Beyond the basement

Join me in a driftwood hut on the Humber estuary, where we explore what I believe to be your most precious asset - your attention and presence, where your consciousness, focus and attention goes (and your body along with it). I call this ‘aliveness’ for short. We’ll explore why aliveness isn’t necessarily something ‘out there’ to chase, but life that’s already within you (like desire, wants, attra...

Join me in my gently swinging hammock for a soothing, real and insightful exploration of grief and loss as a full-body experience. This episode tackles some big themes like pain, dignity, and humility: what happens when something meaningful just stops, and how to meet abrupt endings without hardening or collapsing. I talk about the dance between anger and sadness, posture and collapse, and what it...

In this episode, let’s dive into a pattern I see in myself and many other perfectionists: when anger and sadness happen simultaneously and get stuck in the body. I talk about that moment of feeling wronged or unseen - the surge of “I want to act” colliding with shame, grief and the impulse to shrink. It’s like driving with one foot on the accelerator and one on the brake: so much energy, but no mo...

Under a giant ash tree in my local cemetery, I unpack a juicy invitation a friend offered me: what if I simply enjoyed my biological instincts - without judging them or needing to act on them? If you’re a regular listener you’ll know I’m a recovering perfectionist. So I notice how quickly I police urges (from cream buns to sexual desire), labelling them “right/wrong” and shutting down aliveness. H...

It’s a juicy question, and one I tried to answer in the closing moments of my ‘Think Less, Play More’ workshop at Happy Startup School’s Summercamp. What emerged was good enough, yet could have been clearer - so here’s my attempt to explore and answer aloud. I share why playfulness isn’t about learning to “do” play, but about subtracting the noise and distractions that cover up our natural capacit...

Join me unpacking a recent experience of improvising at a festival - in a room that wasn’t quite ready to play. What started as a search for lightness turned into a fascinating, often excruciating exploration of what happens when improv meets uncertainty, nervous systems, and a whole lot of silence. This is part analysis, part rant, and part love letter to the art of play. I share what I learned a...

Perhaps perfectionism’s just a quirk in your life, you’re not even sure what it is, or what it has to do with you - then this episode is for you. I make the case for why it’s worth getting curious about perfectionism—not just as a personality trait or habit, but as a powerful, often hidden force shaping how you feel, work, relate, and live. You don’t have to call yourself a perfectionist to benefi...

In this episode, I explore something you could call your play love language - the idea that each of us has a particular way we enjoy playing, even if we think we’re “not a playful person.” I often meet people who say they don’t know how to play or forgot, or that they’ve never really felt playful. So I wanted to take a closer look: What is play, really? How do we find our way into it without press...

In this episode, I talk about why letting go can feel almost impossible - especially for perfectionists. Not because we don’t want to relax, but because our whole system has been trained to hold on, grip tighter, and stay in control. I explore how this contraction shows up in the smallest places: in how we walk, speak, think, write, and relate. It’s not just a behaviour - it’s a survival strategy....

If there’s one thing humans resist, it’s not knowing - stepping into a void of uncertainty (a.k.a being alive). In this episode, I explore our very human relationship with the unknown. I reflect on how your mind instinctively scrambles to make meaning when we find ourselves in unfamiliar territory - and how that effort to “work it out” can sometimes get in the way of effectively navigating what un...

In this episode, I explore a condition I call Seriousness Fatigue™ - a surprisingly common but under-diagnosed affliction affecting grown-ups everywhere. Symptoms include: chronic joylessness, relentless productivity, and a general heaviness that makes life feel like a spreadsheet. It’s a playful diagnosis, but a real experience. I look at how fun deficit disorder (FDD) links to perfectionism, men...

If you’re a regular listener, you’ll know Laurie (my dog) was a robust presence in my life, and our relationship was both loving and incredibly challenging. It wasn’t simple. It stretched me, frustrated me, entertained me, taught me. Living with him, and later rehoming him, pushed me to my limits - but that was only the beginning of the journey. I had no idea what would happen next… This is me sha...

