Current Programmes & Projects

Lotus in Bloom develops and delivers structured health and wellbeing programmes within communities and in partnership with healthcare and community organisations. Our work focuses on improving access to preventative wellbeing support, supporting people living with long-term health needs and creating sustainable routes into continued wellbeing.

Yoga4Health — NHS-commissioned 10-week health programme

Yoga4Health is a structured 10-week health and wellbeing programme originally commissioned by NHS West London Clinical Commissioning Group and developed by the Yoga in Health Care Alliance for use within healthcare and social-prescribing settings. The programme brings together accessible yoga and movement, breathing practices, relaxation, health education and practical self-care to support physical and mental wellbeing and encourage people to take an active role in their health.
At Lotus in Bloom, Yoga4Health is one of our flagship entry pathways and has been delivered in association with NHS Primary Care Networks across Tameside. It is particularly valuable for people who are new to yoga or movement, returning to activity, or living with long-term or more complex health needs. Chair and mat-based options help us create an accessible starting point while maintaining the structure of the programme, with opportunities to progress into continuing community and specialist pathways.
Lotus in Bloom delivers Yoga4Health through appropriately trained and qualified Yoga4Health teachers.

Community Wellbeing

Our continuing community wellbeing programme provides an accessible route for people who want to maintain and build on improvements in movement, mobility, relaxation and everyday wellbeing. The programme supports longer-term participation and connection within a welcoming community setting.

Nordic Walking — internationally recognised, evidence-informed outdoor movement

Lotus in Bloom delivers Nordic Walking through British Nordic Walking-trained instructors using the internationally recognised INWA 10 Step Method™. British Nordic Walking is the official UK representative of the International Nordic Walking Federation (INWA), connecting instructor education to international standards in technique, teaching and safety. The method is informed by sports science and biomechanics, and instructors have access to ongoing professional development and international expertise.
Nordic Walking is more than walking with poles. Correct technique turns walking into an accessible whole-body activity that can support cardiovascular fitness, mobility, posture, functional movement, confidence and social connection. Nordic Walking has a substantial international research base across health, fitness and rehabilitation contexts, making it particularly relevant to community health, active ageing and social-prescribing approaches.
At Lotus in Bloom, Nordic Walking is an important part of our OUTSIDE pathway: a structured route into outdoor physical activity and a valuable continuation option alongside our indoor and digital provision. Our instructors continue to develop their practice through ongoing CPD.

Cardiovascular & Nutrition

A structured programme supporting cardiovascular and metabolic health through accessible movement, breathwork, relaxation, nutrition education and sustainable lifestyle change. Delivery is informed by Lotus in Bloom's health-science, nutrition and exercise-referral knowledge, supporting appropriate adaptation, progression and person-centred participation for people living with long-term health needs. The programme helps participants build practical skills, confidence and sustainable habits that support everyday health and wellbeing.

Women's Healthy Ageing

We are developing women's health and healthy ageing programmes in response to emerging community needs and participant feedback. Our developing work will support areas including midlife and menopause, healthy ageing, movement, wellbeing and brain health, with provision shaped around accessibility and the experiences of the women we work with.

Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs — research-tested 12-week specialist programme

Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs is a specialist 12-week programme developed for people experiencing chronic, persistent or recurrent lower-back pain. The specific programme was evaluated in a University of York-led randomised controlled trial funded by Arthritis Research UK, involving 313 participants recruited through 39 general practices. The research found improvements in back function, and a subsequent economic evaluation concluded that the programme was likely to be cost-effective for the NHS and wider society.
Designed to be accessible to complete beginners, the programme uses a carefully progressive approach combining movement, postural awareness, breathing, relaxation, back-care education and self-management. Lotus in Bloom is preparing to introduce Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs as part of our developing musculoskeletal and functional-movement pathway, creating an accessible structured route for people experiencing persistent or recurrent back problems.

Neurological & Brain Health

We are developing specialist wellbeing work supporting neurological health and brain longevity, bringing together appropriate movement, relaxation, health education and supportive lifestyle approaches. This developing strand will complement our wider community and long-term health pathways.

Upcoming / Funded Projects

Parkinson's Health & Wellbeing Programme — Coming Soon

Supported and funded by Parkinson's UK, Lotus in Bloom will deliver a six-month specialist health and wellbeing programme for people living with Parkinson's in Tameside. The programme will use accessible, adapted movement, yoga and breathwork with chair and mat-based options, creating a supportive route into regular activity and wellbeing.

Importantly, the funded programme will also provide the foundation for a developing specialist Parkinson's continuation pathway, supporting participants beyond the initial project through appropriate ongoing movement and wellbeing opportunities. As Lotus in Bloom's specialist provision develops, this pathway is intended to connect with functional movement, Nordic Walking, adapted and progressive movement, yoga and breathwork according to participants' needs and abilities. It will sit within our wider developing Neurological & Brain Health pathway.

Past projects

Cardiovascular & Diabetes Community Pilot

An eight-week community health programme combining accessible movement, breathwork, relaxation and nutrition education to support people with cardiovascular and metabolic health needs. The pilot also helped establish routes into continued community wellbeing activity.

Yoga for Health - Primary Care Cohort

A 10-week Yoga for Health programme delivered through a local Primary Care Network, providing structured, accessible wellbeing support for patients through a community-based programme.

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Men's Health & Wellbeing

Lotus in Bloom has delivered dedicated men's wellbeing provision, including programmes supporting men affected by prostate-health concerns. This experience continues to inform the development of our wider men's health work.