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'everyday compassion with Henny Flynn' is a space to settle in, listen, and see where the episodes take you. It's an invitation to travel deeper, using compassionate self-enquiry.
Henny is a writer, teacher and guide. She 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 you won't find one-size-fits-all solutions here. This is a space to be with what's true for you, and to grow from there.
Drawing on psychology, mindfulness, therapeutic coaching and flow journaling, each episode explores the small, everyday ways compassion can help us step further into our inner worlds, and shape the changes we seek in our outer worlds.
If you're drawn to slowing down, listening in and simply seeing what emerges, you're very welcome here.
In a moment I'm going to share an email that I've just written it will go out to everybody on my email list tomorrow assuming that today is Saturday when you're listening to this when the podcast has gone out and it will go out to my email list on Sunday and it's the sort of round up before I head out on my annual summer break in August and I just felt the urge to include it here as a bonus episode maybe it's something you know, if you're not already part of the mailing list or you just prefer listening to reading, just as something to sort of tuck around you, you know, though the weather might be, you know, warm at this time of year and certainly in The UK it's been much warmer and obviously we've been hearing so many stories about soaring temperatures in so many countries around the world. But still this concept of having something to tuck around us, the metaphorical blankets that can just help us feel a little nurtured, little nourished, maybe a little bit safer in the world. Yeah, it just felt right to be sharing it with you. So, I'm gonna read it to you and it includes a poem and yeah, it also includes some things that you might like to explore over the next few weeks, before the podcast starts again and yeah, let's just see how this is, see if you enjoy it, and I look forward to being back here when that time comes.
Henny:So, the email begins: Hey, my lovely. I always find it interesting how as summer heightens, I feel the urge to retreat. Not in an, ah, I must get away from it all way, more of an, oh, this is all so lovely, I want to savour it way. And it also holds an edge of wanting to be quiet. This being the time of year, when everything is so brightly visible, it can get tiring and whatever the season, we always need time to rest.
Henny:It's a different kind of retreat from wintering. Maybe we could coin a new concept and call it summering. So, what does summering hold for you? Is there time off? Time away?
Henny:Managing school holidays? Wishing you could be away, but too many things pulling at your time and attention? It's easy, of course, to assume that everyone is doing the same as us, or managing it all better than us, whatever that might mean. Whatever this time holds, I hope you are able to create some time that truly is just for you, whether that's spent with others you love to be with, in your own company, or accompanied by strangers with shared purpose. I wrote a poem last year sometime.
Henny:It was in response to a conversation I had with a loved one. The poem said the words my heart was feeling when we spoke. I often find that journaling, whether prose or poetry, helps me shape my thoughts more clearly and helps me see the meaning within my emotion. I'm sharing those words here in case they speak to something within you too. And so, this is also time for me to say I'm heading into my annual August break, where I step away from all work and take time for myself alone and with family and friends.
Henny:I know it will be wonderful and there's a part of me that can already feel the bubbles of energy forming that will carry me back here in September. If you are seeking some things to explore over these next few weeks, I have shared some things below and over in circle. If you haven't stepped into circle before, it is where the field lives and where all the self guided courses are held. I sense it may become more and more important for us here, so you might like to pop in. You can join for free and see what's there.
Henny:May we all be safe, happy, well and live with ease, whatever those words mean to each of us. With love, Henny. So that was the message and here's the poem and the poem is called Holidays. When you tell me where you go, I don't want to know how many stars there are above the door, I want to hear whether the stars in the skies are so clear you can touch them with your open empty hands. I want to know, can you feel the life brimming in the land?
Henny:Does the deep, deep green consume you and soothe the grief you are numbing with your endless plans? I want to sense your joy as you recount the songs of birds and the way the trails of ants remind you of your own resilience. I want to sigh in wonder as I hear you say, there's no more driving need to be away, because all of life is already here and nothing really changes if you're far or near. I want to hear you say, it is still you who wakes to embrace each holy day. So, then a few things to explore during August.
Henny:Here, of course, on the podcast, you know, if you've already heard all two twenty five episodes, try scrolling and randomly stopping for a podcast lucky dip, it can be amazing to see how new insights emerge when you listen to something again. There are also a whole collection of flow journaling guides in circle and if you want a lovely practice for the summer I would recommend getting a copy of in the flow journal your inner wisdom and you can buy it anywhere it's one of my books you can buy it anywhere or use flow just that one word flow for 30% off direct from my publishers and then there are the mini self guided courses so free and low cost courses to expand thinking and deep and compassionate self inquiry a lovely way to spend time with yourself and see what they bring you. So I'm going to put all of these links into the show notes for today. And then lastly at the end of the email I've included a little asterisk next to that word and a note on my use of that word. So, it means to God and as I noticed myself writing it, I was curious about how it felt the right way to sign off here, especially as the poem speaks about holy days.
Henny:I know how God can feel such a big word for so many of us, For me, it holds so many different meanings. It encapsulates all religions, beliefs, faiths, connection with the divine, nature, spirit, universe. It's non denominational, non gender specific and utterly personal. So, a better word would be grace and so, whoever, whatever, wherever your gods, goddesses, wisdom holders are, may we all go with grace I'm sending so much love right now and I look forward to being with you again whenever that may be take care my darlings I send a