As one of NEOVIVA’s body mindfulness practitioners, she guides clients in recovery to rediscover presence, safety, and strength through yoga, breathwork, and movement. Her sessions are quiet revolutions in self-awareness. Small, steady steps bring people back in touch with their physicality after years of disconnection.
“I often see people arriving at NEOVIVA with their nervous systems completely out of balance,” she says. “They can’t sit still, can’t breathe deeply. Their minds are racing, but their bodies feel numb. So, we begin very simply, with the breath.”
From corporate pressure to conscious living
Before Gabriella became a yoga teacher, she was immersed in the fast-moving corporate world. She began training in medicine but left that behind, moving into the wellness and medical beauty industries. In this work, she travelled globally to develop treatment protocols for dermatologists and wellness practitioners in luxury hotels. “I was constantly on the move,” she recalls. “Yoga became my personal island; a space to come back to myself after all the flights and meetings.”
Movement had always been part of her life. As a young girl, she was a competitive ice skater. “Skating gave me discipline, but also creativity. I loved being able to express something through the body,” she says. “When I found yoga, it felt like finding that connection again, only deeper. After my first session, I knew this was it.”
In 2010, she left her corporate career to follow her heart and founded beyondyoga.ch, a boutique Swiss brand rooted in sustainability and mindfulness. Each of her products, from yoga mats to meditation cushions, carries a story and a connection to small, ethical producers she has personally sourced. “We decided from the beginning that beyondyoga would stay small,” she says. “I wanted to create something genuine, where every detail mattered.”
Alongside the brand, she deepened her studies, completing education in Ayurvedic medicine and later immersing herself in the science of epigenetics. “I find it fascinating that modern science now proves what ancient medicine always knew: that lifestyle and mindset can change the way our genes express themselves. For me, it’s a beautiful meeting point between tradition and science.”
Joining NEOVIVA: Embodiment in recovery
When NEOVIVA first reached out to her, Gabriella was immediately intrigued. “I thought it was amazing that an evidence-based psychotherapy clinic wanted to integrate mind-body work,” she says. “That kind of openness is rare.”
Together with two colleagues, she helped shape NEOVIVA’s body mindfulness programme. Her approach complements the cognitive therapies clients receive during their stay. “Most therapies work mainly through the mind,” she explains. “We help clients embody what they learn and to feel in their bodies what they are discovering in psychotherapy.”
Her sessions draw on elements of Hatha Yoga, breathwork, mindfulness, and Qigong, but she avoids rigid labels. “We don’t call it yoga,” she says. “For some clients, especially from different cultures, that word carries preconceptions. We simply call it body mindfulness, and once they experience it, they understand.”
The work begins gently. “At first, the clients at NEOVIVA have to relearn how to breathe,” she explains. “We start with awareness. I ask them: ‘Where is your breath? Can you feel your feet on the ground?’ It sounds simple, but for many, it’s the first time they’ve experienced such awareness of their body in years.”
As the weeks progress, sessions evolve into deeper breathwork and movement practices. “We might do exercises that trigger the nervous system a little, to show them how they can calm it again. It’s about teaching control, awareness, and resilience.”
Adapting to every individual
No two body mindfulness sessions look the same. NEOVIVA’s programme is famously individualised, and Gabriella’s work mirrors that philosophy. “Each client is different. Some arrive exhausted, unable to get out of bed; others are hyperactive, with too much energy. I might play music and get someone to dance, or have someone do quiet breathing with me. The challenge is that everyone is at a different point in their journey, and they don’t all arrive at the same time.”
In these small, shifting groups, she has witnessed something remarkable: peer teaching. “Often, those who’ve been here longer naturally guide the newcomers,” she says. “They’ll say, ‘I know what you’re feeling, this helped me.’ It creates a sense of community that’s really moving to see.”
Touch, she adds, is used carefully. “In my private practice, I give a lot of hands-on adjustments. At NEOVIVA, I’m more reserved. The clients come from so many different cultures and backgrounds, so it’s important to respect that.
