Sex & Soul

One Step Back, Two Steps Forward: A Man's Journey Into Love

In this episode, Leen sits down with her co-teacher and fellow intimacy coach Keith McGuinness for an honest, warm, and practical conversation about a common dynamic in relationships: the woman who is ready to go deeper, and the man who says everything is fine.

Keith has been exploring sexual and relational healing for nearly 20 years. He works with men and couples, and together with Leen he co-teaches Unstoppable Lovers, a four month couples program that transforms how partners experience sex, communication, and love.

What you will hear in this episode:

Why most men access only 5% of the intimacy and pleasure available to them, and what opens up when that changes.

What a man actually hears when his woman invites him to do relationship work, and why his resistance is not about not caring.

How widening the definition of s3x beyond penetration and orgasm changes a man's confidence, his energy, and his relationship with his own body.

Why sexual energy, when not expended through ejaculation, becomes creative life force that shows up in his work, presence, and aliveness.

The difference between being emotionally available and emotionally overflowing.

How to say no to s3x in a way that keeps the door open and honors your man's desire without abandoning yourself.

What it means to master your s3xual energy, and why it makes a man a better human, not just a better lover.

How to invite your man into growth from your longing instead of your complaint.

Why men need other men, and what becomes possible in a men-only space.

About Keith McGuinness:

Keith is a sex, relationship, and intimacy coach based in Colorado. He met Leen in Thailand in 2016, and they have collaborated ever since. He co-teaches the men's sessions inside Unstoppable Lovers.

Links mentioned:

Unstoppable Lovers: https://leen-s.com/unstoppable-lovers

Ignite free masterclass: https://leen-s.com/ignite

Keith McGuinness: https://www.awakenintimacy.com

Leen's website: https://www.leen-s.com

Questions: [email protected]

If this episode moved something in you, share it with a couple you love and leave a review. If you are ready to go on this journey with your partner, the link to book a connection call for Unstoppable Lovers is in the show notes.

About Leen S:

Leen is a Belgian born International Facilitator with roots in yoga, tantra, and conscious relating. As a certified Sex, Love and Relationship VITA coach, breath-work facilitator, and 500 hour certified tantric Hatha Yoga Teacher, she has spent 10 years guiding thousands of people to awaken to the power of their pleasure and orgasmic nature.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome and why Keith is here (Unstoppable Lovers open door)

02:41 Why a man should say yes: touching 5% of the intimacy available

04:36 Resistance and ego: what a man feels when his woman invites him in

07:36 Lovemaking beyond penetration and orgasm

12:22 Sexual energy and what men do with it

14:43 “I’m fine, we do not have a problem”: when women initiate the growth

19:34 How to inspire a man to grow: accepting each other as you are while evolving together

21:16 Becoming a father and doing the work before life gets stressful

24:18 Why men’s groups matter

27:42 Vulnerability: why it is hard for men and how to do it well

31:21 Community question: how to shift away from focusing on penetration and ejaculation

35:43 Community question (part 2): working with arousal and performance without suppressing it

41:57 What it means to be a man: mastery over your sexuality

45:45 Community question: how to support a man who feels rejected when he initiates

49:50 Unwinding the past: everyone standing behind you in the relationship

55:11 Closing thanks and the waitlist

In this episode, I'm joined by Nicolas Canon, international teacher and best-selling author and teacher of grounded spirituality and relationship wisdom.

In this conversation, we go deep into the father wound: the stories, fears and conditioning we build as children in reaction to how our father showed up. Nicolas explains why the wound is rarely about what dad did and almost always about who we decided to become because of it, from the shy kid who shrinks to the tough guy who armours up.

We explore how the father wound shows up in the body, from lower back pain to autoimmune conditions, and why money slips through your fingers when there is no container to hold it.

We look at why women who grew up with angry fathers so often choose the nice guy, what happens to respect and polarity when there is too much pleasing, and why a people-pleasing man cannot lead.

Nicolas shares how his own marriage recreated his parents' marriage, and why every relationship dance is co-created.

