About Tess
Hi, I’m Tess. I’ve been on the kitchen floor too.
I’m a yoga therapist for women who are holding it all together: the career, the family and the never-ending to-do list. I’ve sobbed on my own kitchen floor and I live with a herniated disc, so I don’t do love and light. I do practical, science-backed tools for your body, breath and nervous system that take minutes, not hours.
My story
It was always the evening.
Usually when my husband was away for work. Our first real home: a little flat in the city center, with a tiny, cozy kitchen we’d renovated and made ours.
And me, on that kitchen floor. Again.
To everyone else, I was fine. “Just busy.” “Just a bit tired.”
Underneath, my heart was racing. My chest was tight, my jaw clenched, my back aching. A song on the radio could set me off crying. I was snappy with my husband. Mood swings galore. And the voice in my head never let up:
I can’t believe I said that. Why didn’t I say something else? Why am I even trying? Is it even worth it?
I used to be so full of joy. Happy-go-lucky. Creative. Now everything just felt dark.
One evening, on that floor for the who-knows-how-many-th time, I realized I was scaring myself. That wasn’t me.
So I told someone how scared I was.
Then I started working with a mindfulness coach and got back into a regular yoga practice. Small steps. Nothing fancy. The first sign it was working? I’d catch the spiral before it dragged me down the rabbit hole.
I’m a yoga therapist. I’m also human.
I’d love to tell you I never have hard days now. I’d be lying.
We’ve just finished a two-year house renovation. Right after we bought the place, my husband was badly injured and off work for months, so it was just me, my small salary and a brand-new business. It was really friggin’ stressful.
The difference is that I notice the yellow flags now, long before they turn red. I let myself feel what I’m feeling, without it spiraling me somewhere dark.
I move. I breathe. I curl up in a blanket with a cuppa. I go outside, feet (sometimes hands) in the grass, and watch the sky and listen for the birds, or the bats and owls. I meet up with friends. I tell my husband how I’m actually feeling.
I don’t end up bawling on the kitchen floor anymore.
I do this work because it lights me up. Because I want to help women who are struggling to come back to themselves, to feel and see and taste the light and life that is theirs.
Tess
If any of that sounds familiar, you’re exactly who I work with.
The racing heart. The “I’m fine.” The voice that won’t shut up.
- You run the business, the team or the house (often all three), and on paper you’re nailing it
- Everyone leans on you, and nobody checks on you
- Your jaw’s clenched, your shoulders are up by your ears, and your sleep is shot
- You’ve tried the apps and the gym membership, and nothing stuck
In private one-on-one sessions, we build a plan around your actual life, and we start ridiculously small.
Apply to work with meHow I work
Why I do it differently
Every one of these comes from something that didn’t work for me first.
Ground first, always.
Breath-first meditations used to make me feel like I was hyperventilating. So we never force the breath. We ground first, because nothing else lands while your nervous system is on fire.
The why, in plain English.
My first yoga teacher never explained how or why any of it worked, so I didn’t stick with it. I explain the science, so you know exactly what each tool is doing for you.
Ten minutes, not ninety.
If someone told you there’s no point unless you can do 90 minutes on the mat: that’s bullshit. A few minutes a day, built around your calendar, makes a massive difference.
My body is the proof.
A dislocated rib, then a herniated disc. Therapeutic yoga is how I live in my own body every single day, not a theory I read about.
It all works alongside therapy and your medical care, not instead of them. And the goal is that you won’t need me forever.
What I believe
No toxic positivity. No 21-day transformations.
Training
2,500+ hours of training (and counting)
I’m forever a student. Here’s what sits behind the tools I teach:
Plus continuing education in yoga therapy for anxiety, chronic fatigue and Long COVID, pelvic girdle pain, endometriosis, arthritis and more.
Off the mat
Science nerd meets white witch.
I’ll explain your vagus nerve, then go and moon-gaze. I grew up with my nose in fantasy books, I’ve lived in three countries (culture shock both ways), studied journalism, then did a Master’s in urban anthropology. I’ve always wanted to know why people do what they do.
These days you’ll find me hiking the mountains and coast of northern Spain, cooking with whatever’s growing in the garden, brewing yet another tea, and trying to convince a feral kitten from the local colony that I’m safe. (Turns out a scared wild thing learning to feel safe is a pretty good nervous-system lesson.)
Calm and grounded, and properly silly too.
In their words
What clients say
“When I feel stressed, or have a new board responsibility that I feel unsure about, I am able to use the de-stress tools Tess has taught me on my commute to the meeting. It helps me to slow down my breathing and heart rate and thoughtfully reflect on the big picture.”Nancy C., USA
“Tess helped me in a very difficult moment, teaching me techniques to control my body, my mind and to balance myself. It helped me so much, and it still does.”
“I walked away with a number of simple yet powerful tools to help me build awareness of and listen to my body. Tess has an incredibly calming presence and holds space with so much compassion.”
Ready to stop just pushing through?
Apply to work with me, and I’ll be in touch within 48 hours. Or start small with the free Life Shift Playbook. ¿Prefieres en español? I work in English and Spanish.