The Beauty of Being Human™ was born of our need to see it all as beautiful: the sobbing, snotty tears; the earth-shaking screams that had to be released in the sanctity of the automobile; the awkward embarrassing moments we thought we’d never live down; and the shared sparkling smile in one’s eye; the lasting sweetness of a genuine, caring hug or kiss; feeling fabulous when hiking to the peak of a mountain or glancing in the mirror, radiant and full; and that smell, look, feel of the new car with leather seats, huge moon-roof and rockin’ stereo we had saved up for.
All of it Beautiful. All of it Human.
Together: Michael and Piper are passionate, consummate students and mentors in the realm of Sacred Intimacy. For over 30 years, they have each studied, experienced, and experimented with a variety of tools and approaches in the spiritual and energetic arts to find the most effective path to authentic Divine human connection, including: Qigong, Reiki, Feng Shui, Q’ero Shamanism, Qabbala, Hridaya Tantra Yoga, Somatica Intimacy and Relationship Coaching, and a variety of Divination and Mindfulness practices across cultural and spiritual traditions. Married, monogamish, queer-exploring, and forever curious and learning, it is their great joy to share the tools they have found to be deeply effective, connective, pleasurable, and healing for themselves and their clients.
Piper’s Story
I was raised an only-child in a late 1960’s, in a Midwestern, middle-class family. We seemed to have all the goods to look successful from the outside, but there was a lot of stuffed-emotion hidden inside the walls of our home. When we moved to Seattle in 1979, my mom began to unravel. Trying to keep control of her feelings and all she had lost in the move, and other areas of her life along the way, she became overly-harsh, forcing attempts at perfection on herself, on my dad, and on me. The compound stress of living in a new part of the country, new job and school, trying to make new friends, new community, new everything that didn’t settle into a new comfortable way of being, it eventually burst into a hundred pieces... my running away and later a suicide attempt by a very pubescent me; ten years later way too many attempts to leave this earth by my mother; and all so much energy spent looking for comfort in over-eating, over-shopping, and over-fantasizing about a boy coming to take me away from it all. I felt horrible about myself. I felt lonely. I felt unloved.
I so wanted Love, Comfort, Confidence, Connection and to feel good enough to have them all.
Forty-Five Years Later, a tenacious half-lifetime of learning, growing, and creating, I am blessed for who I am and how I move through the world today. I am grateful for the tools I have learned to transcend who I was (I am even grateful for the less-than-comfortable life that inspired my need to learn them). Tools from: therapists and self-help books galore; 10+ years dedicated in the 12-Steps; NLP and hypnotherapy; classical Tantra; Q’ero shamanism; Taoism, Buddhism and Science of Mind; Somatic therapies; plus the great wisdom of many ancient, energetic, divination and mindfulness practices from all over the world.
I now feel the peace and freedom to be my full, honest, and vulnerable self (sometimes snotty crying and yelling alone in the car — often laughing at my mistakes — returning to the incredible loving Heart deep within me to guide me to my “best next steps”).
It is my great joy to be in the Beauty of Being Human with you.
It is my pleasure and my purpose to share an honest, loving, always-learning, very human relationship with my clients, along with my favorite tools and practices that support healing and rich intimacy with yourself, the Universe/Nature, and other humans you desire closeness with.
In our work together I hope to:
Support you to be your True Self in each moment.
Provide a space where expressing and exploring honestly are safer, freeing, and empowering.
Support you to step into your own reverence of Life, where the power of your intuition can come through to honor and gift you with wisdom, care, vision and guidance for your own right action.
Witness and know your Inherent Brilliance — the power of your pleasure and magic within.
Connected and attuned to the kind and loving wisdom of your heart, body and mind, this is where Life’s Fulfillment and Intimacy happen. We come together to remember and embody this so you can connect with it everywhere in your life.
Michael’s Bio
I live near Cougar Mountain in Bellevue, WA, where I delight in wandering the forest trails with my amazing wife, Piper, and our sweet dog. The peace of nature mirrors my depth of human experience, both of which inspire my work as a mentor, guide, and coach.
Life has offered me a rich tapestry of experiences—some joyous, others challenging—all of which have shaped the wisdom and compassion I bring to my practice. My professional path began in the corporate world, navigating the high-stakes realms of law firms, in-house legal departments, and global negotiations. At the same time, my personal journey led me to explore martial arts, energy medicine, Hridaya Tantra Yoga, divination, Qabbala, Somatica® relationship and intimacy coaching, and sacred travel to spiritual sites around the world.
But the true heart of my work comes from my own transformative journey. Caregiving and profound loss of my first wife, aside the rebuilding of my life and family, taught me the beauty of resilience and finding new love through heartbreak. These aches and breakthroughs, and everything in between became my greatest teachers, allowing me to hold space for others with deep empathy and understanding.
My coaching practice is grounded in creating a spacious and accepting environment where you can uncover your own truths. I honor the messy, beautiful complexity of being human and bring respect, insight, and guidance to your path of growth.
I work with:
Lawyers yearning for balance, clarity, and joy in their lives
Women seeking to rebuild trust and confidence in relationships with men
Men who want a safe space to transcend toxic masculinity and embody their truest selves
Couples looking to rediscover passion, connection, and harmony (with the option to co-facilitate with my wife, Piper, for a balanced male-and-female perspective)
Life isn’t about perfect moments—it’s about the honest ones. The moments of laughter, tears, connection, and courage as we step closer to our authentic selves. I am here to support you as you embrace the full spectrum of your humanity and create a life that feels whole and meaningful.
Let’s connect. Let’s create magic. Let’s walk this path together.