We speak about the difference between repair and reconciliation, why "you are the perfect father for me" is the foundation of healing, and an exercise to find the strength hiding in everything you judge about your parents.

We also touch on why overthinking is a symptom of under-feeling, and why the search for God, gurus and religion is so often a search for the father.

This is a grounded, honest and deeply human conversation, with plenty of laughter and some tender moments. A story of abuse is shared in the middle of the episode, so please take care of yourself while listening.

Please let us know what you thought of this conversation.

Join Nicolas's Heal the Father Wound workshop on October 22nd:

Find Nicolas online:

Instagram

Website

Want to take this deeper?

Ignite- Free 4 days Masterclass for Couples

Unstoppable Lovers- 16 Week Deep Dive for Couples

Leen on Instagram

Leen's website

Any questions: [email protected]

Please give this podcast a 5 star review and share this with anyone who might benefit from it.

About Leen S:

Leen is a Belgian born, International Facilitator with traditional roots in yoga, tantra & conscious relating. She brings us closer to our bodies, our life force energy and a new way of relating through heart healing and soul recognition.

Her magic lies in being a shameless permission slip for eros and joy to awaken in all. Leen stands for conscious relationships where emotional maturity, safety and vulnerability meet the fire of passion.

As a certified Sex, Love and Relationship VITA coach, breath-work facilitator and 500 hours certified tantric Hatha Yoga Teacher, Leen has been guiding thousands of people to awaken to the power of their pleasure and orgasmic nature for the last 9 years.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome, Nicolas Canon, and a deep exhale

05:17 What the father wound really is (spoiler: not what dad did)

06:41 When love had to be earned

11:05 How the father wound lives in your body

17:16 Why money slips through your fingers

23:49 The shy guy and the steroid guy: same wound, different armour

26:20 Women, their fathers and the nice guy

31:29 Where polarity goes to die: too much pleasing

36:01 The way through: it is always co-created

40:32 Repair is not reconciliation (content note: abuse story)

43:33 "You are the perfect father for me"

47:59 What you judge most in your parents is your next level

58:22 How Nicolas recreated his parents' marriage

01:06:18 The bully, the victim and the tyrant who thinks he is the victim

01:08:06 The divorce conversation and the moment of fate

01:12:46 Truth liberates: the real definition of intimacy

01:18:12 Is the search for God really the search for the father?

01:23:56 The cosmic joke of being human: complete and still seeking

01:25:47 Where to find Nicolas

Silence teaches what nothing else can.

In this episode, I share what came up during my tenth silent retreat in eight years, 17 days of silence that humbled me completely. We explore what meditation actually is beyond the buzzword, the balance between masculine effort and feminine surrender, and the moment grace took over when I finally stopped pushing.

I also get honest about my own spiritual ego, the parts of me that still crave being seen and validated, the judgment that showed up toward my meditation neighbours, and the apology I realised I owed myself before anyone else.

We close with the question that matters more than any retreat, spiritual practice or blissful state: does it make you kinder. And why receiving love, receiving bliss, receiving good things, can be harder for us than receiving pain.

This episode is for you if you are on any kind of inner path, whether that is yoga, therapy, coaching or your own quiet practice, and you want to be reminded why the going within is worth it.

Please give this podcast a 5 star review and share this with anyone who might need to hear it.

Hridaya Yoga, where I trained and return to for silent retreats:

https://hridaya-yoga.com/

Unstoppable Lovers, doors opening soon:

https://leen-s.com/unstoppable-lovers/

Find Leen on Instagram:
instagram.com/leen.s.coaching

Check Leen's Website:
www.leen-s.com

Any questions: [email protected]

About Leen S:
Leen is a Belgian born, International Facilitator with traditional roots in yoga, tantra & conscious relating. She brings us closer to our bodies, our life force energy and a new way of relating through heart healing and soul recognition.

Her magic lies in being a shameless permission slip for eros and joy to awaken in all. Leen stands for conscious relationships where emotional maturity, safety and vulnerability meet the fire of passion.

As a certified Sex, Love and Relationship VITA coach, breath-work facilitator and 500 hours certified tantric Hatha Yoga Teacher, Leen has been guiding thousands of people to awaken to the power of their pleasure and orgasmic nature for the last 10 years.

