For many of us, the working day involves hours at a desk, emails, meetings and plenty of time in front of a screen. While it’s important to stay productive, it’s equally important to make time to step away, reset and look after our wellbeing.
That’s why, every Monday evening, Ascot Group provides free workplace yoga sessions for staff, giving our team the opportunity to unwind, get moving and dedicate some time to themselves.
Led by Kerrina New from Sacred Space Yoga, these weekly sessions are one of the ways Ascot Group continues to support employee wellbeing and staff wellbeing across the business.
Making wellbeing part of working life
At Ascot Group, we recognise that a positive working environment is about more than the work itself. Supporting the wellbeing of our people is an important part of creating a workplace where employees feel valued and supported.
Our weekly workplace yoga sessions provide a simple way for staff to take a break from their usual routine and focus on their physical and mental wellbeing.
Whether employees already practise yoga or are completely new to it, the sessions are designed to provide an opportunity to move, stretch, breathe and switch off from the working day.
Why workplace yoga can benefit desk-based workers
With many employees spending a large part of their working day sitting at a desk or using a computer, finding opportunities for movement is particularly important.
Yoga combines stretching, movement, breathing and mindfulness, providing a welcome change from sitting in one position and looking at a screen for extended periods.
Some of the potential benefits of regular yoga include:
- Helping to release physical tension after a day at a desk
- Supporting flexibility and mobility
- Providing an opportunity to step away from screens
- Helping to manage everyday stress
- Encouraging mindfulness and focused breathing
- Supporting a more positive mood and sense of wellbeing
- Creating time to pause and mentally reset
For our team, the value of workplace yoga isn’t simply about physical exercise. It’s about creating a dedicated opportunity to step away from work and give yourself permission to slow down.
Meet Kerrina New and Sacred Space Yoga
Our Monday evening sessions are led by Kerrina New, founder of Sacred Space Yoga in Weston-super-Mare.
Kerrina has been teaching yoga for more than a decade and has developed a teaching approach centred around inclusivity, authenticity and making yoga accessible to different people and bodies. Her work incorporates areas including trauma-aware yoga, nervous system regulation, compassionate guidance and practical approaches to yoga.
Sacred Space Yoga offers a welcoming environment for people at different stages of their yoga journey, with classes and training designed to help people develop their practice at their own pace. The studio is based on Swiss Road in Weston-super-Mare and has also developed a 200-hour yoga teacher training programme.
Having Kerrina lead our workplace yoga sessions means our employees can benefit from an experienced teacher while enjoying the convenience of taking part alongside their colleagues.
A wellbeing initiative with a personal connection
Helen Scott, one of the directors at Ascot Group, already attends Kerrina’s yoga classes outside of work, so was pleased to be able to bring the sessions to Ascot Group.
“I think it’s really important that we give our staff opportunities to take time for themselves. We spend so much of our working lives at our desks and in front of screens, so having dedicated time to move, breathe and switch off can make a real difference.
“I’ve attended Kerrina’s classes separately and really enjoy them, so it’s great to be able to bring her sessions into Ascot Group and make them available to our team. It’s one of the ways we can demonstrate our commitment to staff wellbeing and encourage people to make time for themselves alongside their work.”
Continuing our commitment to staff wellbeing
Our free weekly workplace yoga sessions are just one part of Ascot Group’s wider commitment to employee wellbeing.
We believe that creating opportunities for our people to look after their physical and mental wellbeing contributes to a healthier, more supportive and positive working environment.
By making activities such as yoga accessible to our staff, we hope to encourage a culture where taking time to pause, recharge and look after yourself is recognised as an important part of working well.
For Ascot Group, supporting our people remains an ongoing commitment – and sometimes, that starts with simply making time to stop, stretch and breathe.
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