The diagnosis that changed everything: Keith McGuinnes on cancer, masculinity, and the power of receiving

What happens when a fit, healthy yoga teacher steeped in Eastern practices, meditation and spiritual growth is suddenly diagnosed with cancer?

In this episode, I sit down with Keith McGuinnes, founder of Awaken Intimacy and co-founder of The Open Institute, to explore how a life-threatening illness forced him to stop pushing, start receiving, and finally open to the deeper lessons of intimacy, vulnerability and connection.

We talk about:

• The shock of receiving a cancer diagnosis at 40
• Why he chose chemotherapy (even as a holistic health practitioner)
• How the experience broke his lone wolf mentality
• The power of receiving love
• What men are missing when they stay stuck in hyper-masculinity
• His work today helping men and couples reclaim intimacy, polarity and presence

This is a raw, real and powerful conversation about grief, grace, and growing up.

Show Notes

Keith’s Cancer Diagnosis

• What happened at age 40 and the symptoms he ignored
• Why chemo was the right choice (even as a long-time yogi)
• How the experience forced him to slow down, reflect, and receive

The Emotional Journey

• Grieving the years he couldn’t receive love
• Learning to express emotion and let people in
• How it shifted his relationship to his own body and energy

Masculinity, Polarity and Intimacy

• The trap of hyper-masculine giving and the strength in receiving
• Letting go of lone wolf energy in favour of connection
• Why true intimacy requires openness — not just strength

Post-Cancer Purpose

• Moving from survival to service
• Keith’s work through Awaken Intimacy and The Open Institute
• Building community, relational depth, and sacred spaces in modern life

Why are so many men exhausted, disconnected, and running on empty — even when they look like they’ve got it all together?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr Emmet Byrne - a former Ireland rugby international turned men’s health doctor - to unpack what’s really going wrong with modern masculinity, medicine, and mental health.

We explore:

• Why the medical system is failing men
• The truth about testosterone decline (and why TRT isn’t a quick fix)
• The link between movement, strength, and emotional health
• Why we’ve normalised feeling average — and how to break out of it
• How to spot the signs you’re treating symptoms, not solving the root

From elite sport to holistic medicine, Emmet’s journey is proof that reinvention is possible, and necessary.

A must-listen for any man who wants to feel strong again. On the inside, and out.

Or watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu96RkgMYq0

Show Notes

From Pro Rugby to Medicine

• How Emmet went from the Ireland jersey to medical school
• What rugby taught him about pressure, pain, and purpose
• Why performance delays but doesn’t erase inner struggles

The Medical System Isn’t Working

• Why most men are treated only when they’re broken
• The failure of the symptom-focused model
• How GPs are unequipped to deal with whole-person health

The Testosterone Crisis

• Why so many men are seeing their energy, drive, and mood collapse
• What’s causing low T and what isn’t
• When testosterone replacement can help… and when it can’t

Movement Is Medicine

• Why sedentary living is quietly wrecking men’s wellbeing
• The link between physical strength and emotional resilience
• What Emmet recommends for men over 35

A New Model for Men’s Health

• From functional medicine to full-spectrum care
• What men really need to thrive
• How OptiMan is trying to change the story

Fresh off France’s Six Nations win, I sat down with my old mate Shaun Edwards for a rare, wide-ranging conversation.

This isn’t just an interview — it’s two lads from Wigan catching up after decades walking very different, but strangely parallel paths. Both of us came up through rugby, through hard graft and old-school values. But over time, we’ve both had to evolve. As coaches. As leaders. As men.

We talked about it all, from the early days and the systems that changed the game, to fear, fatherhood, grief, and what it means to lead with heart, not just tactics.

Shaun opened up in a way I don’t think many have heard before. And for me, this episode felt special.

We get into:
Why Shaun hates losing more than he loves winning
What fear can teach you and where it can fuck you
How he sees leadership and masculinity now
The shift from hardness to softness
Coaching at the highest level, and what really drives performance

If you’re interested in what makes a great coach, a great team, or just a good man, this one’s worth a listen.

The Making of a Competitor

• Growing up in Wigan, and early life lessons from his dad
• Why grief became a driving force
• The difference between rugby league and union — and what it taught him

Coaching with Fire

• The early years at Wasps and Wales
• Lessons from working with Gatland, Farrell and co
• What still motivates him after all these years

A Brother Beyond Rugby

• The early days of my friendship with Shaun
• What we’ve learned from each other and where our paths crossed again
• The moment he started embracing softness

Leadership that Lasts

• What players really need from a coach today
• The evolution of Shaun’s leadership style
• Why presence, empathy and intuition matter more than ever

From the outside, Jeremy Bettle had it all — a high-profile career in elite sport, working with some of the world’s most successful athletes and organisations. But behind the scenes, he was running on empty.

In this episode, Jeremy shares the quiet crisis that brought him to a breaking point, and the path he took to rebuild a life rooted in presence, truth, and vitality.

We talk about:

• The cost of performing and pushing for too long
• Why success without meaning leads to burnout
• Letting go of identity and walking into the unknown
• The medicine in movement, men’s work, and Peru
• What it means to build a life from the inside out

This is a conversation about what happens when men stop chasing and start feeling — and the freedom that follows.

The Build-up to Burnout

• Jeremy’s rise through elite sport and performance coaching
• The moment he realised success wasn’t enough
• How professional ambition can become emotional suppression

Breaking the Pattern

• The physical and emotional signals he could no longer ignore
• Walking away from what looked like a dream job
• The fear and freedom of not knowing what’s next

Reconnection and Recovery

• Why movement, breathwork and brotherhood became vital
• Insights from ICONIC and the Peru men’s retreat
• Letting go of roles, pressure, and performance

A New Way of Living

• Learning to listen to the body
• Rebuilding from purpose, not pressure
• What high performers need to hear — and unlearn

Movement is more than just physical. It’s emotional. Energetic. Transformational.