Chapters
00:00 - Welcome to Sex & Soul
00:32 - Retreat context: 17 days of silence
02:41 - What meditation actually asks of you
05:32 - Tantra beyond the misconception
07:23 - Falling in love with the mystery
12:08 - Masculine effort, feminine surrender
16:01 - Grace, humbling and letting go of control
21:54 - Throwing the whole book away
24:14 - Letting yourself feel good
26:12 - The apology as an ego death
28:55 - What I judge in others, I have not loved in myself
30:33 - Does it make you kinder
32:28 - We become love by loving others
39:07 - Welcome home, soul family

A break-up isn’t just an ending, it’s a death.

And like every death, it asks for grieving, honesty, and surrender.

In this episode, we explore break-ups as an initiation: the unraveling of an identity, a future, and the familiar ways we love. We talk about why being single can be deeply liberating, how to truly upgrade after a relationship ends, and what conscious sexuality looks like when you’re on your own, including the choice between sex and celibacy.

We also dive into the deeper healing underneath break-ups: stopping projecting on other people as a way to avoid feeling your own pain, repairing the inner masculine and feminine by healing father and mother wounds, and learning to accept the end without bitterness.

We close with when to open your heart again, why forgiveness is essential, and how freedom becomes possible when you let love end cleanly.

This episode is for you if you’re navigating a break-up, learning to be single again, or ready to meet love next time from a more whole place.

Please give this podcast a 5 star review and share this with anyone who might benefit from it.

‘16 days to Ecstasy’

How to love yourself unconditionally - Download your FREE guide.

Find Leen on Instagram⁠

⁠Check Leen's Website

Any questions: [email protected]

About Leen S:

Leen is a Belgian born, International Facilitator with traditional roots in yoga, tantra & conscious relating. She brings us closer to our bodies, our life force energy and a new way of relating through heart healing and soul recognition.

Her magic lies in being a shameless permission slip for eros and joy to awaken in all. Leen stands for conscious relationships where emotional maturity, safety and vulnerability meet the fire of passion.

As a certified Sex, Love and Relationship VITA coach, breath-work facilitator and 500 hours certified tantric Hatha Yoga Teacher, Leen has been guiding thousands of people to awaken to the power of their pleasure and orgasmic nature for the last 10 years

In this episode, we explore what it really takes to step out of victimhood and into inner leadership.

We talk about the courage it takes to feel, instead of avoiding, blaming, or performing and how the roles and masks we wear in the world slowly disconnect us from our truth.

We move into the deep shift from self-shame to unconditional love, and what becomes possible when you stop fighting yourself.

You’ll leave with one simple, powerful question you can ask yourself every day to stay aligned, responsible, and rooted in self-leadership.

This episode is for you if you’re ready to stop outsourcing your power and start living from truth, presence, and self-trust.

Please give this podcast a 5 star review and share this with anyone who might benefit from it.

⁠‘16 days to Ecstasy’ ⁠

How to love yourself unconditionally - ⁠Download your FREE guide.⁠

⁠Find Leen on Instagram⁠⁠

⁠⁠Check Leen's Website⁠

Any questions: ⁠[email protected]⁠

About Leen S:

Leen is a Belgian born, International Facilitator with traditional roots in yoga, tantra & conscious relating. She brings us closer to our bodies, our life force energy and a new way of relating through heart healing and soul recognition.

Her magic lies in being a shameless permission slip for eros and joy to awaken in all. Leen stands for conscious relationships where emotional maturity, safety and vulnerability meet the fire of passion.

As a certified Sex, Love and Relationship VITA coach, breath-work facilitator and 500 hours certified tantric Hatha Yoga Teacher, Leen has been guiding thousands of people to awaken to the power of their pleasure and orgasmic nature for the last 10 years

In this episode, I’m joined by Nico Canon — international teacher and best-selling author and teacher of grounded spirituality and relationship wisdom.

In this conversation, we move through the full arc of the masculine journey, from darkness into service, from performance into worthiness, from sexuality as tension into sexuality as presence.

