Founded on a belief that environment shapes behaviour

Nella has been practising meditation since 2009 — long before it became a corporate buzzword. What began as a personal practice to manage her own stress became a professional calling when she realised how profoundly our environment shapes the way we feel, cope, and recover.

Today, as founder of Natura Sanctuary, she combines 15+ years of meditation practice, five years as a qualified mindfulness practitioner, PGCE teaching qualification, 10+ years teaching/training experience, a long-term member of the ThinkTree Hub - an international professional association for complementary therapy healthcare, wellness and wellbeing - as well as hands-on experience designing and building biophilic sanctuary spaces to help organisations tackle a problem most wellbeing programmes miss entirely: what happens when stressed, exhausted employees turn to alcohol, substances, or other unhealthy coping mechanisms because nobody has offered them anything better.

Her approach is different from most workplace wellbeing providers because she delivers two things that are almost never offered together:

• Biophilic sanctuary space design — Nella transforms underused rooms into calming, sensory environments using natural materials, living greenery, circadian lighting, and acoustic management. Every build prioritises sustainability: reclaimed timber, upcycled furniture, and eco-friendly materials sourced locally wherever possible.

• Mindfulness & resilience programming — Nella delivers workshops, drop-in sessions, and manager training that give employees practical tools for managing stress and emotional regulation. Her programming explicitly addresses self-medication and unhealthy coping — openly, without judgement — because pretending it isn’t happening doesn’t make it stop.

The evidence supports this integrated approach: biophilic environments reduce cortisol by up to 15%, regular mindfulness practice cuts stress-related absence by 32%, and workplace wellbeing interventions return £3.50 for every £1 invested.

Nella's journey into biophilic design started at home. She project-managed a full house renovation and designed multiple biophilic sanctuary rooms in her own property — learning firsthand how material choices, natural light, plants, and sensory elements change the way a space makes you feel. That personal experience, combined with her mindfulness background, became the foundation for Natura Sanctuary.

Nella works with corporate employers, NHS trusts, schools, and public sector organisations across the UK. Whether you’re looking for a single sanctuary room or a multi-zone wellbeing transformation, every engagement starts with a free 20-minute discovery call.