Hi, I’m Elisa

I first discovered mindfulness during a stressful period in my own life. What surprised me was how much it helped — not by removing the stress, but by shifting my relationship with it. I felt more grounded, more accepting of myself, and better able to meet whatever the day brought. That personal experience is what led me to train as a teacher and to share these practices with others.

I set up South Coast Mindfulness to offer that same sense of steadiness to people in and around Portsmouth. My teaching style is calm, warm and down-to-earth — I want mindfulness to feel accessible, human and useful, rather than distant or abstract. Most of the people I meet have never meditated before, and that is more than fine — every class starts from real, ordinary life.

Originally from Finland, I now live in Southsea with my partner and our three children. Outside of teaching, life tends to look like family time with the kids, walking or exploring Hampshire nature, an earbud in for the latest podcast, a bit of random crafting, a good series on TV, or heading out for a swim and sauna.

My approach is warm, grounded and down-to-earth. Sessions are gently paced. All instructions are invitations rather than commands, and there is always more than one way to do a practice — you are welcome to keep your eyes open, to move if you need to, to skip a practice altogether, or to just listen. Nothing you feel is a problem — mindfulness grows our capacity to be with different experiences.

I care about the group being a supportive, unhurried space. Nobody is asked to share, and I try to be transparent about what each practice is doing and why. If mindfulness has ever felt intimidating, judgemental, or overly serious, I hope you find something quite different here.

• Qualified to teach evidence-based mindfulness courses, including the 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme
• Trained Oxford Mindfulness App teacher
• Currently studying BA (Hons) Humanistic Counselling
• A particular focus on self-compassion and trauma sensitivity
• Several years of experience leading groups in person and online, with adults, teams, and parents

Email: info@southcoastmindfulness.com

Phone / WhatsApp: +44 7961 378891

I aim to respond within 24–48 hours. If a class or course is not quite the right fit, do still write — I am happy to point you towards something that might be.