Woo-Hoo Wellness or Boo-Hoo Wellness?
This new form of wellness could be a fancy commodity or a gateway to mindfulness.
We all know someone who has traded in their espresso for golden milk, has a Himalayan salt lamp by their bed, indulges in a sound-bath ritual, or has their holistic healer on speed dial. It’s an intense time to be alive and people are seeking anchorage by indulging in what is known as Woo Woo Wellness. These wellness practices might sound esoteric, but they are seeping their way into mainstream culture. Social media is touting it, businesses are cashing in on it, and Gwyneth Paltrow even assumed the role of the messiah of this new age wellness when she explored vampire facials, snow yoga and longevity diets on her Netflix show “Goop Lab”.
Covid-19 is partly responsible for this wellness upsurge. The fear, frustration, burnouts and solitude brought about by the global pandemic has spurred people to realign their focus on physical and mental health.
According to a 2021 McKinsey survey of roughly 7,500 consumers, 79% of participants said they believe that wellness is important, and 42% consider it a top priority, so much so that the global wellness market, estimated at 1.5 trillion worth, is growing at 5–10% every year.
What brings the Woo Woo to this wellness is that it’s quite simply doable.
In comparison to traditional wellness, which feels more fastidious and time-consuming, this modified version is easier to incorporate into life as we know it. For instance, a weekly sound-bath is a relaxing way to unwind on a Saturday afternoon, and while it might not lead straight to enlightenment, for a believer, it can offer a palatable glimpse into a non-material realm and bring some peace of mind even if it’s just for the rest of the day.
On a deeper level, these practices can offer a feeling of empowerment by creating a sense of control over what otherwise feels like the vast uncontrollable. You can’t necessarily control a colleague’s Monday morning tantrums or the rising number of Omicron cases but perhaps after an awareness-inducing reiki session, you can choose how you respond to challenging stimuli. In the current climate where it’s easy to fall prey to pressure, the bad news bias and the need for external validation, these wellness rituals can help people realize the reins to their wellbeing is in their own hands.
Meanwhile, on the flip-side of ‘woo, a lingering question remains and is likely pondered over many sound baths — Is it working, or are humans merely susceptible consumers for anything that can be packaged prettily?
Skeptics will agree with the latter and have already shown concerns over the spread of possible misinformation. Woo-Woo Wellness is, after all, perceived as a pseudoscience that lacks efficacy, yet it is being touted and sold faster than you can say ‘capitalism’. CBD-infused leggings are promising to reduce pain during your workouts, online tarot card reading is a leisure activity, and there are vitamin vapes that claim to increase your b12 quicker than ingesting a pill. The influx of products and services can make you stop mid-sip of your chakra healing tea and ponder over the price and plausibility of this new form of wellness.
The pondering can then lead us to the assumption that Woo Woo Wellness is protected by the placebo results it offers.
This in itself though, might not be such a terrible thing. A placebo effect is an effect nonetheless. Many aspects of wellness are subjective and hence they may never be objectified, quantified and proven to the satisfaction of existing methods of scientific inquiry. If chakra meditations, gua sha face sculpting, or even something as bizarre as snow yoga offer mysterious positive results, it’s still a sign of something working. Perhaps that something is just beyond the grasp of sterile science and transitions us into the occult realm. Maybe we need to inhale, exhale and think of this new form of wellness neither as cult or commercial but simply as a personalized gateway to mindfulness.
Today, the wellness options are ample and there is freedom to research, beta-test rituals, teas and aroma oils. In doing this, people can personalize their wellness routines, discover more about themselves and strengthen their identities. I, for one, enjoy my personalized rendition of wellness practices. I explore what appeals to me, increases my self-awareness and simply makes me feel good. I don’t engage with what feels too far-fetched or gimmicky for me.
If your curiosity is ignited and your intuitive chakra is curious to know more, the only way to truly know the possible benefits of any of these practices is by trying them for yourself. To do so, begin with figuring out the areas of your life you’d like to give more attention, then check the chosen practice is safe for your body, next maintain a receptive and open mind and then explore away. Next time you’re out for brunch, order the golden milk. You might just be woo-wooed.
For the record, I don’t drink espressos. They make me giddy. I always choose a hot cup of tea, which is why I’d like to give a shoutout to Charlie Cole and her piece on how tea soothes the soul. It really resonated and is a gentle reminder to appreciate the little joys.