We explore what it means to balance masculine and feminine energies, how many men learn to tie their value to achievement, and what mature male sexuality really looks like when it’s rooted in consciousness rather than conquest.

We speak about the vulnerability of pleasure, the lessons relationships are here to teach us, why they so often end and what actually allows love to last.

This is a grounded, honest, and deeply human conversation about intimacy, responsibility, and growth, for men, for women, and for anyone committed to relating with more truth.

Please let us know what you thought of this conversation.

Find Nico online and check out his retreats:

https://www.instagram.com/nicocanon_/

https://nicocanon.com/

Want to take this deeper?

⁠Find Leen on Instagram⁠

⁠Check Leen's Website⁠

Any questions: [email protected]

Please give this podcast a 5 star review and share this with anyone who might benefit from it.

About Leen S:

Leen is a Belgian born, International Facilitator with traditional roots in yoga, tantra & conscious relating. She brings us closer to our bodies, our life force energy and a new way of relating through heart healing and soul recognition.

Her magic lies in being a shameless permission slip for eros and joy to awaken in all. Leen stands for conscious relationships where emotional maturity, safety and vulnerability meet the fire of passion.

As a certified Sex, Love and Relationship VITA coach, breath-work facilitator and 500 hours certified tantric Hatha Yoga Teacher, Leen has been guiding thousands of people to awaken to the power of their pleasure and orgasmic nature for the last 9 years.

In this episode, we explore a dynamic many women find themselves in without realizing it—mothering and emasculating their partner.

What begins as care often becomes control. Fixing. Managing. Overriding. And slowly but surely, the erotic tension and polarity vanish.

We break down:

• What mothering and emasculation actually look like in everyday interactions

• How women unintentionally disrespect their partner by “helping” or “advising”

• The root of this dynamic: unmet needs, childhood wounding, and survival energy

• How to become a safe space, a lover, not a mother

• The power of letting your emotions be an invitation, not a weapon

• How trust, vulnerability, and somatic awareness reshape your relationship dynamic

You’ll hear why your tone matters, why trying to “fix” your partner doesn’t work, and how your ability to meet yourself in your feelings will determine the level of intimacy you can experience with your man.

This episode is an invitation to step out of control and into connection, to let your emotions awaken rather than overwhelm—and to reclaim your role as a devoted lover, not his mother.

If you're ready to transform the mundane into the magical, to reclaim desire, power, and deep connection while still being partners in real life—join us inside Unstoppable Lovers.

This program is for couples who want it all:

• Deep intimacy

• Orgasmic connection

• A family life that feels sacred

• And yes—dinner on the table every night

You’re already enough.
But if you both desire to grow in love—this is the space.

Your entire life gets to be foreplay.
Are you in?

Want to take this deeper?

Find Leen on Instagram

Check Leen's Website

Any questions: [email protected]

Please give this podcast a 5 star review and share this with anyone who might benefit from it.

About Leen S:

Leen is a Belgian born, International Facilitator with traditional roots in yoga, tantra & conscious relating. She brings us closer to our bodies, our life force energy and a new way of relating through heart healing and soul recognition.

Her magic lies in being a shameless permission slip for eros and joy to awaken in all. Leen stands for conscious relationships where emotional maturity, safety and vulnerability meet the fire of passion.

As a certified Sex, Love and Relationship VITA coach, breath-work facilitator and 500 hours certified tantric Hatha Yoga Teacher, Leen has been guiding thousands of people to awaken to the power of their pleasure and orgasmic nature for the last 9 years.

What if the parts of you that feel unlovable… are actually the key to deeper intimacy?

In today’s episode, we’re diving into the shadow—that hidden part of us that runs on fear, survival, and past imprints.

Most of us are taught to repress our shadow, to push it away or mask it with ego identities that help us feel safe.

But in relationships, these unacknowledged parts don’t just disappear.

They show up in powerful, often painful ways: as blame, judgment, or projection onto the person we love most.

We’ll explore how our shadows can either block or deepen connection—depending on how we meet them.

And we’ll talk about what it takes to stop projecting your unmet needs outward, and start bringing them back home, to you.

