There’s no denying that a meditation practice can offer life-improving benefits. Research supports that the mindfulness technique can lead to feeling happier, being a more compassionate person, having lowered inflammation, and experiencing increased longevity. Colombian superstar J Balvin even credits meditation with saving his life. But for all of meditation’s benefits, it isn’t typically described as something that’s “fun.” If you were, for example, to tell a friend that your evening plans involved a night of meditating, they may give a smile, but chances are they won’t respond by saying, “Wow, how exciting!” or “Oh, you must be so pumped!” That may soon change, though.
In the past few years, the meditation industry has been securing its foothold at the intersection of the entertainment industry. In 2018, meditation app Calm launched an offshoot of its classic meditations called Sleep Stories, which consist of bedtime stories told by celebrities, including Harry Styles and Matthew McConaughey. The celebrity peg was so successful for drawing interest that Calm incorporated it into its meditation-based show, A World Of Calm, which premiered on HBO Max in October 2020 and enlisted more A-listers like Idris Elba and Nicole Kidman. Calm isn’t the only mindfulness giant getting in on streamed meditation shows: On January 1, mediation platform Headspace released its own Netflix series, Headspace Guide to Meditation.