you to stop chasing readiness and start building it — one intentional resilient step at a time.