Beyond the basement

What does it really mean to be gentle with ourselves, with life, with each other? In this episode, we explore the layers of gentleness, inspired by a recent Authentic Relating workshop. I share reflections, and the subtle ways we often resist softness through striving, numbing, trying to get it right, or simply forgetting that we’re human. This is your invite to reimagine gentleness not as weaknes...

We all want it, but how do we get more of it? In this episode, I explore the connection between happiness and getting our needs met. Based on my experience as an embodiment coach, my work with clients, and my own journey of figuring out how to live a happier life, I’ve noticed five distinct stages we move through on the path to happiness. In a state of accidental and extreme caffeination, I step t...

A lot of people think improv is all about being quick-witted and hilarious. Maybe that’s why you and so many other people find it intimidating. But what if improv could be something else? Something gentler, more reflective, and actually supportive of who you are? In this episode, I break down five key ways my improv workshops are different. They’re not about pressure or performance - they’re about...

We all know play is important for kids—but what about us grown-ups? In this episode, I dive into my frustration about how play is so often misunderstood and undervalued by adults. I share my experiences of talking to people about my work helping parents and adults be more playful, and the resistance I encounter. Why do we see play as just for children? Why do we, as adults, neglect our own need fo...

If you’ve ever thought, “I’d love to try improv, but never have the time,” this episode is for you. Improv isn’t just a fun extra—it enriches and enhances the things that matter most in your life, from your career to your relationships. In this episode, I break down three surprising benefits of improv—joy, growth, and connection—and why they make improv more than worth your time. If you’re a busy...

What if you could listen so deeply that you hear why someone is saying what they’re saying—not just the words, but the essence of who they are? In this episode, I explore the three levels of listening from Authentic Relating, with a special focus on Level 3: deep, intuitive listening. This is the kind of listening that goes beyond understanding words and instead seeks to uncover the deeper truths...

Recorded in the cold grip of winter, this episode is all about deepening your relationship with that thing below your neck. Do you take your body for granted? How do you speak to or with yourself? Why would you even bother with any of this. I share some rantings from my recent journey inwards, on this ongoing investigation into self-leadership, care and what some people might even call self LOVE....

Oops! I accidentally discovered the meaning of life, in this glued-together mantra of both new and ancient wisdom. In this episode I explore what it means to follow your bliss at your own pace and welcome everything in life and improv. And how these guiding practices can help move us toward a richer, more vibrant experience of life. I recorded this for both improvisers and non-improvisers; and fel...

OK, maybe the title’s a bit dramatic but this one is an exploration of how to navigate and support yourself through scary, painful, uncomfortable challenges in life. Are you there for yourself? Perhaps you’ve heard this called ‘self-care’ or ‘self-love’ - but I think there’s way more to this than wellbeing. It’s being in charge of your own experience, stepping in and rescuing yourself instead of w...

I hear this from clients. People are lonely and hungry for connection, yet it’s SO tricky to build new relationships as grown-ups. Why? The odds may be stacked against you… In this episode I try to diagnose the problem and give language to what’s really going on. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy...

This word, ‘range’ comes up a lot, when it comes to meaning in life - for me, my clients and people like me. I struggle to define what I mean by it though. So here I work out loud what I think I mean by seeking a fuller, richer, broader experience of the human experience - why we need highs, lows and everything in between. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subs...

This is a love-storm of questions and provocations to help you notice, understand or just identify the extent to which Perfectionism affects your life. In it, I share a few examples of how it shows up and what’s really going on. 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

Reassurance if you’re self-conscious in this episode. I explore the stories we tell ourselves and project onto others, and their perception of us. Chris goes into town to watch improv “…where there’s music and there’s people and they’re young and alive” and discovers no one really cares or notices. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to...

Here’s what should have happened: you and I take a lovely autumnal walk where I gently yet clearly reveal my new project - Letters to Perfectionism. Love letters, thank you notes, complaints and memos to help people like us explore our relationship with perfection’s many fixations and gifts. Here’s what actually happened: my dog went rogue - trying to get kidnapped, then stealing a ball. Then I go...

“If you want it done right, do it yourself” right? Because people can’t be trusted. They mean well, but your shoulders are broad enough to cope alone. Can you relate? If so, you could be the self-reliant type like me. Not that we don’t like or want support; it’s just tricky to ask for, and even harder to receive. So we chose the path of struggle and isolation. You martyr you! Nothing wrong with se...

This one’s all about how you relate to yourself and other people - and the warm and fuzzy rewards you get when you’re more emotionally available, authentic and vulnerable. Let’s face it, modern life keeps your head down, your attention inward and your spirits low. The pace is of life relentless, urgent and fast - more, more, more, they tell you! In my experience this can sit at odds with the slowe...

If you’re anything like me, slowing down physically, mentally or emotionally is a lesson you’re doomed to learn over and over again. There’s an underlying habit of urgency, to do and be more, and to get there quickly in case time runs out or you miss it. In this episode I reflect on some enlightening feedback, and share insight from my recent adventures in Authentic Relating. Hopefully I make a fa...

Your playfulness helps you navigate uncertainty, deepen your relationships, be more creative with problems, and generally have more fun and joy in life. Here I explore three powerful ways to invite more of that into life. I think we’re all naturally playful at heart, it isn’t something you need to learn or add. More of a remembering or uncovering beneath what life can dump on top of it. That’s cer...

If you’re anything like me you avoid arguments and confrontation. I prefer the easy life - it’s only natural. Yet in choosing the path of least resistance, we can miss out on what’s on the other side of all that pain, conflict and tension. Also known as ‘rupture and repair’ with our fellow humans. Here I explore what’s on the other side with a live story from the Authentic Relating leadership retr...

Is life something that happens to you, or something you have a say in? This one’s about how much power and agency we have, or choose, in our own lived experience. If we choose none, we can fall into a state of collapse and victimhood. If we seize it all there’s a risk of becoming a bully in a state of aggressive posturing at the world. So what’s a healthier way to meet pain (and pleasure) in life?...

Ever jump to conclusions about people? Or feel a bit judgey - like you know better. Here we’ll explore what happens when we do this, how it gets in the way of relationships and how we might try something different. Assume nothing is one of the five practices of Authentic Relating (AR). I recorded this while on retreat in France, doing my level 3 leadership training in this beautiful way to redisco...

If, after doing a big or difficult thing, you quickly move on to the next big or difficult thing, taking your performance for granted - you probably had high expectations and low support as a youngster, like me. Perhaps you too are a lifelong perfectionist, hyper self-reliant type, or chronic overachiever. Hello, I see you. Join me as I unpick a recent experience that brings this to life, and the...

Is it possible to 'get on' on life, yet be more consciously lazy? What's like life with the absence of striving. This August I checked out, and gave things more space in life. And three curious, unexpected things happened, that'll I'll share in this episode. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.subs...

Life is all about giving and recieving. Give and take. And trying, striving, efforting to stack the odds in your favour so you get what you want only seems to make life more difficult. I'm exploring a new way to get on in life. With more grace, acceptance and allowing of what is. The universe heard me and offered a challenge with a recent experience. Here I attempt to make sense of it. This is a p...

What's it like to give and recieve one of the finest human virtues - our interest and attention? Curiosity is what drives us to explore, relate and discover. Yet I've noticed, like playfulness, it's one of the first qualities we lose when we're feeling low or under-resourced. Join me for a think-aloud exploration of what it is to be curious, and our relationship with it. This is a public episode....