the Henny Flynn podcast

A bonus episode inspired by a voice note from a friend, all about... Inspiration This is a stepping stone into a topic I find fascinating: where does inspiration come from ?  I talk about... Inspiration as external flow, not internal genius - Touching on our potential to shift from Renaissance thinking (genius lives in the person) back to classical understanding (the muse is 'something other')  Fl...

Today we're looking at the third and final aspect of resilience that's been running through the last few episodes of this season: the inner critic . That voice inside us that can feel like our worst enemy - and yet, like all our parts, is just trying to do the important job it believes it's here to do. In this reflective episode, you'll hear: How the inner critic forms - often from experiences whe...

A note before you listen: Adam shares a personal experience involving grief and suicide that emerged naturally during our conversation. This episode isn't focused on those themes - we're exploring resilience, authenticity, masking, and boundaries - and I'm flagging this so you can choose whether this feels ok for you. Ultimately, this is a wide-ranging conversation between two friends; an episode...

This is the first of three episodes diving deeper into resilience. Last week I explored how resilience can look like different things - this week, I'm focusing on one of the three key areas: the Self-Care Bank. It's a metaphor that's generated so much interest, and today I'm unpacking what it really means - and why what gets labelled as 'lack of resilience' is often actually lack of resources. You...

I've noticed my own emotional and psychological resilience has increased as I've aged. Things that once affected me deeply seem to affect me less. But what I'm really curious about is something different. I'm no longer willing to mask the truth of how I'm feeling. Research shows emotional resilience improves as we mature - even after significant life changes like bereavement, retirement, loss. But...

I recorded an episode today that didn't feel quite right. Some of my thoughts felt a little confused, possibly difficult to follow. So I started over. And that became the theme of the episode... There's a Sharon Salzberg quote I love: 'We can always begin again, no matter what happens, no matter how long it's been, no matter how far from our aspirations we may have strayed.' It is so filled with h...

I'm sitting in our retreat house this long weekend. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the birds are singing. And I realised yesterday that I'd completely forgotten to do this week's episode...  I think this is the only time this has ever happened and I'm so sorry if you look forward to listening at a particular time. I chose to let it go rather than squeeze it in whilst rushed and anxious. And...

I'm recording this from another hospital corner; hopefully, hopefully the last time I need to record from here. But this episode is not about that... It's the story of what happened in New Zealand at the end of last year, standing on a swing bridge, about to begin a short stretch of the Kepler Trail. You'll hear: The moment I turned from looking upstream to looking downstream and felt a rush of en...

I'm recording this from a hospital. I've found a quiet corner - it's Saturday morning and you might hear lifts beeping, trolleys, maybe some voices. I'm here seeing a loved one. It's why there wasn't an episode last week. This isn't my story to tell, so I can't talk about details, but I wanted to share the context I'm in. This episode is about how life throws curveballs at us, and how the work we...

This week sees the opening of The Field. And this episode is a reflection on how creating it has been a practice in the work of change. Art imitating life... or vice versa perhaps? You'll hear... How I've moved through doubt, fear, and excitement while letting this idea percolate  A time when parts of me were clamouring 'I should have worked harder'  Why self-awareness + self-compassion = compassi...

Today I'm in conversation with Soulla Demetriou - a dear friend, a teacher who profoundly shaped my journey, and the author of the newly released book You Have Always Been Enough . Soulla introduced me to self-compassion work and later to Internal Family Systems, and our paths have been beautifully interwoven ever since. In this conversation, we explore: Soulla's journey from corporate London thro...

You'll hear this episode begins with me sharing a complete technical breakdown. I had recorded a really lovely episode and when I went back to listen, it sounded like it was voiced by AI. I couldn't fix it, despite my best efforts, and so I had to start again. It's often in moments like these that I turn to my old journals. When I opened one of them at random, this is what emerged: A reflection on...

It's a sunny Saturday morning, and I've had a slow start. We're a little late recording this, but what's late? What's early? When there's no fixed time anyway. I've talked about going with the slow before (back in Season 5), and I'm returning to it again because it's such a fundamental part of how I understand change. This time I'm exploring it through different lenses — the butterfly chrysalis, t...

