Hi, I’m John Grant.

I live in the UK with my faithful Airedale Terrier, Rita.

Ten years or so ago, I had never heard of mindfulness or spirituality. I had no idea that there was a very different and far more pleasant way of experiencing life. I had two daughters, four dogs and a failing marriage.

All I did know was that traditional religions had no attraction for me – appearing to be focussed on power and control rather than how can we treat each other better – and that the world was in a mess with no obvious solutions in sight.

Ten years on and I am still blessed with my two daughters, I have one dog and am happily divorced (with my first teacher we did a lot of work on goal setting and one of my earliest goals was to have a closer more loving relationship with my then wife – now that we are divorced, we have a much closer more loving relationship).

I was introduced to my first teacher through a work colleague and immediately realised this was a path I had to follow. A few days later I attended my first retreat and when I returned home, my children told me I had been “transformed”.

The effect certainly was dramatic

I had never felt such inner peace or freedom ever before. That state lasted for some months, but eventually wore off – which in some ways was even more frustrating than life before as I knew it did not have to be like that.

The one thing I did know was that I could not give up – that I had to continue on my path, wherever it led and whatever the consequences. I continued with my first teacher for a number of years and through him, was introduced to a number of other spiritual teachers and teachings. A much deeper appreciation of what was being pointed to gradually took hold.

In 2019 my teacher invited me to attend a course run by the Leela School in Amsterdam led by the spiritual teacher Eli Jaxon-Bear which had a similarly dramatic effect to my first retreat and set me on the path of self-inquiry as a means of discovering the truth of my existence and to a profoundly different and infinitely more fulfilling way of experiencing life.

Outwardly, not much has changed, other than the natural ageing process, but inwardly things are very different. This is not a life lived in some continual bliss state (though such moments are by no means infrequent) – it is a life fully engaged in the human experience. It is a life where sometimes things go “my way” and sometimes they do not. But there is an appreciation of the gift of this human experience which transcends all else.

There is no longer the question of “What’s in it for me?” but simply, “How can I help?”

And so, this is my question to you – How can I Help?

I would be privileged if you would allow me that opportunity.

About my work

“An unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates

At Tangerine Sky, I combine the following methods and more, so you can understand why you see things – both externally and internally - the way that you do, to see that ultimately there is no truth in these stories. Let us examine our lives together and in doing so, find a life which is truly worth living.

  • “Know Thyself”

    Temple of Apollo at Delphi

    Self-inquiry was first proposed as a method of discovering our true nature by the Indian saint Sri Ramana Maharshi. His method advised that one start by asking the very simple question “Who am I?”. This question could be further broken down into the following investigations: “Am I my mind/thoughts?”, “Am I my physical body?” and “Am I my emotions?”

    Given that your thoughts, mind, and body are in constant change (you will not finish even reading this page with the same thoughts, body or emotions that you started), how can you truly be any of these things? In effect, Ramana suggested using the mind to defeat the mind by examining the assumptions that the mind, meditating on each one, seeing through each one. Having eliminated these options, if I am not my body, mind or emotions, what is left that does not change?

    This simple but powerful method leads one deeper into the voyage of self-discovery. The very essence of self-inquiry is to see what is false and then to discover what remains – what is untouched and unchanged, what is already free.

  • “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players.”

    William Shakespeare

    The Enneagram is over 2600 years old and having been hidden for centuries, is now a widespread method as the basis of self-inquiry. The Enneagram divides people into nine main character fixations and describes in remarkable detail and depth how each character will see and experience the world and themselves.

    The key question that arises from learning and understanding which number you have assumed as your role is: if your view of the world can be described in such detail by someone who has never met you, if your actions can be predicted once my character is known, then where is free will?

    In learning about oneself in this manner, one can begin to appreciate that most of what one takes oneself to be is simply a role - one that each of us has unwittingly and subconsciously assumed.

    It may be how we show up in the world, but it is not the essence of who we are.

  • The way that we see, react to, and experience the present is a result of everything that happened to us from the time we were conceived. Modern medical science, and in particular, psychology is discovering more and more that who we are now will be very heavily influenced by what happened to us in the past and in particular what happened when we were infants.

    Childhood trauma (which need not entail any form of what we would term “abuse” – it can simply be being present to the breakdown of parents’ relationship or having parents who had to go out to work and were therefore not present to see to an infant’s emotional needs) has the most impact. Unless brought to light, examined and thereby healed, this trauma will continue to affect how we experience the world for the rest of our lives.

    To understand why we are who we are, why we play the role that we show up as every day, is hugely beneficial in enabling us to see the falseness of that role. To see that it is just a role no different from the actors on a stage can be the gateway to liberation.

  • Hypnotherapeutic trance, reiki, other energy healing work as seen necessary moment to moment to help you tend to the wounds of your past.

My qualifications

Clinical hypnotherapist

In 2023, after an intensive 2-year training, I was certified as Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapist and Leela Facilitator with the Leela School, Amsterdam. The Leela School teaches a mix of western therapeutic methods and eastern non-dual self-inquiry, withg the support of the Enneagram.

REIki, Level 3

Reiki is a form of energy hands-on healing, through which a universal energy is transferred through the palms of the practitioner to the patient in order to encourage emotional or physical healing.

Life Coach

5+ years of experience as a life coach, helping people reframe their problems, re-examine their lives and find fulfilment and purpose here and now.

Other relevant stuff

I hold an LLB Law and have been a successful law business owner for 30 years. I’m a father of 2 and an ordinary bloke with a gift for seeing miracles everywhere, every day.