This year we decided to do something a little different for our team away day...

At VisitBrighton the team now all works on a hybrid basis, splitting our time between working in the office and working from home. I think it works very well as on the days I am working at home I can get my head down and concentrate which is especially useful when I need to write copy, while on office days I can catch-up with my fabulous colleagues and spend time in the city.  

However, this means that the only time the whole team is together is during our monthly update meetings. So, for the team away day we decided it was high time we packed away our laptops and spent some quality time together, face-to-face. Thankfully being VisitBrighton we have all the best connections, and we knew that the lovely Xenia would be able to help us swap screens for scenes (yes, I know I’ve used that line before, but I like it!)

Xenia runs Brighton Yoga organising wellness activities such as hiking, yoga, and forest bathing. These are all things I enjoy doing in my spare time anyway, so I was delighted with this suggestion for our away day! Brighton Yoga offer sessions at a few locations including Hove Lawns, Castle Hill, and Brighton Marina however ours took place at Stanmer Park. Before I move on to say how we got on I will just take a moment to remind everyone how wonderful the park is. Although this beautiful spot covers 495 hectares it somehow manages to remain a bit of a hidden gem, even with residents! The park is easy to get to as it’s close to Falmer train station & trains from Brighton take 10 minutes and then it’s about a 10-minute walk to the park. Alternatively, the 25 bus takes about 20 minutes from the Old Steine and stops by the entrance to the park. If you’re visiting at the weekend, then you can catch the 78 bus which goes into the village of Stanmer. Stanmer Park is part of The Living Coast, have a look at their website for ideas of things to do in the park & don’t forget to visit the stunning One Garden.

Now back to our away day…. We met at the lower lodges by the main entrance to the park and once we were all assembled Xenia led us into the forest. In amongst trees Xenia had arranged a circle of yoga mats and so we were all asked to remove our shoes and hop onto one of the mats. While no yogi, I’m also no stranger to yoga however I’ve only ever practiced indoors, mainly in my own living room. Performing the stretches and poses in amongst the trees was a magical experience. Tilting my head back and seeing the light trickle through the trees with only the gentle tweeting of birds in the background was very soothing.

Even though we were only a few miles away from the office, it felt like we were a million miles away from the world of spreadsheets, emails, tweets, posts, likes and followers. In that moment, the only engagement rate I was interested with was my engagement with nature. That may sound a bit sappy, but I think the last couple of years have taught us all how important time spent in the great outdoors is and as we return to a pre-pandemic way of life, I hope we remember how much we cherished being allowed to get outdoors and that we continue to make time for it. I know I will.

After the yoga session we then took a stroll into the forest, this was a lovely opportunity to relax and enjoy chatting with my teammates about anything & nothing. Xenia did point out some of the different trees and while I know we saw hazelnuts, cherries, beech, and maples I doubt I’ll remember which was which the next time I’m there (sorry Xenia!) while I love seeing the varieties of trees, I’m not too concerned with the names although I know some people would love this sort of insight. After a stroll we took part in some Qi-Gong movements to help calm the mind. Some of these movements may have seemed a bit silly if performed indoors but somehow they made sense as we were out in the woods, perhaps the movement emulated the wind through the leaves? Or perhaps the earlier yoga session had opened my mind more than usual?

Whatever the reason by the end of the morning I felt completely relaxed and zen so if anyone needs a digital detox and some time away from the daily grind then I can highly recommend Brighton Yoga. If you are looking for a team building away day, hen party or an incentive group then download the Brighton Yoga PDF for more details alternatively individuals & smaller groups can book to join one of the pre-scheduled events.

Namaste.
Charlotte