Mental Health Needs Positive Training And Support: The Leela Palaces' CBO

Anjali Mehra, Chief Brand Officer and senior VP of marketing, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts said in a BW Businessworld interview that their wellness programmes embark on a lifelong commitment to holistic wellbeing

More and more people are making physical and mental health a top priority in their lives, and when travelling or on vacation, they want to relax but also maintain a daily routine. In the hospitality industry, where wellness has to be present in providing health-centric services, the four aspects addressed are physical activity, relaxation and regeneration, and preventive and therapeutic treatment.

The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts has recently launched the second pillar of their signature wellness programme, Aujasya by The Leela – “Renew - Mindfulness.” The programme has been curated in partnership with ThinkRight.me by JetSynthesys, one of the meditation and mindfulness platforms guiding people to live a happy and balanced life. Anjali Mehra, Chief Brand Officer, and senior VP of marketing, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts said in a BW Businessworld interview that their wellness programmes embark on a lifelong commitment to holistic wellbeing. Edited excerpts;

How has Leela Palaces been practising wellness programs for their guests?

The challenges of today’s world often lead to disruption in our lives. Through The Leela’s signature wellness programme, Aujasya by The Leela we have committed to giving control back to our guests and empowering them to take informed choices towards prioritising their wellbeing. Encouraged by the response to our first pillar Restore - Food and Nutrition which we launched last year, our guests can enjoy healthy and tasty food, beverages, and desserts.

We are delighted to expand our offering with the recent launch of our second pillar Aujasya by The Leela, which is called Renew – Mindfulness. We are excited to partner with ThinkRight.me for developing this online platform which presents four segments of a balanced mind and body. These segments include Maitri (Loving Kindness), Samskara (Inner Refinement), Ekaa (Being One) and Sukh (Mind and Body Balance). Each segment consists of guided Meditation, Sound Healing and Yoga. 

Guests can seamlessly access these exclusively curated sessions during their stay at our The Leela properties. The program also has a special section for children called Aujasya junior that encourages children to take mindful steps towards a happier and calmer future. Besides this, we have something more in the pipeline for children’s wellness. 

At The Leela, we hope that with this we can bring a sense of calm, joy and balance into the lives of all our guests when they stay with us.

Please brief a more about Aujasya.

Inspired by the ancient Sanskrit word that describes “vigour of life”, Aujasya by The Leela is a wellness programme designed as an authentic and holistic journey. Built on the Rs 2 of wellbeing Restore- Food and Nutrition and Renew – Mindfulness, Aujasya aims at strengthening vitality or energy allowing guests to embrace an enriching and healthy lifestyle. The brand launched the first pillar Restore in partnership with food and nutrition consultant Dr Ankita Jalori last year.

The second pillar of The Leela’s signature wellness programme - Aujasya by The Leela – “Renew – Mindfulness" was recently launched at the beginning of February, this year. The programme has been curated in partnership with ThinkRight.me by JetSynthesys.

Aujasya by The Leela is a unique wellness programme that stays true to the brand’s ethos of Atithi Devo Bhava – Guest is God and placing the guest at the centre of everything while curating experiences that resonate with the evolving needs of today’s discerning luxury travellers. 

What will the initiative with JetSynthesys bring towards the holistic development of the guests?

We are happy to associate with JetSynthesys to further the dialogue around mindfulness and the power of thought. As part of this association, ThinkRight.me has provided curated content around mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and wellbeing for the guests of The Leela. 

ThinkRight.me has worked hard to promote mindful living and the power of thinking right, especially keeping in mind the times we live in. Their guided meditation sessions have received a great response from their audiences. 

Keeping our association in mind, exclusively created by ThinkRight.me, the online platform presents four segments of a balanced mind and body.

Guests can seamlessly access these exclusively curated sessions during their stay at The Leela properties. The program also has a special section for children called Aujasya junior that encourages children to take mindful steps towards a happier and calmer future.

It was possible for both brands, The Leela and JetSynthesys-ThinkRight.me to come together to promote their commitment towards wellness and create awareness around mindfulness and its impact on wellbeing for guests across all age-groups.

As part of the association, we also have access to masters such as Sister Shivani for private events and talks which we believe are highly valuable to our guests and provide priceless insider access.

How important is mental health in today's era as per you?

Challenges of the contemporary world and our fast-paced lifestyles often pose a disruption to our overall health. Especially in the last two years all the disruption that enveloped our world has challenged everything we have known or done so far and made us rethink our personal and professional priorities. The rapid change we have all been through and the hardships and uncertainties we have faced have not been easy. It was important for us to remain mentally strong to navigate these challenges and come out stronger.  

Mental health is the most important aspect in enabling one to have a balanced life and our mind has the power to think right, it just needs the positive and right training and support that is backed with immense care and nourishment of food and thought. 

With Aujasya by The Leela, we are embarking on a lifelong commitment to holistic wellbeing.

Do you also have policies for your employees' wellness?

The wellbeing of our guests and associates has always been paramount to us. Our brand philosophy of service and care has formed the core of our business, especially so over the last two years. We were the first hotel company to have a fully vaccinated workforce and we not only ensured that our associates were vaccinated, but we also ensured their families were provided with the same facility.  We know the pandemic did not leave anyone untouched and these were existential times, difficult for all of us to navigate. We, therefore, provided mental and physical health care and counselling as needed during the pandemic to our associates.   

Any plans to bring up new initiatives?

The Leela will ensure and extend experiences that define true Indian luxury through a celebration of the essence of India and the richness within.