Awakening self-care
Success, for Gabriella, isn’t measured in sudden transformations, but in awareness. “At the beginning, most clients are numb. After a few weeks, they notice their breath, posture, and body tension. They start to realise when something changes and that’s huge.”
Sometimes, that awareness leads to rediscovering joy in movement. “They’ll say, ‘When I go home, I want to play tennis again,’ or ‘I want to start walking every day.’ The goal is to light that spark. It doesn’t have to be yoga; it just has to reconnect them with their bodies.”
By the end of their stay, most leave with a personal set of tools. These are usually short, simple practices that they can use at home. “Ten minutes a day is enough,” she says. “We build it with them step by step, so they leave knowing what works for them.”
Many stay in touch, returning months later for a refresher or a second stay. “They’ll tell me, ‘I’ve kept doing the breathwork,’ or ‘I’ve joined a class at home.’ That’s the most rewarding part to see; that it’s not just theory, it’s something they’ve integrated into their lives.”
A space for reflection and renewal
Gabriella believes NEOVIVA’s setting itself plays a therapeutic role. “The environment here is so powerful,” she says. “You have the lake, the mountains, the clean air. Clients come from busy cities, high-powered jobs, and suddenly they’re surrounded by nature and silence. The hotel isn’t luxurious in a material sense, but it’s exactly what they need. It strips away the distractions. They realise what really matters.”
One client once told her, “All the luxuries I had and the places I have been before don’t matter here. The things that are important to me are completely different.”
That kind of realisation, she says, is often the beginning of genuine recovery. “When you’re removed from your normal environment, you can finally listen to yourself again.”
The power of NEOVIVA’s model
Having worked with clients across many settings, Gabriella is clear about what makes NEOVIVA distinctive. “It’s the personalisation,” she says. “Every person has a different programme. The therapists really adapt to each client’s needs. That’s rare.”
She also praises NEOVIVA’s balanced medical approach. “Many clinics rely heavily on medication. Here, emotions are seen as a vital part of healing, not something to be dulled. The medical team are incredibly skilled at calibrating medication to both maintain stability and preserve emotional vitality. It can be challenging at times, but when emotions can be fully experienced, real healing takes place. NEOVIVA’s medical team are brilliant at holding that balance.”
The strong team dynamic, she adds, is another strength. “There’s such a range of backgrounds from psychotherapy to art therapy, medical care, and movement. Whatever kind of person comes in, there’s someone they can connect with. And our communication is constant. We all share the same goal.”
The continuing journey
Despite her years of experience, Gabriella remains a student of her own work. “I’d like to explore even more how we can integrate body mindfulness into therapy effectively,” she says. “We already collaborate closely with the therapists, but there’s always room to improve communication and share insights in real time.”
Her Ayurvedic and epigenetic knowledge also shapes her long-term vision. “Addiction takes such a toll on the body. I see huge potential to support clients physically, to help them regain strength and vitality as part of recovery.”
Holding space, without losing balance
Working in addiction treatment requires compassion, patience, and emotional steadiness. Gabriella has learned over time how to care deeply without carrying the weight home. “It’s something you learn; how to stay open, but also protect your energy,” she says. “Breathwork and meditation help me do that. And sometimes, I just need to remind myself that the day only has 24 hours, not more.”
Her friends describe her as creative, intuitive, and quietly strong. She is someone who can “read” people quickly but guides them gently. “I’m quite shy, actually,” she laughs. “I prefer small groups, deep conversations, not big crowds. But when I work one-to-one, I feel completely at ease. It’s where I can really connect.”
She also values precision and structure. These are traits that might surprise those who picture a yoga teacher as airy and soft-spoken. “People often expect me to be just calm and spiritual,” she smiles. “But I can be very analytical, very direct. That’s probably why I fit well at NEOVIVA because their approach is evidence-based. I love the mix of science and intuition.”
Seeing the spark return
What keeps her inspired is witnessing clients rediscover hope. “When they arrive, many are in a dark place. They can’t see a future. And then, slowly, you see light in their eyes again. They start to smile, to talk about plans. That’s the most beautiful thing.”
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