Introduction
This week, I’ve been in London offering micro wellness sessions to NHS staff as part of The Zen Project. Supporting the NHS and being part of The Zen Project is something I’m deeply grateful for. Helping those who dedicate themselves to supporting so many of us is incredibly important to me.
I work with a wide variety of clients and projects, and when people ask me who my ideal client is, I often struggle to answer. I’m passionate about helping anyone and everyone, but I have a particular passion for supporting those in service roles.
When I first started offering group meditations, I volunteered at my son’s primary school, helping teachers learn ways to de-stress and relax. Many of my regular meditators are teachers, who often face burnout and a constant need to overextend themselves. Similarly, I’ve always envisioned nurses, doctors, and health professionals having access to energy healing and meditation. There is an urgent need for mental health support and wellness within the NHS.
The Need for Wellness in the NHS
Here are some statistics that highlight the mental health challenges faced by NHS staff:
- According to the King’s Fund’s 2024 NHS Staff Survey, two in five NHS staff reported feeling unwell due to work-related stress.
- A Nursing Times article from April 2024 reported that 75% of NHS staff experienced a mental health condition in the past year.
- The Royal College of Nursing found that stress-related sickness among nursing staff equated to each of the NHS’s 350,000 nurses and health visitors taking an entire week off work last year due to stress, anxiety, or depression.
What Is The Zen Project?
Corinne and Kaye, the founders of The Zen Project, created this initiative after finding themselves exhausted and disconnected from years of demanding corporate careers. Their healing journey began with incorporating zen practices into their lives—a transformative lightbulb moment.
Realising that accessible and straightforward information about practices like meditation and breathwork was scarce, they decided to change that. The Zen Project was born to make wellness techniques simple and practical, even for the busiest lifestyles.
The Zen Project is a mobile wellbeing station offering guided micro Zen Sessions to workplaces, community spaces, and schools—all from a beautifully converted American school bus. You can see photos of the bus and its restoration here.
A Day on the Zen Bus
Supporting The Zen Project at festivals, universities, and community project days has been incredibly rewarding. Recently, I had the privilege of joining them to provide wellness sessions for the NHS.
Here’s a glimpse into a typical day on the Zen Bus:
The bus is driven to its location by skilled drivers who never fail to impress me with their ability to navigate tight spaces! Once parked, we set up cushions, blankets, and instruments like the gong to create a cosy, welcoming space. The heater keeps the bus warm, and we write up the day’s timetable.
Sessions start on the hour and half past the hour, allowing us to deliver between 10 to 16 sessions in a day. Each session is 11 minutes long, with time for participants to settle in and chat before and after.
The sessions alternate between guided meditation, breathwork, and sound baths. The sound baths are particularly popular, but I love seeing people’s surprise at how relaxed they feel after just 11 minutes of meditation.
When we’re not running sessions, we chat with staff, encourage them to take a short break for themselves on the zen bus, and hand out zen tip leaflets.
At the end of the day, the Zen Bus is packed up. If it’s our last day at the location, the driver takes the bus back to its yard.
The Zen Project
One of my favourite things about The Zen Project is the humour and warmth they bring to everything they do. The zen jumpers, with witty slogans like “Zen at Work” and “It’s Raining Zen,” are a perfect example of this.
Generosity and compassion are at the heart of The Zen Project. Everyone—from senior directors to community members—receives the same respect and care.
After each session, we ask participants to share how they feel in a word or two. The most common responses are calm and relaxed. Many have said they feel more empowered to prioritise self-care, better equipped to handle the week ahead, and genuinely happier.
Inspired to Get Involved?
If this blog has inspired you, why not connect with The Zen Project?
- Follow them on Instagram.
- Book the Zen Bus for a Zen at Work day at your workplace.
- Get in touch: hello@t-z-p.com
Volunteer or join the team to help spread the zen!
Laura Hamblyn Holistic Healer 