Gillian Wagner
EMBODIED PHILOSOPHER · AUTHOR · INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER
‘She has an uncanny way of inviting you into her wisdom.’
- Peter Haughton
a modern map for living well in a body that remembers.
Gillian Wagner helps people navigate life's transitions through embodied wisdom, pattern recognition, and meaningful self-inquiry — on stages, in private practice, and in the pages of her forthcoming book.
A SIGNATURE PHILOSOPHY
The Alchemy of Joy
A framework drawn from twenty years at the intersection of somatic practice, neuroscience, and contemplative traditions — for the people whose lives have outgrown their old maps.
01
What the body knew first.
Twenty-five centuries of contemplative practice, sitting now beside polyvagal theory and neuroplasticity. Both are pointing at the same door.
02
Where the ancient meets the empirical.
Pattern, posture, breath, gesture — the body keeps a more accurate ledger than memory does. We start by learning to read it.
03
A working map for the in-between years.
For the transitions that don't fit the old language — career, identity, motherhood, grief, late-life beginnings. There are coordinates here.
The body as a navigation system
A SECOND FRAMEWORK
Long before the mind names a thing, the body has already turned toward it — or away. Learning to read that instrument, with rigour and tenderness, is what changes the shape of a life.
Keynotes for leaders, founders,
and gatherings that matter.
SPEAKING
Talks tailored to your audience — from the boardroom to the United Nations. Each anchored in story, science, and the body.
Keynote
The Alchemy of Joy
What joy actually is, neurologically and somatically — and why it is a practice, rather than a mood. For audiences ready for substance.
Keynote
Leading from the Body
Nervous-system literacy for leaders. Why your team's behaviour is downstream of your physiology, and what to do about it.
Workshop
The Body as a Navigation System
An experiential half-day on pattern recognition, embodied decision-making, and the quiet practice of returning to instrument.
FEATURED
Stages, summits, and pages.
Where the work has appeared lately — and where it is going next.
2026
Embodied Longevity
TEACHER TRAINING 300 HOURS · Balance Yoga Institute
2025
The Alchemy of Joy
GROSS GLOBAL HAPPINESS SUMMIT - United Nations University for Peace, Costa Rica
2024
The Art of Slow Living
FOUNDER’S RETREAT - Tuscany, near Monteriggioni
2020
The Body Remembers
KNEIPP CONFERENCE- Frankfurt
THE BOOK
For those who are tuned to a sound the world
has forgotten how to hear.
The body is a persistent orator. It responds to sound, sensation, memory, and the subtle ache of not fully belonging. Beneath posture, symptoms, recurring struggles, and the quiet pull of vocation lies an imprint. A chorus of signals awaiting translation.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
‘Gillian makes it safe enough that the body reveals, on its own. I've done a lot of work in my life. Nothing has shifted me like this. It was magic.’
ANJA H. · Managing Director
______
‘The day we spent together was incredibly inspiring. Your positive attitude and enthusiasm are truly motivating, and it was a great pleasure to work with you.’
MARCUS F · Financial Advisor
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‘There are moments in life when you meet a person who makes something in you vibrate. That's what happened to me with Gillian. I appreciate her essence, her thoughts, her humour, her lightness and how she invites people to share in her wisdom and knowledge about the interconnectedness of spiritual, mental and physical health.’
CONNIE T · Architect
______
I had the pleasure of attending Gillian’s talk The Pursuit of Happiness – and How to Close the Gap at the Gross Global Happiness Summit, hosted by the UN-mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica. Gillian is a radiant speaker who walks the talk. With her unique perspective on embodied wisdom, she inspires audiences with deep insights, humour, and a powerful reconnection to the body. A true eye-opener - highly recommended!”
IRINA NAITHANI · Founder, WeRise, Executive Coach
Three doorways into the practice.
LET’S WORK TOGETHER
PRIVATE - SIX MONTHS
1:1 Somatic Coaching
A six-month container for the long, quiet work. We meet to listen to the body's intelligence, soften old protective patterns, and build a nervous system that can hold your real life.
Nervous-system regulation
Embodied practices
Empowerment and self actualisation
GROUP - HALF & FULL DAY
Workshops & Seminars
Half- and full-day gatherings for people who want to think less and feel more. Mindfulness, movement, breath, somatic inquiry, and the quiet power of experiencing in a room full of others.
UPCOMING:
Ayurvedic Practices ·
Pranayama · Fri 14 Aug
IMMERSION - SMALL GROUPS
Retreats & Immersions
A handful of times each year I take a small group somewhere quiet — jungle, coast, sometimes Tuscany — for several days of practice, rest, long meals, and the kind of silence that lets the body unclench
UPCOMING:
Rome May 2026 sold out
Mallorca June 2026 sold out
FAQs
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Not at all. Most people I work with are new to it. You only need a willingness to be curious about what the body is doing.
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No. It's coaching. We work with the present-moment body and nervous system, not as a substitute for clinical care.
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Yoga is one of the doorways. The 1:1 work is more individualised — listening closely to your particular nervous system, your particular life. Workshops, lectures and speaking events can be tailored to your audience needs.
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Currently Frankfurt, Germany. I see clients in person locally and online worldwide.