I am a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Professor of Contemplative Psychology at the University of Derby (UK), with a unique path that blends deep contemplative practice, real-world business experience, and cutting-edge research.

For ten years, I lived as a Buddhist monk, immersing myself in intensive meditation, contemplative training, and the direct experiential study of mind across Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana traditions. This period gave me profound insight into core principles such as mindfulness, compassion, emptiness, non-self, and non-attachment—insights that continue to shape everything I do.

Today, I am internationally recognised as a world-leading expert in contemplative psychology. I have authored over 130 peer-reviewed papers, three books (including The Way of the Mindful Warrior), and numerous additional scholarly works. My research has pioneered second-generation mindfulness-based interventions (SG-MBIs), which go beyond stress reduction to emphasise authentic psycho-spiritual practice, ethics, insight, and inner transformation. I founded Meditation Awareness Training (MAT)—an evidence-based SG-MBI evaluated across conditions such as workaholism, fibromyalgia, cancer symptom coping, and everyday wellbeing. My work has also introduced concepts such as ontological addiction (attachment to an inherently existent self as a root of suffering) and inverted hallucinations (a distorted form of self-awareness), while including the first empirical studies of meditation-induced near-death experiences.

My research informs major policy documents worldwide—including NICE guidelines on mental wellbeing at work and chronic pain, UNESCO reports on evidence-based education, EU higher education mental health publications, RAND evaluations of mindfulness for performance, and more. As a science communicator, my insights have appeared in national and international media over 300 times, from BBC and CNN to New Scientist, HuffPost, and beyond.

Beyond academia, I offer private, personalised support drawing directly on this integrated background. My approach combines rigorous evidence-based contemplative psychology with lived monastic wisdom and practical business insight. Whether you’re seeking deeper self-understanding, greater clarity in high-stakes professional life, resilience amid challenges, or authentic spiritual growth, I provide tailored guidance that feels new, grounded, and transformative.