Scholars believe that the origins of yoga and meditation were developed over 5,000 years ago in Northern India by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization. But it wasn’t until the early 1900s that these time-honored practices gained popularity in Western culture, in part due to celebrity influence. In 1948, Indra Devi, an actress and pupil of Krishnamacharya (the father of modern yoga), opened a yoga studio in Hollywood, catering to the rich and famous. Just two decades later, the Beatles helped to popularize the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the developer of Transcendental Meditation. Some point to their time spent at Maharishi’s ashram as the genesis for their iconic 1968 White Album.
In the United States during that time, it wasn’t just the celebs who were embracing yoga and meditation. Scientists were getting in on the action too. In the 1960s, a group of Transcendental Meditation practitioners approached Dr. Herbert Benson, claiming their blood pressure was lower as a result of their meditation practice. They managed to convince him to run a study at the Harvard Medical School on the health benefits of Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation technique. Benson found that indeed, there were health benefits to meditation, one being that it helped induce the opposite of the body’s fight or flight response: reduced heart rate, metabolism, rate of breathing and brain activity. In 1975, he published a book called The Relaxation Response, which helped demystify meditation and take it mainstream.
And mainstream it became! These days, yoga, meditation and mindfulness have become household names. There are apps, classes, podcasts, Instagram accounts, and even in-flight channels dedicated to the teaching and practicing of these techniques. Unlike in the 1960s though, now you don’t need to be a Beatle to wield influence over the public. An Instagram account can reach hundreds, thousands, even millions of followers. An interview can go viral on the internet. A YouTube clip can garner a million views. Minor and major celebrities are able to use their reach to broadcast their mindfulness practices. On Instagram, Lady Gaga has posted pictures of herself doing yoga on a surfboard and Britney Spears regularly posts her yoga flows at the beach. Even Chris Hemsworth offers a guided meditation on his website Centr.
Beyond these like-worthy posts and videos, a number of celebs, athletes, entrepreneurs and CEOs stan over meditation:
Oprah Winfrey writes of formal and informal meditation: “Although I'm a big proponent of formal meditation—for the discipline, joy, and calm it brings—I'm moving into an even greater phase of being fully present all the time.”
Paul McCartney says in an interview: “In moments of madness, meditation has helped me find moments of serenity — and I would like to think that it would help provide young people a quiet haven in a not-so-quiet world.”
In a Harvard Business Review article, Bill Ford says of nearly declaring bankruptcy: ““The practice of mindfulness kept me going during the darkest days.”
Celebrity endorsed or not, yoga and meditation have endured for thousands of years. Their health benefits are numerous, both physically and mentally. So it doesn’t matter whether you practice on your own or virtually with Lizzo on IGTV—as long as you practice, you’ll be able to reap those benefits.