Vanessa France | Updates

Held Is Here – A New Book for the Everyday Moments

Vanessa France — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I’m so grateful to share that my new book, Held, is officially out in the world.

This project was written slowly, over time.

Some reflections began as journal entries during early sobriety. Others were short notes typed into notes on my phone before teaching yoga - words I would read at the end of class. Many were written this past year after finishing my memoir, pieces that did not quite belong in that story but still wanted a place to live.

Over time, they became 365 short reflections - one for each day.

Compiled with love. Offered gently.

This book is meant to meet you wherever you are. As a morning ritual. A few quiet words before bed. A steady place to land in seasons of change, grief, growth, or becoming.

If it finds you at the right time, I hope it feels like something to hold onto.

Photo credit: Cam France

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Why I’ve Been Quiet... and What’s Next

Vanessa France — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve been a little quiet here, and it felt important to share why.

When I finished writing Unraveled over a year ago, something subtle began happening alongside it. Small passages started coming through. Notes scribbled in margins. Lines written early in the morning or tucked into the end of a long day. I didn’t set out to write another book. I was simply paying attention.

Over the past five years of sobriety, writing has been a steady companion. Not just the memoir, but reflections jotted in journals that didn’t belong on those pages. Notes typed into my phone while sitting in a parking lot or waiting for a child to finish practice. Passages written as a way to sit with something tender or confusing without needing to explain it yet. Even words I began weaving into my savasana readings at the end of class, offered quietly as a way to help us all land.

None of it was fast. None of it was linear. It was lived writing, gathered slowly over time.

Those small reflections kept accumulating. Day by day, moment by moment. Eventually, I realized they had become something whole. A year’s worth of writing, shaped by lived experience and deeply influenced by the writers whose words I return to again and again. Mark Nepo and Melody Beattie have been part of my regular teaching rhythm for years, their passages often read aloud in class, offered during savasana as a way to ground, soften, and make space.

Life itself has also been full. Deeply full. We are in the middle of an intense home renovation, the kind that turns daily routines upside down and asks for more patience than you think you have. Walls open, dust everywhere, decisions stacking up, living in temporary spaces while imagining what might eventually feel like home again. It’s disruptive and grounding all at once, a constant lesson in how to live inside transition.

At the same time, Unraveled has been finding its way into the world in ways that continue to surprise me. What has meant the most are the connections. The handwritten notes. The emails. The texts that say, “This felt like my story too,” or “This helped me feel less alone.” Those messages have been a steady reminder of why I wrote it.

Knowing the book is reaching people quietly and meaningfully has allowed me to step back from pushing or promoting and instead stay present with what is unfolding, both on the page and in my own life.

And what is unfolding is Held.

Held is a daily reflections book. Gentle, spacious, and meant to be lived with slowly. It’s about learning how to stay with yourself through change. About grief, faith, healing, and choosing a softer way of moving through the world without checking out of it. Each reflection is an invitation to pause, notice, and remember that you don’t have to carry everything alone.

If Unraveled was about telling the story, Held is about what comes after. The day to day living. The integration. The quiet practices that steady us while life is still noisy, unfinished, and imperfect.

I’m so grateful for the way both of these books have come into being, and for the people who have met them with such openness.

To my New England friends - stay safe and warm in this weekend storm.

More soon. 💛

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Goodreads Giveaway — Enter to Win a Copy of Unraveled!

Vanessa France — Tue, 9 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Win a free copy of Unraveled: A Journey from Breakdown to Breakthrough in my Goodreads Giveaway, open December 12th through December 24, 2025. 10 copies will be given away!

Enter the giveaway here:

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/428566

View the book on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243136949

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Happy Thanksgiving

Vanessa France — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

As we head into this season of gratitude, I want to take a moment to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Publishing Unraveled has been one of the most vulnerable and meaningful experiences of my life, and hearing from so many of you about what the book has stirred, opened, or softened within you has been incredibly heartwarming. Your messages, stories, and moments of reflection mean more than I can put into words. I’m humbled and so grateful.

If you’re local and looking for something special this weekend, we’d love to see you at Zen in Westminster this Saturday for Small Business Saturday. We’ll have more than a dozen wonderful local vendors joining us, along with copies of Unraveled available to purchase - either the book on its own for $19.99 or the curated Unraveled Gift Set for $34.99. The gift set includes a signed book, bookmark, bracelet, and an inspirational notebook with a pen, all wrapped in a gift bag with a “to/from” tag ready to go. They make meaningful holiday gifts for anyone who could use a little hope, encouragement, or support.

Wishing you and your family a warm, peaceful, and grateful Thanksgiving. Thank you for being here - and for reading, supporting, and sharing this journey with me.

With love, Vanessa

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✨ Small Business Saturday at Zen – Self-Care Raffle Basket! ✨

Vanessa France — Sun, 23 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

We’re celebrating Small Business Saturday this Saturday, November 29th from 11–2 pm at Zen Yoga & Wellness (97 Main St, Westminster), and we’re so excited to share one of our raffle items… a beautiful Self-Care Basket filled with cozy, calming goodies.

The basket includes:
• A signed copy of Unraveled
• A cozy blanket
• Tea and a mug
• A bracelet
• An inspirational notebook
• …and a few extra sweet surprises tucked in

Here’s how it works:
Every purchase you make – whether you grab something from Zen (merchandise, gift cards, etc.) or shop from any of our 12+ local vendors – earns you a raffle ticket for your chance to win an item donated to our raffle table. It’s our way of saying thank you for supporting local this holiday season.

We’ll also have copies of Unraveled available for purchase at the event.
Come see us on Saturday, shop local, and enter for your chance to win this adorable basket. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

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Simply Grateful

Vanessa France — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

It’s been just a few days since Unraveled officially found its way into the world - and I’m still catching my breath.

I’ve received so many heartfelt messages, photos, and words from people who have already read or listened to the book, and I can’t even begin to describe what that means to me. Every message - every story you’ve shared about how a chapter resonated, or how it made you pause and reflect - has reminded me why I wrote Unraveled in the first place.

This journey was never just about publishing a book. It was about connection. About honesty. About helping others feel a little less alone in their struggles with things like anxiety, addiction, perfectionism, and the ongoing work of letting go. To know that those words are now finding their way into your hearts and homes is something I’ll never take for granted.

If Unraveled has touched you in some way, I’d be deeply grateful if you took a moment to leave a short review - whether on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Audible. Reviews truly help more readers discover the book and decide to take that first step into its pages. Even a few sentences can make a big difference.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for every bit of support - for reading, listening, sharing, and simply showing up.

With love and gratitude, xo Vanessa

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Book Launch & 5 Year Sobriety Celebration - Join Us!

Vanessa France — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Held Friday 11/7 from 4–6 PM at Zen Yoga & Wellness

97 Main Street, Westminster, MA

Join us in celebrating 5 years of sobriety and the release of Unraveled — an inspiring memoir that shares the journey that led to the creation of Zen. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Enjoy light snacks and a complimentary juice from The Main Squeeze Connection for the first 25 guests!

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Stay Connected with Zen

Vanessa France — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

There’s always something new unfolding at Zen Yoga & Wellness — from seasonal classes and special workshops to immersive wellness retreats that nurture body, mind, and spirit.

✨ Visit our page anytime for the latest updates on what’s happening in our Westminster and Orchard Hills studios, along with upcoming international retreats and community gatherings designed to help you rest, reconnect, and renew.

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