Vanessa is a meditation researcher, author and certified coach. She became an expert in contemplative practices following her lived-experiences of using mind-body practices and nature to overcome the trauma of a serious illness that left her blind and paralysed. As a result, she spent a decade researching different mind-body modalities which, along with a 15-year practice, have informed her teaching. She's a best-selling well-being author, TEDx speaker and has co-designed a number of contemplative research studies. Her mantra in life is, "be curious". Vanessa believes meditation should be accessible, practical and something you look forward to - and never a chore. Her down-to-earth approach will help you to explore spirituality and create your own meditation roadmap.
Vanessa published her first book, Patient H69: The Story of my Second Sight (Bloomsbury) in 2017, which was a Times and BBC Focus best memoir. She subsequently published her second book, Finding My Right Mind: One Woman’s Experiment to put Meditation to the Test (Trigger publishing) in 2021. This Amazon best seller narrates a remarkable three-year exploration, where scientists monitored her daily brain activity using EEG as she explored 12 different mind and body practices, from mindfulness to psychedelics.
In 2021 Vanessa co-founded ParkBathe, a green health project using urban forest bathing that now operates throughout southeast London and Lanarkshire. Vanessa and her team published a paper presenting ParkBathe as an accessible, effective health model that is now a community-led movement.
Vanessa has written for Mosaic Science, The Telegraph, Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping and has been featured in The Washington Post , The Times and CNN along with many other publications. She has appeared on BBC Radio Four, BBC Shortcuts and in countless podcasts and radio shows in the UK & USA.
Vanessa is a confident and engaging speaker and provides well-being talks, training and workshops for communities and organisations, providing accessible well-being that utilises mind-body practices and urban green spaces.
