Beyond the basement

There's a possibility that the thing you're nervous about doing, could actually go well! Yes, I know. You're allowed to have fun. Despite expecting and preparing for the worst to happen. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

I take a secret phone break from the weekend courses I'm on, all about embodiment. This is the art of how we physically express and relate to the world through our posture, state and physiology - what your body is up to. This playful little game I talk about can reveal a lot about you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episode...

I’ve a theory that as we near possibility of those things we want most (at an innermost, spiritual level), we meet and expose layer after layer of defence. Defences unwittingly created in youth to avoid the pain, like disappointment, shame, judgement, loneliness and everything else. Feelings we stand a good chance of experiencing if we take risks, and things (inevitably) go wrong, in pursuit of wh...

When it comes to finding calm and contentment, all the evidence points to how much we pay attention to nature while we're in it. If you know it's good for you, but find your mind races while you take a walk in the park, try these games to bring you into the here-and-now. Solo friendly. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episode...

Chris gets ambushed by an inconvenient old friend in front of everyone. This prompts a short reflection on how we relate to the myriad parts of ourselves that we'd prefer weren't there, yet live inside all of us. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

Join Chris on a park bench as we dive into the big P: perfectionism. What it is and how it shows up - as the urge to fix, correct, improve and make better or right. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

'Love yourself' is terrible, ambiguous advice. Same with 'self-love', implying all you need is a bubble bath to heal yourself. To help, I'm sharing three, possibly more helpful, definitions of what love is when it comes to relating to yourself, as well as others. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy...

Every time something doesn't work out the way we expected, that's a form of grief, I reckon. Some reflections on navigating the tricky stuff, crouched beneath a mighty oak. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

Today's rant is about toxic goal-setting. Why would anyone set themselves up for failure? I also suggest a healthier, more gentle way to express and get what you want from the year ahead. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

Stood on a hillside, the dog has my back. We're watching out for each other. But all that watching out can get in the way of experiencing what's really going on in the moment. Where there's fun to be had. Some reflections from improv. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

Staring into the eyes of another human is INTENSE. Animals only do it for two reasons, and they both begin with F. So it's no wonder we rarely hold gaze into the eyes of our fellow humans for very long. Yet what would happen if we did? The eyes don't lie. What will we see and find in there? This month at Leeds improv Co-Lab we'll be playing with safe ways to make eye contact and transmit the messa...

You lot asked for it, here it is. Collected stories and reflections on ways to navigate the profound discomfort of job dissatisfaction, and the uncertainty of what lurks on the other side. Includes insight and tips to help you find hope in what seems like a hopeless situation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit...

Our bodies do everything they can to protect us from emotional (and physical) pain. And what a marvellous job it does of that. Yet inside pain, in the shadows, lurk valuable lessons and uncomfortable truths. Truths that when exposed can actually liberate us from subsequent pain in the future. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus...

Relentless doing and making can be a way to avoid tricky feelings like disconnection. But it's also an expression of creativity and love. What is healthy doing and making? How might we let ourselves off the hook when we're not up to much else? Chris has a weekend by himself to explore all this, and makes a washstand in the process. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with o...

Everyone remembers a great teacher, right? One of my favourite teachers (Andêl Sudik) ran a workshop for my improv community last week, which left me inspired, hopeful and mischievous... Some reflections on what improv reveals about life, our vibe, and how to enjoy more of the here-and-now. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus ep...

Anger wants to move. If it can't, we suffer. But what even is it? How do we move it in a healthy way? I share some reflections and insight from my own experiences with anger - like waking up in a right funk this morning... This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

A chance conversation at last night's improv for newcomers event led to this reflection all about being a grown-up, seriousness, play, and what it is to be a 'whole' human. And why we might need more of the latter. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

I didn't have a very gentle introduction to improv. In fact, it was pretty brutal. I didn't sleep for 4 days. So here's what I'd do differently. What I will do differently, as today I host my first basics taster improv session, inviting newbies to come join and play our little community in Leeds. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bo...

My friend Lody is a contact improviser in Holland. We have a late night chat about what it is and how it relates to the usual kind of improv I bang on about here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

Do you have unrelentingly high standards? Ever beat yourself up because nothing's ever quite good enough? Can you spot flaws and mistakes in everything? It could be that you have a particularly vocal inner critic, or live with a high degree of judgement in your life. Here's my heartfelt exploration of what it's like living with judgement, how it behaves under stress and security, as well as a few...

What is anger? How do you feel about it? Classic BtB territory here as I process some recent triggers that provoked my own unique flavour of anger. There's also reflections on how we might express it in healthier ways so it doesn't linger and torment. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.co...

I wonder out-loud if there's an appetite for more human-to-human tenderness. By that I mean vulnerable moments where we're both answering the question "what's it like being you" openly, without fear of shame, judgement and reprisal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

Even if you're not a dog person, these furry, stripped-back mammals hold the wisdom of the universe in their tiny minds, if we're open to listening. Here's everything (so far) I'm learning about peace, presence, trust and other virtues, from Laurie. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

I accidentally-on-purpose crafted a really productive day, even though what came out of it was 'wrong'. Here are some reflections on what we might do to affect our state (energy, motivation, moods), and what works - so we feel hopeful, inspired and creative, regardless of outcomes. Note: not all my days are like this... This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscri...

A fruitful first wander in the wintry French countryside reminds me how people and memories leave a spooky kind of residue. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com