I'm back in my kitchen - this really feels like the place to speak to you - and I've been thinking this week about the juxtaposition between joy and pain, between the bitter and the sweet. It's something that came up in a conversation I had recently, and something that's been arising in the Gratitude Quest. So I thought we could reflect on that together today. In this episode, I explore: • How we...

I woke early this morning to check the technology for the Gratitude Quest, and found myself reading the gratitudes people have been sharing. The experience of reading them - particularly responses to today's prompt about sensation and touch - became the inspiration for what I want to share with you today. I'm in my kitchen, in the big comfy chair by the warm Aga, Ronnie at my feet (until he gets b...

Finding Gratitude in Simple Sounds I'm back home after my travels, and you might be able to hear the tiny waterfall that pours into the brook along the edge of our land. Maybe you can hear the birds too. This is a short episode about beginning with what's around us - sounds, objects, small moments - and how these simple things can become doorways to gratitude. In this episode, I explore: Why start...

I recorded this episode, wrapped in a duvet at a friend's house - you can hear my voice still finding its morning register. I'm away from home seeing friends and family. Understanding my intentions for being here resonates with the question I'd love to explore today: what is it I'm calling in by being here ? It's a question with layers - geographical and existential, practical and profound. In thi...

The Language We Use With Ourselves Just before heading out to meet friends, I caught myself in a small moment of self-judgement: 'I'm meant to be ready already .' It's such familiar territory, isn't it? That subtle criticism we layer onto ourselves throughout the day. Recognising that moment sparked some thoughts... that led to this episode, exploring: How our self-talk is a vital part of our self...

In this episode, I share something very personal. As part of a quiet spell of sorting and clearing, Anton unearthed our wedding book — filled with photographs and handwritten messages from many years ago. Inside it was a poem my mother wrote and read at our wedding. This episode isn’t about making changes or doing deep inner work. It’s about love — how we see it, how we live with it, and the stori...

Sometimes we arrive at a decision we fully own - and still find ourselves unsure of whether to take the big step that makes the change happen. In this episode, I explore the tipping point from preparation into activation - and the kind of care these sliding door moments ask of us. We explore: What it means when the change is ours - not driven by external circumstances The inner scale of decisions...

As we step into a new year, this episode explores the quiet clarity that can emerge when we move with both energy and deliberation . In this reflective, stream-of-consciousness episode, I share a short piece of writing that arrived unexpectedly — and then open it up gently, listening for what wants to be heard. You’ll hear reflections on: The juxtaposition between energy and deliberation — and how...

I wasn’t planning to begin a new season of the podcast just yet — and yet something called me back. So this feels like a bonus episode. A moment of reconnection. A gentle hello. In this short reflection, I share what’s been feeling most present for me as we move through this season — particularly the intertwining of kindness and boundaries , and how deeply they belong together. I explore: Why boun...

As this series draws to a close - and as the podcast quietly passes its 200th episode - I’ve found myself reflecting on silence. In this episode, I explore: The richness of silence as presence rather than absence The way how we journey and arrive can shape our capacity for stillness What it means to land — in our bodies, our lives, and the earth itself The tenderness of being alone and being cared...

Welcome back to Tuesday's Thought, a bonus episode sharing reflections on the most recent episode of the Henny Flynn podcast: Grief and Belief (S18E9) My 3 key reflections, as I speak to you today are: 1. The vulnerability hangover and how it can leave us feeling open and raw 2. The old strategies we may have used to suppress feelings of vulnerability 3. Naming our vulnerability can be a powerful...

A quiet, meandering and emotional reflection on the intertwined nature of grief and belief. In this stream-of-consciousness episode, I explore: The many ways grief can show up — from loss of loved ones to the living grief of change or unrealised dreams Stillness as a doorway into the temple — whether we see that as stepping into our grief or allowing it to enter within Belief as a gentle trust in...