the Henny Flynn podcast
A space to settle in and listen, and see where the episode takes you. This inspiring, reflective podcast is an invitation to travel deeper, with compassionate self-enquiry. Henny shares insights from her own life, alongside practices that help us connect with our inner wisdom, explore our relationship with change and find a greater sense of flow. Henny believes we all hold our own answers, so there are no one-size-fits-all solutions here. This is a space to be with what’s true for you, and to grow from there. If you’re drawn to slowing down, listening in, and exploring what it m...
Where Do You Go To, My Lovely? (S21E3)
I hadn't planned this episode - it seems to be the way, these days - it arrived instead, out of a small, quite ordinary battle with a piece of technology that simply wouldn't cooperate - and the frustration that came with it.
As today's episode unfolded, there were three threads that appeared:
What happens when something feels hard - not the BIG moments but those small things that thwart us - frustrating, annoying, irritating - and the choices we might forget we haveHow trying to enforce 'unenforceable rules' can lead us to 'pushing on through', when...From Black Dog to Grey Wolf (S21E2)
The response to last week's episode about fairy tales and voice notes has been extraordinary - so many of you shared your own stories with me, and I wanted to spend this episode reflecting on what came through, and inviting you a little deeper into mine.
There are three threads running through today's conversation:
I share the fuller story behind my own fairy tale - Little Red Riding Hood - including a sculpture that changed how I related to a part of myself I used to call anger, and how that part has since transformed from...The Ways We Connect: from Fairy Tales to Voice Notes (S21E1)
After our pause, I'm returning to a new season - literal and metaphorical. It's lovely to be back and to feel into what is asking to be shared. As I opened the channel for today's conversation, two themes began flowing through this episode.
I reflect on connection - between writer and reader, speaker and listener, self and self - and I ask a question I'd love you to sit with: what fairy tale from your childhood has stayed with you, and what might it be reflecting back?
I also share a new way I've been...
Summering: Moving into August (Bonus S20)
A bonus episode for those who prefer listening to reading... or enjoy both.
This is an audio version of the email going out today, in preparation for my annual August break. It includes a reflection on what this time of 'Summering' can mean and hold for each of us, a poem on holidays as holy days and a few things to explore during August...
As ever it is shared with love.
The podcast will be back in September. Speak with you soon.
Henny x
PODCAST
If you’...
What Inspires You? (Bonus)
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') Flow states as the channel - Writing, creating, journaling, problem-solving... how when we drop out of cognitive thinking, ideas emerge that we couldn't have accessed through effort alone.Inspiration as an...Resilience Begins With Compassion: Understanding the Inner Critic (S20E10)
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 when we were very young - and it's role in our beliefs about how resilient we areWhy turning toward these voices...Balancing Authenticity with Resilience - In Conversation with Adam Lind (S20E9)
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 of tenderness, hope and connection.
Balancing Authenticity with Self-Protection and Resilience - In Conversation with Adam Lind
Today I'm joined by Adam Lind, author of Floating Home, for the second of our three-part...
The Self-Care Bank (S20E8)
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'll hear:
Why depletion isn't a sign of weak resilience - it's a sign of low reservesHow self-awareness with self-compassion helps us notice when our...Resilience Can Look Like Many Things (S20E7)
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 the way that resilience shows up might not look like we expect. It might not look like "brushing it off and getting on."
You'll hear:
How a loved...You Can Always Begin Again (S20E6)
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 hope that, for me, speaks to a deep resilience that we may find is within us all.
You'll hear:
The Show Doesn't Always Have to Go On (S20E5)
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 that feels interesting to explore.
You'll hear:
Why 'the show must go on' is one of my formative stories...The Most Ordinary Truths (S20E4)
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 energy so intense I felt I couldn't live big enough to hold itWalking through ancient forest and laying my hands on trees...Holding Ourselves Through the Hard Stuff (S20E3)
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 do in quieter moments supports us when we're facing the bigger stuff.