In this episode, I’m joined by my good friend and co-facilitator of the ICONIC program, Martin Bone. We explore the deeper meaning of movement and dance, not as performance, but as a powerful doorway back into the body.

For many men, especially those raised in the UK and Ireland, movement became linear - lifting weights, pushing harder, always doing. But in that, freedom, expression, and spontaneity got lost.

We talk about how reclaiming movement helped us both heal old wounds, reconnect with our emotions, and become better leaders, fathers, partners, and men.

This conversation is about breaking the stigma, getting over yourself, and remembering the body knows what to do... if you let it!

Show Notes

The Stigma Around Dance and Expression

• Why so many men freeze at the idea of dancing
• How childhood and culture taught us to suppress movement
• Craig and Martin’s early experiences with dance, shame and identity

Dance as a Doorway Back to the Body

• Movement as medicine for emotion, stress, and stuckness
• Why the body holds wisdom that the mind can’t access
• The link between dance, emotional release, and inner freedom

From Raves to Retreats

• The role of club culture and music in helping men reconnect with their bodies
• How early experiences with dance music created space for self-expression
• The transition from unconscious release to conscious embodiment

Why Movement Belongs in Men’s Work

• How the ICONIC retreat in Peru uses movement to create real transformation
• Why most men’s breakthroughs come through the body, not the mind
• Creating safe spaces where men can move, feel, express without being judged

How to Start

• Simple ways men can reconnect with movement and shake off years of stiffness
• The importance of containers, consistency, and community
• Letting go of the need to ‘know how’ and learning to trust the body again.

Athletes talk about it like it’s magic. That moment when everything slows down, the game feels effortless, and they’re completely in the zone.

But what if flow state wasn’t random? What if you could access it on demand?

I sit down with Scott Ford—author, coach, and a pioneer in non-dual awareness in sport. He’s spent over 40 years teaching athletes how to enter and sustain flow states intentionally, rather than just hoping it happens.

What is Flow State in Sport?

• Why athletes describe being in the zone as effortless, timeless, and automatic
• The difference between flow happening by accident vs. accessing it on demand
• The key shift in focus and awareness that changes everything

How to Train for Flow

• Why “watching the ball” might actually be limiting your reactions
• The soft focus technique that allows you to see and react faster
• How to stop overthinking and let your body’s intelligence take over

Beyond Competition: The Non-Dual Approach

• Why traditional competition is dualistic (me vs. you) and how that affects performance
• How non-dual awareness allows athletes to co-create the game with their opponents
• Why playing in flow isn’t just about winning—it’s about playing at your highest level

Practical Applications for Coaches and Athletes

• How tennis, rugby, and even Navy SEALs have applied Scott’s work
• Simple drills to train focus, presence, and reaction time
• Why flow training is the next evolution in coaching and performance

Most men spend their lives in their heads: overthinking, overanalysing, and second-guessing. But true leadership, confidence, and resilience don’t start in the mind, they start in the body.

In this episode, I sit down with Mark Walsh, one of the world’s leading embodiment coaches, to explore why so many men feel disconnected from their power and how reconnecting with the body can transform how they lead, train, and show up in the world.

This isn’t just theory. Mark has worked with elite professionals, trauma survivors, corporate leaders, and athletes worldwide, helping them develop embodied leadership and resilience. His insights are practical, powerful, and cut straight to the point.

Show Notes

Why Men Need to Get Out of Their Heads

• Why most men live in their heads and the impact on confidence and leadership
• The difference between thinking about change and embodying it
• How weightlifting, martial arts, and movement help men reconnect with presence

The Role of Physical Practices in Mental Resilience

• How gym training can be a sacred practice for focus and discipline
• Why men need challenge, struggle, and physical adversity to grow
• The connection between breath, posture, and emotional state

Breaking Free from Overthinking and Insecurity

• The science of embodiment - how your body shapes your mindset
• Why men struggle with boundaries, people-pleasing, and saying no
• Practical techniques to build presence and confidence in daily life

The Bigger Picture: Why Society is Failing Men

• How modern culture is weakening masculinity and what men can do about it
• The importance of mentorship, challenge, and a strong peer group
• Mark’s personal journey, from addiction and nihilism to leadership and resilience

This episode isn’t just about leadership—it’s about self-awareness, emotional mastery, and the deeper work men need to do to lead with confidence and integrity.

In this conversation, I sit down with Rod Boothroyd, who has spent over two decades working with men, helping them uncover what’s holding them back and step into their full leadership potential.

We dive deep into the reasons why so many men struggle with leadership—whether in their careers, relationships, or personal lives.

Rod shares his insights from psychotherapy, shadow work, and men’s development, unpacking why modern leadership feels so disconnected, hesitant, or misdirected—and what men can do to reclaim their inner power.

Show Notes

The Root of Leadership Struggles

• Why so many men feel lost when it comes to leadership
• The role of absent fathers and childhood wounds in shaping a man’s confidence
• How modern society has disconnected men from true leadership

Reclaiming the King Energy

• The four archetypes—King, Warrior, Magician, Lover—and why men struggle to embody them
• The difference between real power and control
• How a man’s ability to process emotions directly impacts his leadership

The Hidden Cost of Unprocessed Grief

• Why so many men struggle to feel joy and fulfillment
• How suppressed grief and loss block leadership potential
• The essential role of emotional intelligence in strong leadership

Practical Steps to Step Into Leadership

• How to develop self-leadership and move from hesitation to confidence
• The power of mentorship—why every man needs a guide
• The impact of men’s groups, accountability, and long-term personal growth