Ever questioned your trust in yourself or doubted your capacity to do brave things? Ever felt weak or ashamed because of that? In this episode I share reflections from periods of my life when I’ve felt raw, alone and unsupported - when I had to rebuild trust with myself as a matter of self-preservation. And what I’ve discovered is that self-trust doesn’t come from pushing through, ‘man-ing-up’, or...

Modern life really isn’t set up for being slow and still. It can feel uncomfortable, even pointless. Yet beyond the resistance, I’ve been discovering something tender, alive and a source of great relief. This episode is me sharing that process with you. In this episode, I talk about something very simple - but not always easy: sitting still and being with myself. No fixing, no doing, just being wi...

Here I’m exploring the terrain of desire - not the surface-level kind, but the deep, bodily knowing of what you truly want and need. Speaking from a clearing in the woods, I reflect on the difference between external striving and inner attunement, and how perfectionism can cut us off from our own instincts. This is a meditation on listening, gently, to the signals in your body, the ache of unmet n...

Join me for walk in the Austrian Alps, reflecting on a question few of us ever dare to ask, let alone answer: “How do you want to spend your time on Earth?” From the beauty of retreat to the discomfort of liminal space, I explore the tension between desire and guilt, perfectionism and possibility. Expect honest musings, playful techniques (like divergent thinking and ‘sensing’ into your response),...

What does wild swimming in an alpine lake have to do with improvisation? Everything, it turns out. In this episode, I tell the story of standing on the edge of a glacial lake in Austria, feeling the pull of aliveness and the grip of fear, all at once. I notice how familiar the pattern is: the hesitation, the mental noise, the search for the “right” way in. Just like improv. This is honest reflecti...

Some Perfectionists think they’re pretty easy-going. They don’t make a fuss. They go with the flow. Or do they? In this episode, I explore the subtle difference between genuinely flowing with life and quietly complying with it. If you’ve ever mistaken your ability to ‘just get on with things’ as calmness, this one’s for you. I unpack the hidden self-abandonment that can sit under so-called flexibi...

Ever wondered why you’re so hard on yourself? In this episode, I share the story of how I became a Perfectionist - from the early signs I didn’t have a name for, to the moment it all clicked, and the ways it’s shaped every part of my life. Career, creativity, relationships, rest… nothing has escaped its grip. I talk about what I’ve learned along the way, how my understanding of Perfectionism has d...

By the time you hear this, I’ll have said goodbye to my dog Laurie. This episode is me choosing not to “function” my way through the re-homing process - but to feel it, and to share that with you. I reflect on what it means to end things relationally, not just practically. On how grief shows up in the body. On humility, holding, and being held. On how hard it is to let go - even when it’s the righ...

What if the thing we’re all really searching for… is aliveness? In this episode, I explore what I believe is a core human drive — the longing to feel something. To feel moved, stirred, stretched, awake. I share reflections on what aliveness means, how it shows up in different phases of life (especially mid-life, where I find myself now), and how it can quietly slip out of reach when life becomes t...

Ever felt restless, frustrated or ‘just this side’ of anger - but can’t quite put your finger on what or why? In this episode, I explore one of those days... When your body speaks louder than the mind, when sensations and feelings emerge without reason. I talk about what it’s like to be there, and share what I’ve learned in my work as an embodiment coach about how to listen to the body, and how it...

In this episode, I explore what it really means to commit - not just in theory, but in practice, in the body, and in everyday life. Drawing from improv and personal experience, I explore the cost and discomfort of being ‘half-in, half-out’ - how it creates uncertainty and anxiety. And instead, I make the case for actively embodying either fully in, or fully out. Because commitment isn’t just a tho...

Why do people try improv? Turns out, it’s not just for laughs (though those are definitely part of it). In this episode, I introduce you to the wonderfully diverse cast of characters who say yes to improv - from the bold bucket-listers and kids who loved drama at school, to the healing hearts and bold explorers. You’ll meet six improv archetypes, each with their own reasons for walking into a work...

We all know rest is important, but actually slowing down to stop? That’s another story. In this episode, I share my experience of slowing down and leaning into a winter cycle - what it really feels like to withdraw, rest, and go inward. Spoiler: it’s not easy. I explore why we resist rest, what comes up when that happens, and why decelerating from the speed of the everyday is both essential and un...