Mindfulness practitioner & teacher Strategy advisor Impact director & trustee Leadership facilitator
Our well-being depends not just on having a source of income, but on having a job in which we can cultivate joy and happiness... Ideally, we are able to work in such a way that is of benefit to the Earth.
- Thích Nhất Hạnh
My guided meditations, short audio courses and podcast episodes are all available on Insight Timer, which includes the worlds largest free library of meditations.
About
My journey began on the Western Isles of Scotland, included 22 years living, learning and working across Asia, and has come full circle back to the historic capital of Edinburgh.
After opting out of University in England to study Mandarin in Shanghai I became a partner and Operations Director at a restaurant startup which at its peak had over 40 stores in seven Chinese cities, and was on the verge of being acquired before going bust in the fallout from Covid (a great lesson in letting go!)
In 2010 I graduated with an MBA from one of China’s leading business schools and joined the Global Institute For Tomorrow (GIFT), an independent pan-Asian think tank with offices in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur. As a partner and Managing Director at GIFT I led business, policy and sustainability projects spanning the continent, advised public and private sector clients on connecting purpose to contemporary issues, and facilitated experiential leadership programmes across 15 countries for global executives, civil servants and NGO leaders.
In 2013 insight and zen meditation helped me overcome debilitating chronic pain caused by a degenerative back condition and led to a profound shift in perspective and personal understanding. Almost a decade later I began walking the teacher's path, pursued a Masters from the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at Bangor University, and now devote as much time as possible to helping others cultivate their capacity for growth, healing and transformation.
Today I teach mindfulness and meditation to elite athletes, corporate leaders and teams through Mindful Peak Performance (MPP), support individuals struggling with pain and stress through Back to Being Courses, and guide fellow wayfarers on Wild Mind Odyssey mountain retreats.
I've continued my collaboration with GIFT by helping to establish and advise GIFT.ed, a global knowledge platform for innovation and transformation dedicated to redesigning society for greater equity and resilience.
I am privileged to serve as a Trustee at Breathworks, an acclaimed charity and training organisation co-founded by Vidyalama Burch OBE that offers mindfulness and compassion based approaches to managing pain and illness.
I live in Edinburgh with my three most treasured mindfulness teachers: my wife Rebecca, and our two daughters Na'ima and Amina.