London North Eastern Railway’s (LNER) special Azuma train service will see a dedicated workshop carriage focused on wellness and wellbeing hosted by Anna Richardson on the 7th of May 2022.

The special event will see a carriage of customers onboard the LNER service enjoy a tailored masterclass on relaxation and hypnotherapy, focusing on how to utilise travel time to enhance wellness within a busy lifestyle.

The experience will take place onboard and LNER service from London King’s Cross and comes as research revealed 36% of people enjoy train travel as they can use the time to enjoy activities and hobbies which offers a great way to disconnect and unwind especially on longer train journeys.

The research revealed that 66% of people believe it is highly important to take time whilst travelling to switch off from everyday noise and take some time for their mental health. Findings also revealed that approximately 29% of people said that long journeys aid in unwinding.

Anna Richardson is a well-known television personality and is also a qualified cognitive behavioural therapist and hypnotherapist. Anna will be joining the LNER Wellness Train ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week (9th-14th May 2022) to support people in exploring some mindful fun and crafty experiences whilst travelling by train.

Anna is just one of a series of experts on board who have skills in crafts, games, mindfulness and wellbeing and each of the experts will host masterclasses in a carriage of the train. The special service will reveal how many different activities people can do on a train in order to make their journey even more relaxing, customers will also be able to enjoy a day out exploring the historic town of Lincoln.

Customers travelling on the 08:06 London King’s Cross service on Saturday the 7th of May 2022 can enjoy one of the following masterclasses:

• Taking time to relax and unwind around your busy lifestyle with Anna Richardson
• Art session to create a collective group piece with illustrator Inkquisitive
• Knit a pair of hand warmers with Wool Winders
• Macrame wall hanging creation with Restoration LDN
• Adult doodling for mindfulness
• Mindfulness and Meditation – unwind with The Now Project
• Games and Puzzles – switch off for fun challenges onboard
• Fitness and Wellbeing Q&A with mind coach James Middleton
• Origami – the art of paper folding with Origami Party London

People taking part in the LNER Wellness Train Experience will receive a hand-picked goody bag as part of their journey. Spaces for the special service are limited for each activity and customers are advised to book early to avoid disappointment. Customers can also board the service at Peterborough and enjoy a select number of activities.

Anna Richardson said:

“I spend a lot of time travelling around the country and I like to use my travel time to indulge in a bit of ‘me time’. Life can feel overwhelmingly busy sometimes, and taking time out with an activity you enjoy can help you feel more on top of things.

“I’ve a passion for relaxation and hypnotherapy techniques, and both of these can easily be introduced to longer train journeys to help me unwind and have some peace of mind. There’s a strong link between relaxation and wellness, and using techniques that can be taken with you anywhere can help you use your time effectively to build a better wellbeing culture for yourself. I’m excited to share experiences with those looking to juggle a busy lifestyle with creating a happier life.”

Kate McFerran, Director of Communications at LNER, said:

“Our research shows there is a well-established link between wellbeing and train travel. Our teams often share some of the creative activities they see our customers getting up to, whether that’s knitting a scarf, writing, enjoying some games onboard or doing some mindful colouring.

“Experience shows us there is a huge amount of enjoyment to be found in making the most of a journey when travelling by train. It’s about so much more than just getting to your destination, but making the most of a relaxing environment to indulge in activities that enhance your sense of wellbeing.

“We hope the Wellness Train provides inspiration for anyone travelling by train, by demonstrating some of the activities that can be easily and conveniently enjoyed onboard.

“At LNER we want all customers to have a relaxing and unique experience when travelling on our services, and hope the Wellness Train will help provide some creative inspiration for how to make the most of every journey to boost health and wellbeing.”

Experiences start from £50 and tickets are available to purchase from: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wellness-train-tickets-304675351177