“Don’t talk to yourself like that!” Teddy Swims on learning self-compassion

Do you ever stop and ask what’s driving your behavioural patterns? New York Times bestselling author and self-confessed spiritual junkie Gabby Bernstein has spent the last few years thinking about how traumas from her past were manifesting in the present as workaholism, drug abuse, and alcoholism. In this chat with Fearne, Gabby talks through how we use things like work, substances, or even spirituality to numb parts of ourselves that we don’t want to look at, but that they do serve a purpose in protecting us. She also explains how trauma can lead to us dissociate from, and even erase, memories. Content warning: this episode contains frank chat about sexual abuse so do take care while listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

28 Feb 20221h 2min

For 17 years Björn Natthiko Lindeblad lived in Thailand’s jungle as a forest monk. He learnt how calm can encourage clarity of thought, that he preferred walking meditation to sitting, and that freedom can come from not being bound to material possessions.At the time of recording, Björn was very ill; he had ALS, a progressive nervous system disease. He knew that he would not be alive when this episode was released. In this chat with Fearne, he talks about how his time as a Buddhist monk helped him make peace with the idea of death.Björn’s book is called I May Be Wrong: And Other Wisdoms from Life as a Forest Monk, and it’s out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

21 Feb 20221h 15min

There’s bravery in wanting to connect with people in a truly authentic way. Musician Johnny Marr has found that across his career the songs people resonate with most are his most vulnerable, autobiographical tracks. Outside of music, there are lessons to be learnt there about how we might all best connect with each other.In this chat with Fearne, Johnny explains why it’s more valuable to be an expert than be famous, and why his best creative work often comes in the moments he’s not putting any pressure on himself to write a masterpiece.Johnny’s new double album ‘Fever Dreams Pts 1-4’ is out on February 25th, and he'll tour UK arenas with Blondie beginning in April 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 Feb 20221h 2min

What would you try if you didn’t have to do it perfectly? Best-selling author, and the ‘High Priestess of creativity’ Julia Cameron feels perfectionism is a stalling device. When we deny ourselves the right to attempt something, we in turn deny ourselves pleasure and joy.In this chat with Fearne, Julia explains why jealousy tells you what you really want and care about, and how this can be positively harnessed to shape your future. Plus she talks through non-religious prayer, and how getting in touch with a benevolent higher power – you might call this God, the universe, or something else – can help focus your creative mind.Julia’s new book, Seeking Wisdom: A Spiritual Path to Creative Connection, is out now. 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the publication of her classic The Artist’s Way, which is published by Souvenir Press in the UK. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 Feb 202243min

It’s often the case that fear is running the show. Dr Pippa Grange says it’s not always obvious that you’re afraid – you might be more familiar with the kind of fear you feel in the moment, like taking a driving test or giving a presentation – but it can in fact sneakily manifest as the chronic fear of not being good enough, and of being rejected.In this chat with Fearne, psychologist Pippa explains why you have to fail before you succeed. As the woman who supported the England football team during the 2018 World Cup, she explains when it’s important to set performance based goals, and when to let go of thinking you can control the outcome.Pippa’s book, Fear Less, is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

31 Jan 202256min

Do you find fitness and keeping your body healthy fun? Twins Dave and Steve Flynn – perhaps better known as The Happy Pear – love keeping fit in a way that feels like play. They listen to their bodies; they move intuitively. Sometimes that means handstands, sometimes it means yoga, and a lot of the time it means a cold morning swim in the Irish Sea.In this chat with Fearne, Dave and Steve explain why they feel community is the antithesis of loneliness, as all human beings ultimately have the same needs: to be accepted, seen, and loved. Plus, as fellow vegans, the three discuss getting more vegetables into your diet when you’re time poor.The Happy Pear’s latest book, The Veg Box, is available to pre-order now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

24 Jan 202257min

Audiobook exclusive: Bigger Than Us.Calm anxiety through connection. Find happiness through purpose. Feel comfort in the universal. Think bigger to unlock you.In her new book, Bigger Than Us, Fearne Cotton seeks out the insight and advice of wise minds to explore what they can teach us to achieve happiness, connection and hope. Here, Fearne exclusively shares the introduction and first chapter of the book with Happy Place listeners.Bigger Than Us is available as a hardback, an ebook, and an audiobook from the 20th of January: https://smarturl.it/biggerthanusbookYou can get your audiobook version on Audible, Apple Books, and Google Play. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

19 Jan 20222h 12min

It’s important to take time to figure out how to trust your own opinions of yourself rather than believing other peoples’ opinions of you. This is something author Freya North has been meditating on recently.In this chat, she and Fearne talk about how many of us are used to functioning at an extremely high level of stress without realising we’re pushing ourselves to breaking point, and Freya explains why she now gives as much attention to her emotional self as her physical self.Freya’s 15th novel, Little Wing, is published on 20th January by Welbeck, and is available in hardback or ebook. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

17 Jan 20221h 9min