You'll hear:
Why this experience...Digging deeper into The Field (S20E2)
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 = compassionate self-enquiryWhat The Field offers as you're navigating changeThe Rumi quote that captures it all: 'Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there'Se...
You Have Always Been Enough - A Conversation with Soulla Demetriou (S20E1)
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 through pain, and the suffering that came from that, to yoga, mindfulness, self-compassion, and eventually Internal Family Systems - and why IFS felt like 'the jigsaw piece that made sense of everything'How...The Parts That Are Asking to Be Seen (S19E10)
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 the parts of us that get activated when things go wrong The recognition that these aren't p...The Power of Going with the Slow (S19E9)
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, titration from trauma work, the alphabet between A and B.
In this episode, I explore...
How we're conditioned to move faster through change when our internal mechanisms do...Holding the Bitter and the Sweet (S19E8)
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 learn to make space for both joy and pain within us - not as a meme of 'what doesn't kill yo...
Naming What We Notice (S19E7)
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 bored and wanders off). The air is a little chilly on my skin, and I can hear the birds outside. This feels like a warm, reflective...
Small Gratitudes (S19E6)
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 starting with sounds can be a powerful way into gratitude, especially when life feels hardThe beautiful science of birdsong and...What Are You Calling In? (S19E5)
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 this episode, I explore:
How we might recognise what we've called into our lives, both consciously and unconsciously, and how to hold that awareness without falling...Self-Talk as Self-Care (S19E4)
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-care practice, shaping not only how we see ourselves but how we expect others to see usThe origins of our inner critic — recognising whose voice we're really hearing when we sp...Love is not blind (S19E3)
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 stories we carry about what it is.
I read the poem in full and let it speak for itself...
Sliding Door Moments (S19E2)
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 circumstancesThe inner scale of decisions - how something can feel enormous inside us, even if it looks “small” from the outsideHow to stay with uncertainty with compassion - wi...Energy and Deliberation (S19E1)
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 this can feel like clarity rather than conflictStrengthening the energetic trails that genuinely draw our attentionChoosing discernment over momentum, alignment over urgencyLetting go without attachment — even when something once felt rig...The Kindness of Boundaries (S18 bonus)
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 boundaries often come into sharper focus at this time of yearHow clarity can be an act of kindness — to ourselves and othersThe quiet conf...The Silence of Deep Presence (S18E10)
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:
Recorded from the warmth - and silence - of my kitchen, this conversation flows gently between reflections on r...
Tuesday's Thought (S18E9)
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:
2. The old strategies we may have used to suppress feelings of vulnerability
3. Naming our vulnerability can be a powerful way of soothing it
With the compassionate self-enquiry...
What within you is asking to be seen today? ★ Support this podcast ★Grief & Belief: The Temple Within (S18E9)
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 dreamsStillness as a doorway into the temple — whether we see that as stepping into our grief or allowing it to enter withinBelief as a gentle trust in our deep interconnectionThe comfort that comes when we remember we’re not alone but part of something vast and wholeThe love that sits quietly inside it allAn invita...
Tuesday's Thought (S17E8)
Welcome back to Tuesday's Thought, a bonus episode sharing reflections on the most recent episode of the Henny Flynn podcast: Threads of connection (S18E8)
My 3 key reflections, as I speak to you today are:
2. When we create, maybe the making of something is enough
3. There is Power and Pleasure when we Allow ourselves to connect with others... and with ourselves
With the compassionate self-enquiry...
How is it to notice these gossamer threads - seeing how wide and vast they are? ★ Support this po...Threads of Conversation and Connection (S18E8)
Some episodes arrive without a plan, and yet still something calls to be shared. This is one of those times.
An open reflection on what’s alive in the moment, exploring:
The invisible web of connection that holds us all, even across time and distanceHow love, memory and resonance live within the bodyWhat it means to listen inward and know when something has reached its natural closeThe gentle practice of managing what we consume and nurturing calmEveryday moments as quiet acts of self-compassionA tender, meandering meditation on connection, endings, and love - and a re...
