There are things in life that make us feel wonderfully alive. Running down a mountain. A great conversation. Being with someone you love. More hot sauce. That moment when everything just clicks and you’re completely absorbed in what you’re doing. And there are things we don’t particularly enjoy. Of course, that’s part of being human.

There’s a blunt-force approach to becoming more present, focused and getting beyond your mind. Silent meditation retreats, dark retreats, even running ultras… you sit in discomfort, confront the mind and hope you can hang on long enough to come out the other side. It can work, but it’s not always that pleasant. And if you’re

I’m not interested in a spirituality that makes you less of yourself in order to appear more holy, or mindful, or whatever. When I went looking for something deeper, I found plenty of that. I became careful. Edited. Holding back. Far too much navel-gazing, looking for meaning or a lesson in everything. I was copying

“I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.” —Hafiz Such are the twists and cuts of self-judgement and ‘should’ and comparison, we just don’t see ourselves clearly. No one really appreciates how bright they actually are.  Always working on being better, often feeling

I’ve watched this happen so many times, and despite my best efforts, it keeps happening. Someone comes to a weekend or an evening workshop. The guidance, the tools, the people, the space and time out from real life means they drop beneath the noise of their minds and life itself. They feel it, genuinely, unmistakably.

“I had it! But then I lost it”… lots of people say this. What is “it”? Consider this. There’s a sweet spot within you, an inner sense of rightness, of connection. Your mind is clear, you can let go and be present, your sense of humour and play fully operational.  It’s the foundation for the

Sound baths are huge at the moment. I saw a local one charging £27 and change for an hour. They must be doing a great job because they’re always full. Cheaper than a spa massage by far. Some people love that. Rock up once a month, get treated, come away refreshed and reset. If life

I’ve met a lot of philosophical and spiritual people over the years, and unfortunately many have missed the point. Draw in, for you can save a major detour here. Watch out. Do not become a badge collector, level attainer, or system analyser. There’s no need to gather information and ever more complex ideas and theories,

“Daddy, I don’t want you to ever die.” Yikes. What do you do with that? Just before bed and Zach was pretty upset. You could see the thought flash across his eyes. I brought him back. Here we are. I’m alive, you’re alive. I love you, and I will always love you. We talked about

While my foot heals I’ve been spending more time on the indoor bike, which gives me a perfect excuse to watch some TV. There’s always a silver lining! This morning it was a beautiful documentary about McKenzie Barney, who has cycled around much of the world. She talked about freedom, slowing down and the epidemic