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One of the biggest wellness trends for 2023 is spiritual well-being; the feeling of being connected to something greater than yourself. This doesn't have to be religious or esoteric - it's about contentment and inner harmony. It's about developing strategies to be fully in the moment instead of remaining trapped in the same old structures. The pandemic has given this trend additional momentum: The more time we spend working from home, the more difficult it is to find a good work-life balance. Work and leisure merge seamlessly, which isn't healthy.

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At the same time, words such as serenity, compassion and mindfulness are leaving the esoteric corner. Meditation doesn't have to have anything to do with incense sticks, esoteric sounds and batik scarves. Sit down, breathe consciously, feel every single part of your body as it becomes heavy and relaxed; perhaps take a trip to a sunny beach in your head or do an active meditation involving physical exercises; conscious walking, yoga or even martial arts styles are all part of it. The goal is always the same: to focus and calm the mind.

Nirvana in everyday life

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Meditation is as old as mankind itself. Originally, it was a comprehensive way of achieving the reunification of mind and body. In the meantime, this spiritual approach has become part of everyday life and is being studied by science and increasingly paid for by health insurance companies as a form of therapy. Back in 2016, futurologist Matthias Horx predicted the megatrend of mindfulness - a state of consciousness in which you are fully anchored in the here and now. Thoughts and sensory impressions are simply allowed to happen without judging them.

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In his bestselling book of the same name, English meditation professional Andy Puddicombe very pragmatically calls it "make space in your head". The New York Times has hailed him as the "Jamie Oliver of meditation". For him, meditation is comparable to fitness training - without any spiritual clichés, he has created a new fitness program with his app "Headspace" - one of the world's first meditation apps - has helped to bring relaxation exercises into the mainstream of society. Ten minutes a day should help to recognize stress at an early stage and combat it. The market is now booming: according to forecasts, the global market volume for meditation apps is estimated to be around 6.77 billion euros by 2027. This corresponds to annual sales growth of 11.61 percent.

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Since the early 2000s, research into the effects of meditation has also been on the rise. Harvard science teams discovered that regular meditation changes the brain - it has been shown that meditation training causes the anxiety center in the brain (the so-called amygdala) to shrink. At the same time, the gray matter in the brain, which is relevant for touch, hearing, vision and body perception, increases. In addition, the areas of the brain responsible for concentration and self-confidence increase. Meditation also reduces the activity of the areas in the brain that are responsible for processing pain - people who meditate regularly reduce their perception of pain and are able to better deal with it.

Increase productivity

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Yoga and other meditation techniques have now also arrived in companies with high stress potential. According to research, employees who meditate regularly are more balanced. They have fewer sick days, increased productivity and creativity, more empathy, less stress and less everyday fatigue. Apple guru Steve Jobs already offered yoga courses within the company, and from 2007 Google also regularly offered meditation courses under the motto Search Inside Yourself. Even conservative companies such as Deutsche Bank have relaxation rooms and meditation courses now; at BASF, around 600 employees train every day. 

Sitting instead of running is how the Zukunftsinstitut described this development: "Meditation is becoming the leadership tool of the 21st century." While managers used to go jogging and run marathons to prove their performance, they have now swapped their running shoes for a yoga mat. Corporate meditation is becoming the new buzzword - people want to become more mindful, empathetic and balanced. They don't just want to focus on themselves, they want to strengthen cooperation and thus counteract burnout and depression.

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Many celebrities have long recognized the potential of meditation. Pop star Katy Perry, for example, meditates every morning: "Meditating puts me in the best mood. I wake up, sit up straight in bed and meditate for 20 minutes. That's the only time my mind is calm," she emphasizes. Actor Hugh Jackman also swears by it: "In meditation, I can let go of everything. I'm not Hugh Jackman, I'm not a father and I'm not a husband. I just immerse myself in this incredible power that creates everything. I take a bath in it."

Wellness as a social experience

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Wellness increasingly fulfills social functions. Many people have suffered from isolation during the pandemic, and wellness and mental training are intended to help strengthen group affiliation. In so-called social wellness clubs, sociability meets self-care. "Helping people feel better and more connected to their bodies and the people around them," is how the pioneer Remedy Place formulated its goals in 2019. This ranges from fitness, sleep and nutrition to alternative medicine; you can take an ice bath and then chat with others over a cup of tea. There are spacious lounges where you can socialize and work remotely. There's even enough space for company events. Instead of alcohol, healthy soft drinks and vitamin shots are served - this is particularly appealing to a younger generation of health-conscious people, as many contacts are otherwise only made via social media and you are almost always forced to drink alcohol in bars.

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Wellness is also increasingly customized, with a mix of physical activities and therapeutic elements gaining in importance. These can be sleep retreats in which you do targeted meditation; artificial intelligence helps to analyze sleep phases and adapt the environment individually. Luxury hotels now also offer courses on how to deal with loss, process break-ups or find yourself again after a period of upheaval. Of course, the same applies here: Brief therapy in a chic resort doesn't help to overcome profound traumas in the long term. Gwyneth Paltrow's esoteric company Goop, which promises quick fixes at the touch of a button, is rightly criticized. The following applies to the meditation trend in particular: the power lies in regularity. You don't need a guru for this, but simply perseverance - and perhaps a little distance from false promises of salvation. After all, the trend is moving away from the ego and towards the we; away from quick consumption and towards long-term togetherness.

Read more: Are These the Best Addresses for Meditation and Retreats?