Member Article

Teesside mindfulness coach finds inner zen at Acklam Hall

JUST OVER three years ago, Anita Reeves started a business with the intention of helping people live a happier, stress-free life.

Yet within weeks, an unprecedented gloom engulfed the nation’s mood – and left Anita’s small, independent business in limbo.

The business – Cheeki Zen – was launched just before the first covid lockdown.

Yet she overcame every hurdle thrown her way during the pandemic to grow her business to the point where she’s now had to find a bigger base.

She’s now moved the business into Acklam Hall. Over three years since that devastating first lockdown, business is well and truly booming.

“When lockdown was announced, like a lot of new business owners, I just though ‘what am I going to do’,” recalled Anita.

“But I wasn’t going to quit. Instead, I dug deep and found a way to move the business online.

“After that, the response and support I received for the business was nothing short of incredible.”

A former teacher, Anita embarked on her own wellbeing journey around 20 years ago after becoming overwhelmed with stress.

She started with a daily meditation routine. After catching the wellness bug, she trained in clinical hypnotherapy to expand her skillset.

Through Cheeki Zen, Anita offers everything else – from life coaching to a bespoke wellbeing programme called Mindcalm.

And what’s the ultimate level of inner peace? According to Anita, it is something she’s dubbed ‘permanent holiday happy’.

It is basically that incredible zen-like feeling everyone has when you leave the office and head to the nearest airport for a spot of R&R.

“This really resonated during the covid pandemic, as everyone was so down about not being able to travel and take a holiday and there was definitely an increase of people feeling stressed because they couldn’t have that escape,” she added.

“And because they couldn’t go on holiday, I instead worked on helping clients find that feeling permanently.

“And I think it really helped a lot of people’s mental health during the pandemic.” Word-of-mouth has helped the business blossom. Having opened initially in Stokesley, it is now based inside the majestic Middlesbrough’s mansion after Anita was unable to cope with the demand for her special talents.

One event, a support group for the parents of children with autism, sold out in just two hours while there are waiting lists for Anita’s help and guidance that has yielded some incredible results.

“For the last three years I’ve been coaching a girl who left school with no qualifications, and her parents were distraught about what she would do in the future,” added Anita.

“But in that time, I’ve coached and guided her and really helped to bring her on. She’s now managed to pass her A-levels and is now studying marketing at university in Manchester.

“That’s all been done online too, as it started during the pandemic – we haven’t even met in person.”

Thanks to her new surroundings though, face-to-face appointments are getting snapped up quickly.

She attributes a lot of her success to her “invaluable” BNI business support network which helped her navigate the hurdles of the past few years whilst offering guidance on things like marketing and training.

Now she’s hoping to branch out into the corporate sector, offering mindfulness support to business leaders.

And after the trials and tribulations of 2020, Anita has undoubtedly found inner peace within her business – and a place of zen at Acklam Hall.

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