About
"My mission is to help people remember who they are and what they are capable of and to provide tools that will empower them to live a more meaningful life."Around 2007 I reached a point in my life where I could comfortably state that I am a teacher. That what I have to say matters to others. One would think that having my name on 2 books and 3 TEDx talks would be convincing enough, but to the contrary, it took a very long time for me to embrace that part of myself. And that part of me didn’t have so much to do with accomplishments in the present, because it was my inner child who refused to believe that he was worthy of being seen and loved.
I remember much of my childhood in detail, and what stands out the most is feeling like I was the odd one out, the weird one and I experienced deep loneliness because of it. From the age of 14 I was already reading philosophical and spiritual books, trying to make sense of life. Unusually tall for my age and my athletic appearance didn’t resemble my inner world, making me feel like a 19th century philosopher in a Tarzan-like body. It was hard connecting with my peers and friendships never felt satisfying on a deeper level. I wasn’t understood by my friends nor by my family who treated me very harshly for not meeting their expectations. This planted a tenacious seed of low self-esteem, a nearly complete absence of trust in myself and the belief that I was unlovable for who I really am.
Fast forward a few years: after a career as a lead singer in my own band, and then a screenwriter, I was 38 when I took the first step on my path as a yoga teacher. Pushed into it by friends I was still very insecure as I taught my first few classes. I’ve come a long way since then as a speaker and teacher and I credit this to the inner work I have done. I eventually realized that if I didn’t heal the boy inside me that still felt unloved and unworthy, I was never going to be able to step into my light and fully take up my space in this world. Through breathing techniques, meditation, inspiring spiritual teachers and writing, I reconnected with my inner child and learned how to give him the love and understanding that he so desperately needed.
Now I have found my voice. From feeling like an odd and insignificant loner, I have found the teacher, leader, and the storyteller in me. Sharing my personal stories with people from different cultures, religions and backgrounds creates understanding and connection. Ultimately, we’re not that different from each other and I believe that when we learn to understand one another, we learn to understand ourselves. We are all teachers in our own way, and we all matter.
Accomplishments
Having been on the cutting edge of breathing and breath initiated movement for over 26 years Max shared his teaching in over 25 countries and 150 cities around the world as a teacher, speaker and author.
Speaker
- 3 TEDx talks of which his Breathe To Heal talk reached over 3 million views and counting
- Keynote addresses at medical conferences, wellbeing conferences, and many corporate events
- The Mindful Leadership Summit in Washington DC
- The World Government Summit in Dubai
- Keynote at the first Wellness Symposium in Saudi Arabia
- Seminar at Unilever head office Rotterdam
- Wisdom in Business Conference in Amsterdam (for 2 consecutive conferences)
- Inner Peace Conference in Amsterdam (3 conferences with a total of 9 workshops and lectures)
Author
- First book: A Life Worth Breathing, published in five languages and used as required reading in many breath- and movement based trainings.
- Second book: There is No App for Happiness, addressing the challenge of finding meaning in the digital age
- Third book: in the making
Teacher
- On a yearly basis Max teaches workshops, weekend immersions and retreats with 35 international hosts. He’s slowed down from over 40 hosts in recent years, to free up time to write his third book.
- Online video course Breathe To Heal. A 6,5 hr course with lectures, practices and key insights.
- App Strategic Breathing: Max’s voice in combination with an animated Avatar and motion graphics to guide you through a safe and effective practice of breathing patterns and meditative movement.
- Teacher training: 200 hr Inner Axis Teacher Training (breath-initiated movement system developed by Max)
- Breathe To Heal Training: a 40 hr training to study and experience breathing techniques and add them to your healing repertoire as a therapist, social and health professional, coach, or movement teacher.