About
ABOUT
in essence...
I move to remember who we are.
Not the polished selves we try to perform, but the quieter truths that live beneath the surface, the breath we forget to take, the tension we habitually hold, the instincts we learned to mute.
I have spent more than three decades immersed in movement, first as a dancer, then as a researcher, a lecturer and eventually a guide for those who seek a more honest relationship with their bodies.
My work sits at the meeting point of science and sensation, blending Somatic Healing, Yoga psychology, Pilates and the neuroscience of regulation.
What I offer is not fitness (even though working with me might get you the strongest you have ever been), not performance, not perfection.
It is a way home.
A way of inhabiting the body with curiosity rather than criticism, presence rather than pressure.
A way of grounding, attuning, softening, strengthening, for life.
My path
I began dancing at four in a little town in Northern Italy, long before I realised movement was its own language, one that could hold emotions my voice could not yet form.
That love carried me through years of training, performing and researching across Europe.
Along the way, the science found me: Polyvagal Theory, Yoga Psychology, Trauma-Informed Practice, Somatic Healing.
Each one offered a doorway deeper into our body’s intelligence.
Each one expanded my understanding of what strength and resilience really means.
And slowly I began to see: regulation is a way of meeting stress with clarity rather than collapse or fight, a way of creating space inside ourselves when the world feels too overwhelming.
This philosophy became the foundation of the Transformative Movement Method (TMM), a body-led path that honours our emotions, sensations, intuition and the nervous system’s natural rhythms.
Today I am a movement specialist and Nervous System educator based in London.
I have been teaching for more than 15 years, from leading Yoga and Pilates studios to lecturing at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, the UK’s leading institution for embodied and interdisciplinary dance training.
My work centres on accessibility, intuitive movement and trauma-informed care.
HOW I WORK
My sessions are an invitation to inhabit the body gently, to follow sensation rather than shape, to build strength without hardening, to take up space without apology.
I teach movement as a conversation between you and your inner world: the part of you that longs to slow down, the part that wants to feel capable, the part that remembers what ease feels like, even if you haven’t touched it in years.
No competition.
No perfectionism.
No chasing an aesthetic.
Just presence.
Just honesty.
Just your body, exactly as it is.
what I believe
Movement is how we root.
How we reconnect.
How we regulate.
How we return to ourselves, again and again.
I believe in:
Somatic integrity. Being guided by the body’s truth, not societal expectations.
Sustainable strength. Built slowly, kindly, with care.
Trauma-informed spaces. Safety as the foundation of growth.
Intuition over appearance. Feeling over “looking the part.”
Nature as teacher. Cycles, seasons, softness, and renewal.
Artistry. Movement as expression, ritual, poetry in motion.
who i support
I work with those who are ready to transform their relationship with their bodies, not through intensity, but through intimacy.
People navigating burnout, motherhood, high performance, emotional fatigue, or simply the weight of being human in a fast world.
I also collaborate with wellness brands, corporate teams and creative communities who want a more embodied, humane approach to wellbeing, one rooted in awareness, nervous system education and somatic strength.
See how we can work together
Even though I now access to a wide variety of classes I have still not been able to find a teacher like Vanessa. Vanessa is so passionate about her classes and she has a unique way of connecting the mind and body. I always leave her classes feeling not only physically relaxed and revived but also mentally recharged. - Monique O.
Vanessa is a fantastic teacher - so motivating and supportive. She has completely transformed my approach to health and exercise. - Helen O.
Some of the experiences I share to support and inspire you
MA Dance Performance - Trinity Laban Conservatoire London
PhD Cultural Heritage - Polytechnic of Turin
Pre/Postnatal Yoga and Baby & Me Yoga
Pre/Postnatal Coaching
Trauma informed Yoga
Applied Polyvagal Theory in Yoga Therapeutics Level I, II, III - Dr Arielle Schwartz
Advanced Yoga Psychology 300h
Yoga Therapy for Anxiety
Somatic Healing
Ante/Postnatal Pilates and Pilates for Orthopaedic Conditions
Advanced Mat Pilates L3
Mandala Vinyasa
Yin Yoga
Vinyasa and Hatha Yoga 200h
Barre 200h
Contemporary Dance Specialist - International Dance Association
Co.Dance Community Dance Programme
Sleep, Stress Management and Recovery Coaching (in progress)
Where you might have met me teaching and speaking
Google
Equinox
Soma.house
Sweaty Betty
Lululemon
Third Space
Barrecore
Ekhart Yoga
Movement for Modern Life
Indaba
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
Om Yoga Show
SoulCircus Festival
Balance Festival