2016 was undeniably the year meditation reached critical mass—there are now entire studios dedicated to these zen practices which operate much like SoulCycle or any other trendy mainstream fitness venture. As we will try anything to calm our ever-present anxiety, particularly in an increasingly turbulent world, we’re so on board with the meditation craze and are especially interested in the newest trends in mind management. Here, three up-and-coming methods for meditating we’re predicting will be huge in 2017.
Dream Meditation
One company, Dream Reality Cinema, is hoping to help us take meditation to the next level by teaching us how to lucid dream (think Inception). According to founder (and cybernetics researcher) Sandor Lengyel, Dream Reality Cinema is "the ultimate brain hack," one which promises to unlock information stored in the subconscious while helping with sleep and stress disorders. In an increasingly chaotic world, we'd certainly pay the $45 price of admission for a regular nap—if it helps us "master our lives by mastering our dreams" in the process, all the better.
Flotation Therapy
This one has come a long way as of late. In the six or so months since this writer first tried it this past spring, fancy float studios like Pause in LA have begun to pop up everywhere, making the isolation tank experience more spa-like than extreme. Regular float sessions have been shown to reduce anxiety, depression and pain, and improve sleep quality. We're obsessed.
Sound Baths
Sound baths might not be for everyone, but this insomnia-plagued writer swears by them. The increasingly trendy form of meditation utilizes crystal bowls, which are "played" with a mallet in various patterns. This type of sound therapy is said to reduce anxiety and pain and aid sleep disorders.