Tuesday's Thought (S18E7)
Welcome back to Tuesday's Thought, a bonus episode sharing reflections on the most recent episode of the Henny Flynn podcast: Choose with Love (S18E7)
My 3 key reflections, as I speak to you today are:
1. Paying our kind attention to the energy behind our choices2. The dignity of choice and the power we (re)claim when we choose to choose
3. The intersection of love and boundaries - and how boundaries are formed of love
With the compassionate self-enquiry...
What might be revealed if you pay deep attention to making one small choice...Choose with Love (S18E7)
A simple thought landed this morning: If you choose to do something, do it with love.
That thought (as these things often do) led to a whole host of other thoughts. Amongst them:
How the act of choosing relates to our sense of dignity, safety and belongingThe difference between duty, responsibility and our conditioned ways of responding to the worldHow beautiful boundaries help us act without resentment or feelings of guiltAnd how we can come to the same outer actions but with an entirely different inner experience.
As ever, I'd love to h...
Tuesday's Thought (S18E6)
Welcome back to Tuesday's Thought, a bonus episode sharing reflections on the most recent episode of the Henny Flynn podcast: Who Are We Being in Our Doing? - Joyous Effort with Janet Ettele (S18E6)
My 3 key reflections, as I speak to you today are:
1. The deepest conversations take us to - and emerge from - the Thin Place2. Timings of how and when things happen are often curious things
3. The power of perseverance, especially in the face of shame
With the compassionate self-enquiry...
How could you beautifully acknowledge where you have...Who Are We Being in Our Doing? - Joyous Effort with Janet Ettele (S18E6)
A lost recording, now found.
What wanted to be shared arrived - and I’m so glad it did.
the master appears..."
Today I’m in conversation with Janet Ettele: musician, author and student of Buddhist teachings. We explore joyous effort - not striving, but the enlivening energy that arises when we understand the value of what we’re doing. We touch the thin places of life, the courage to continue, the practice of rest, and Janet’s beautiful line: who are we being in our doing?
...
Tuesday's Thought (S18E5)
Welcome back to Tuesday's Thought, a bonus episode sharing reflections on the most recent episode of the Henny Flynn podcast: The Tipping Point: Decision, Indecision & Letting Go (S18E5)
My 3 key reflections, as I speak to you today are:
1. Sometimes life gifts you a moment where you can TRULY see the change you’ve enacted2. We may not be moving toward something different - we may simply be revealing who we truly are
3. Release has many meanings
With the compassionate self-enquiry...
What might be calling to be released with love? ★ Support this podc...The Tipping Point: Decision, Indecision & Letting Go (S18E5)
Sometimes change begins with a single step - brief, decisive, and full of possibility.
In this episode, I share a poem from My Darling Girl alongside reflections on surrender, decision, indecision, and the courage it can take to choose to move toward ourselves.
Settle in & listen & see where the episode takes you.
Henny x
POEM
You have been talking of surrender from My darling girl vol. 1
COMING UP
Immerse in The Heart of Change - a year-long programme of compassionate self-enquiry
February 2026 wait list is now o...
Tuesday's Thought (S18E4)
Welcome back to Tuesday's Thought, a bonus episode sharing reflections on the most recent episode of the Henny Flynn podcast: The Paradox of Help: Safety, Shame & Belonging (S18E4)
Today's reflection includes:
So... all of that leads to the invitation to explore (in...
The Paradox of Help: Safety, Shame & Belonging (S18E04)
Why do we sometimes refuse help, even when it might be exactly what we need?
In this episode I explore what happens when we’re feeling sensitised, sensitive, activated or triggered - and why even a simple offer of support can feel like a threat.
Together we look at the patterns that sit beneath our instinct to say no: the way our nervous system tries to keep us safe, how dignity and self-concept can override our needs, and why vulnerability can feel so exposing. And we explore the other side too - how accepting help ca...
Tuesday's Thought (S18E3)
Welcome back to Tuesday's Thought, a bonus episode sharing reflections on the most recent episode of the Henny Flynn podcast: Boredom is the Mother of Creativity (S18E3)
Today's reflection includes:
So... all of that leads to the i...
