Vanessa France is a writer, yoga teacher, and co-owner of Zen Yoga & Wellness in central Massachusetts. Before opening her studios, she worked in hospice, walking alongside patients and families through some of life’s most tender thresholds.

Her memoir, Unraveled: A Journey from Breakdown to Breakthrough, traces her path through anxiety, disordered eating, and alcohol misuse into sobriety, motherhood, faith, and the healing practice of yoga. Part intimate story, part invitation to breathe and begin again, Vanessa writes so others feel less alone and more at home in their own lives.

Her newest book, Held: Daily Reflections for Living Gently, is a collection of 365 short reflections written to be returned to again and again. Rooted in the rhythms of the year and often shared at the close of her yoga classes, these readings offer space to pause, soften, and come back to what feels steady when life feels tender, uncertain, or full. Held was released in March 2026.

In the studio, Vanessa is known for grounded, compassionate classes that weave breathwork, nervous-system awareness, and accessible philosophy — the kind of practice that meets people exactly where they are. She also hosts community workshops and retreats focused on healing and connection.

Vanessa is currently continuing her own education through Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, where she is enrolled in their 500-hour yoga teacher training program. After attending an event at Kripalu in July and falling in love with the grounds, the facility, and the people she met there, she knew she wanted to return for the next chapter of her training.

Vanessa lives in Massachusetts with her husband and their four children. When she’s not writing or teaching, you’ll find her on a lake with a paddleboard, driving her kids from one activity to the next, or walking with her husband and golden retriever, Gracie.