This one is a deep journey into inner alchemy, emotional responsibility, and sacred love.

The truth is, the shadow will always show up in love—because love is where we’re most raw, most exposed, and most hungry to be seen.

But when you start recognizing these patterns, not as problems to fix, but as parts to embrace and integrate… something shifts. Intimacy deepens. Blame softens.

You stop expecting your partner to carry your unmet needs, and you begin loving from a fuller, more sovereign place.

And that’s exactly what we explore inside Unstoppable Lovers.

UL is my signature program for couples who want to go beyond average.

It’s where we dive into tools and practices to not just survive relationship triggers—but to use them as fuel for growth, desire, and real connection.

So if this episode stirred something in you… if you’re tired of surface-level love and ready for the kind of intimacy that transforms—Unstoppable Lovers might just be your next step.

You can find all the details about Unstoppable Lovers here.

Any questions or a desire to go deeper:

Find me on Instagram.

Check out my website.

Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode.

You're growing. You're evolving. You're learning things that light you up, shift your perspective, and help you feel more alive.

But what happens when your partner isn't on the same page?

In this episode, we're talking about one of the most tender relationship dynamics:

how to invite your partner into growth — without pressure, preaching, or disconnection.

If you've ever felt misunderstood, frustrated, or worried that you're growing ‘away’ from your partner, this conversation is for you.

We explore:

•⁠ ⁠ How to inspire growth through connection, not control

•⁠ ⁠ What to do when you're excited to share something and they shut down

•⁠ ⁠ Why your partner doesn’t need to grow the same way you do — to grow with you

•⁠ ⁠How to stop making their “no” mean rejection

•⁠ ⁠ What creates safety, openness, and curiosity in a relationship

I’ll also share 5 powerful ways to invite your partner into growth, including:

•⁠ ⁠How to share something new without overwhelming them

•⁠ ⁠How to extend an invitation instead of an expectation

•⁠ ⁠ How to keep your own path sacred and open the door for them to join

•⁠ ⁠ Scripts to use when you're unsure how to start the conversation

•⁠ ⁠How to shift from frustration to collaboration

And if you’re craving a shared path forward — something that helps you feel like you're on the same team again — I’d love to invite you into my program:

Unstoppable Lovers

It’s a guided 14 weeks experience for couples who want to grow together — emotionally, sexually, relationally — in a way that feels safe, exciting, and deeply connected.

This isn’t about fixing each other. It’s about celebrating each other.

It’s about creating a shared vision for your relationship, and walking that path side by side.

If you’ve been longing for that “we’ve got this” feeling in your relationship again… this is your invitation.

✨ Join us inside *Unstoppable Lovers* — and let’s grow something beautiful, together.

Chapters:

00- How do you feel now about your growth as a couple?

06:30 - What do you make the differences mean?

08:00 - Assess your relationship with these important questions

18:00 - The best way to inspire your partner

20:00 - What growth truly is about

22:48 - 5 ways to invite your partner

30:36 - A recap of today’s episode

In today’s episode, I’m diving into a common dynamic many heterosexual couples face:

✨ One partner is ready to go — the other needs more time.

✨ One craves sex often — the other seems to have a lower libido.

But is it really about low libido? Especially for women, the answer is often more nuanced.

I talk about how desire works differently — and why what looks like “low libido” may actually be about:

-Sex moving too fast

-The experience not being fully enjoyable

-Not honoring her responsive (vs. spontaneous) desire

I also share simple but powerful ways to stay connected even when you’re not aligned — with slowness, presence, and honest communication at the heart of it.

Want more sex and better sex?

Curious how to navigate libido mismatches with care and confidence?

Ready to explore guided practices that make intimacy exciting again?

Come join Unstoppable Lovers — and let’s change the way we do sex and connection.

Unstoppable Lovers Doors are now Open:
https://leen-s.com/unstoppable-lovers/

Any questions?

Reach out via ⁠IG⁠ or via email: [email protected]

Find Leen on IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/leen.s.coaching/⁠

Check out Leen’s website: ⁠https://leen-s.com/