The Human Experience Coach

“Do I cry because I’m sad… or am I sad because I cry?”

William James, the father of modern psychology, asked this question over a century ago. And his answer flipped psychology on its head. Emotions don’t come first. They’re constructed from raw sensations and feelings in the body.

Ten years of somatic regression validated this truth for me. Adding a spiritual practice to the process brought massive healing. And yet, somehow, I still wasn’t at home in myself. I was depressed, and still relying on Big Bird to run the show.

The real catalyst came with self-approval. Not just sitting with feelings. Not just healing trauma. But giving my experience full permission to exist exactly as it was.

Awareness unencumbered by thoughts, labels, or stories — directed into the body at the level of sensations and feelings — with self-approval and permission, allows us to finally be with what is.

And through that, something beautiful emerges: the full experience of you.

✨ If you’re following what I’ve been sharing so far and it resonates, let’s practice. Write I APPROVE in the comments below. Say it, write it, claim it 👇.

The moment I realized Big Bird from Sesame Street was ruining my life, everything started to make sense.

For years, the persona I was presenting to the world was like Big Bird: tall, awkward, friendly, fuzzy, always wanting to be liked. Safe. Harmless. Seeking approval in every direction.

But that mask was ruining me. Behind it, my individuality was dissolving. I wasn’t speaking truth — I was speaking to be accepted.

Nietzsche warned of herd morality — how living for approval keeps us small. Kierkegaard said, “the crowd is untruth.” Their words weren’t abstract anymore. I could feel them in my own body, in the way I had shaped my voice to be liked instead of letting it carry truth.

And here’s what I discovered: we all want approval — it’s human. And we all want to be seen. But how can we be seen if we can’t even approve, feel, and express the forces within us? That’s when I began to truly know myself.

To reveal the treasures of who we truly are requires us to enter the caves we fear the most. To enter and to claim yourself only requires your full approval.

✨ Write TRUTH in the comments if you want me to break down the process and pathway of how I practice this.

Over a decade ago, I suddenly realized: I was six months into a deep depression.

On the surface, life was great. Married. Living in London. Two careers I loved. Deep in spiritual training. And yet… I was depressed.

It’s not that I couldn’t accept how I felt. I could feel it. I could allow it. I could let it be. But nothing changed. At that time, I didn’t even know what approval was.

Carl Rogers spoke of self-acceptance. Tara Brach of Radical Acceptance. Both powerful, but acceptance alone can still feel passive — like tolerating yourself, not transforming.

And then one day a mentor reflected to me that all my communication reeked of seeking approval.
And that’s when it clicked: I’d been chasing approval everywhere — but never giving it to myself.

To be in self-approval is liberation. It’s the story of the prodigal son. It’s what finally brings us home into oneself.

✨ If this resonates, drop a “YES” in the comments, and I’ll know you’re ready for the next post

2 months on the road and 6 weeks with my little guy Maxim... So many highlight moments...

Sharing stage for the first time with ....

Hanging with and the boys...

Tractor rides with ...

Hanging out with and boat trips on the pond ...

And hanging with
And

As well as and the girls...

And with all my crew on all the retreats who shared the journey and helped me out before daddy went crazy coordinating 5 retreats in 6 weeks... You know who you are!

I'm blessed to have such wonderful human beings around me that Maxim gets exposed to and support the this mission and manage the mayhem!

And of course I must say a big thank you to his mum
For letting him come along on such a mission and who maxim missed very much...

Only joy!

So happy to release Ogum Beira Mar with you all!

Link in Bio

A huge thanks to for producing the track...legend!

And to and fo addig your magic.

Ogum Ye Meu Pai!

My friends...

It's been another rumble and tumble around the sun. Filled with much joy, many twists and turns, and tough choices.

A great show!

And now the next season comes...

I so I always come back to this question: “what do I want to experience?”

And that questions for me always boils down to a feeling.

A feeling I want to live my life from.

A feeling that I connect to deep in my being and desire and heart.

A feeling to embody in each moment.

And that is the essence of my practice.

Sometimes I fail to do that, sometimes I forget, but more and more, I do.

And I am.

Simply being myself.

Dancing with the beauty and complexity and pain of the human experience.

And that's all I can give and share.

In deep gratitude for the experience.

Really no words. Only joy. Deep gratitude.

.hunikuin

Jiboa nao para!

And

It's been great to co create and pull the rabbit out of the hat on this one.

Pure magic in the face of huge challenges.

And everyone that supported.


barrell






soup



So many more.

For al the deep work, commitment and transformation we did. And continue to do.

Together we rock the earth.

Haux haux

Hey guys,

I'm back in Goa after an epic UK tour with the Huni Kuin. This tour I had the chance to spend a bit more time hanging out with the them and swapping stories, and mostly cracking a lot of jokes. They have such a great sense of humour!

Last week I was invited to the Leadership Vanguard to speak to leaders of five big organisations, such as Baker Hughes and Red Cross about some of the mindsets and practices of the Huni Kuin that I've picked up on over the years, including how they practice gratitude, the power of using the state of joy to face challenges in life, and also, what makes transformation happen.

It's a 15 minute talk. I'll post a link in the comments.

Let me know if it's useful!

Great piece on the practice of happiness:

1. Know what things make you feel good.
2. Creat a list of words that you want to feel in life (this is actually what I teach about authentic desire - it's more ideal to create this list based on what feelings you authentically feel)
3. Plan your day to include things that you can achieve.
4. Follow your curiosity and what interests you.

Pretty simple, but it's a practice. The more you do the more you get a better experience of life.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90633263/i-interviewed-500-happy-people-their-habits-will-transform-your-day?fbclid=IwAR1ISHVbPZiyoBaGLBhbeMVuObt1iqmwLTieVBLsD_zS3OpdFZZBEX-GW-U

I interviewed 500 happy people. Their habits will transform your day These simple life tweaks can immediately make your days more joyful, says the founder of the American Happiness Project.

Hey kids!
I recently took part in Jamie Wheals pre book launch course for Recapture The Rapture. Which is deeply thought provoking and touches on the meaning crisis, how we can think about the current meta-crisis (political/financial/environmental/covid/mental health etc) ways we can safely practice accessing peak states, and how to build and take part in new ethical movements that are about being part of team human and avoid micro-tribalism.
This video is a good intro into what it's all about.
I have to say personally, since I did the course, I've been in a period of very deep reflection about life and the world and my contribution to it. Probably, it's also partly due to the fact I'm expecting a baby with my partner later in the year.
That said, the mood is one of inward reflection and deep reassessment, along with some very interesting live lab conflict resolution scenarios (why are their di*****ds in the world?).
Pushing my curiosity to the limits!

https://youtu.be/Pbnn2X2fVvA