Wellbeing company aims to support ‘suffering’ Leicester businesses

Local yoga and wellbeing company, The Reset Project, says it is offering Leicester businesses impacted by the new lockdown reduced rates on its online corporate yoga and relaxation packages.

Any local company that wants to support their leaders’ and employees’ wellbeing during the latest restrictions will receive a 20% discount on usual prices.

Rachael Bull, qualified yoga teacher and owner of The Reset Project, said: “Companies in the area are suffering horrifically with this latest setback. Some re-opened then had to close again, staff are being re-furloughed, leadership are having to make some very tough decisions, and all that with a life-threatening virus in our midst. People’s mental health is taking a battering.”

Bull took her yoga and relaxation classes online when lockdown started, with her clients since amassing more than 500 online and recorded classes between them.

She added: “Many hadn’t done yoga before and the benefits they’ve found range from improved sleep and reduced anxiety to stopping vertigo and escaping the kids for an hour! I’ve been designing my classes with lockdown in mind – gentle mobility work for people who are sitting at home all day without much movement, a real focus on relaxation and taking time out to nurture their physical and mental health, all in the privacy and safety of their own homes.”

Yoga is well known for improving flexibility and posture, which is particularly helpful during lockdown for people sitting down all day. But, says Bull, it also lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol, the postures have a calming effect on the body while the breathing exercises reset the nervous system. It increases blood flow to the brain, helping it function better, and the resulting O2 boost alleviates lockdown fatigue.

She said: “The beauty of yoga, for me, is that it’s a relatively short period of time – even 10 minutes can make a difference – but the benefits stick. They permeate throughout people’s working and home lives. People finish feeling happier and energised yet relaxed and calm. This then affects how they respond to stressful situations both at work and at home. And as they come to realise the benefits of taking care of themselves, they start making healthier lifestyle decisions elsewhere, too. That short practice can have a profound impact on people and the people around them.

“And happier, healthier, more productive employees and leaders can have an equally profound impact on a company’s success – all for a fraction of the cost of other measures.”