The Atma Lounge hopes to provide a tranquil environment in central Cardiff after extensive refurbishment and the development of a wellness hub
A vegetarian café has reopened after refurbishment and the development of a wellness hub to create calm in the city.
The Atma Lounge, located on Queen Street, will offer a range of activities and resources to improve wellbeing, including interactive learning on tablets, brochures on meditation, mindfulness and more, and regular wellbeing events and yoga classes.
The café is run by Ty Krishna Cymru, an organisation that aims to help people make positive lifestyle choices and improve their physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.
“We have always wanted to create a safe haven among the hustle and bustle of city life,” said Evie Thomson, project coordinator at Ty Krishna Cymru, adding that the city centre location makes its services more accessible for residents and commuters in Cardiff.
We have always wanted to create a safe haven among the hustle and bustle of city life
Evie said the response to the relaunch has been very positive. “People are commenting on how much warmer and welcoming the space feels and as a result are spending more time here, customers are so happy to see us open again,” she said.
Raising awareness over lunch
Ty Krishna Cymru hopes the new space will help raise awareness for its Food for Life scheme, that provides nutritious plant-based meals for people in need across South Wales.
The meals sold in the café are the same meals that are distributed to those in need through the project, with customers able to buy themselves a healthy plant-based lunch and donate one to someone in food poverty all for £5. People will also be able to sign up as supporters or volunteers for the scheme in-store.
Mantriraja Dasa, secretary of Ty Krishna Cymru, said the relaunch has already raised the profile of Food for Life.
He said, “It’s helpful to have a public space where people can come and find out more about what we do and who we are.”
Food for Life
Food for Life provides plant-based meals for people in poverty across South Wales. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has also provided meals for NHS key workers across 15 hospitals and 20 GP surgeries.
Watch the video below to learn more about its philosophy and hear from the volunteers and grateful recipients of the meals.